Quinta da Marinha Golf Resort Review

Situated on the Portuguese Riviera this resort enjoys an ideal location to play some good golf while being perfectly situated to explore the lovely town of Cascais and a little further afield, Lisbon itself.

The resort has a large hotel with its own Robert Trent Jones course. It’s a stone’s throw from Oitavos Dunes and within easy reach of other Lisbon area courses including Estoril GC and Belas Clube de Campo.

Quinta da Marinha Golf

The Robert Trent Jones course which opened in 1984 has come in for some stick in certain quarters since it was rerouted to ensure the most spectacular hole, originally the 10th, is now the finish. However when you play the course you will understand the logic behind it.

A very tricky par five, it requires shots skirting water from the tee and final approach as a bare minimum depending on how well you are playing, and finishes majestically adjacent to the swimming pool at the rear of the hotel.

It’s a great final hole and justifies the rerouting, although the switch has resulted in some unfortunate crossing of fairways in places.

The course runs over a fairly flat stretch of coastal land, with fairways separated by scores of mature umbrella pines. We all know what that means - you need to hit it straight!

The clubhouse, newly renovated range, practice area and the first tee are two minutes walk from the hotel’s front door making for an ideal stay-and-play package.

There’re plenty of elevated tees and greens, which were in good shape during my visit in September 2022, and generally wide fairways.

Teeing areas and bunkers were bit scruffy and some signs of wear and tear apparent - the outcome of the drought which had affected much of Europe over the year, combined with plenty of resurgent footfall, post pandemic.

Amusing hole names are a nice touch and they describe each of the 18 individual challenges perfectly from the off, where hole one “gone with the wind” accurately nods to the breezy conditions you may well encounter on this part of the Portuguese coastline.

The nice dogleg par five 3rd hole is named “Atlantic Ocean” for good reason -  it’s one of the prettiest holes on the course with great views to boot.

“Iron-y” describes the short par four 5th hole perfectly. Do you lay up with a mid iron or risk a driver? The choice, as ever, is yours.

The first half finishes with a very nice par five featuring an extremely wide fairway, yet well framed by the pines, tightening towards the hole as the green is approached.

The par three 10th features water to the left, bunkers and scrubland to the other side, hence its moniker “good luck.” It is one of a number of very good par threes, the most notable being the 13th which plays over water to a green beautifully framed by a number of greenside bunkers.

The course continues in pleasant fashion to the previously mentioned 18th - a great finishing hole certain to create much debate in the bar afterwards.

Quinta da Marinha Resort

Quinta da Marinha has found its niche as a golfer’s resort, suitable in particular for groups of lads and lasses on a week’s outing. Large corporate outings are also well catered for.

Recently refurbished, the hotel provides all the golfer’s needs with decent sized bedrooms, several dining options and a well-used bar. It also has 27 villas renovated in 2021 complete with kitchenette, fireplace and terrace.

Other attractions:

Perfectly situated just off the coast road punctuated by numerous fish and seafood restaurants, the resort is a few minutes’ drive from Cascais, a smart seaside town with a trendy marina, scores of bars and restaurants. The hotel runs a regular shuttle bus service between the two during the day, and a taxi return will set you back only 7 Euros making it a great place to spend an afternoon following by drinks and dinner in the evening.

10 Reasons to Play Golf in Lisbon

Another real bonus is a regular train service from Cascais to Lisbon. It follows a lovely route down the Atlantic coast and Tagus estuary taking just 40 minutes to reach central Lisbon, stopping en route at the Lisbon suburb Belem, a hive of tourist attractions. Trains run late into the night in both directions making a full day out in the capital a worthwhile option.

Lisbon is a vibrant city with plenty to appeal to all ages and tastes. As well as its historic and architectural attractions it has a plethora of bars and restaurants and its whole vibe is uplifting. I can highly recommend the Time Out Market featuring dozens of very good food outlets and bars in a huge hall jammed packed with people from all over the world.

A mooch around the waterfront near the train terminus at Cais de Sodra and hanging out around the Praca do Comercio is a simple treat that is great for people watching coupled with glorious views over the Tagus estuary and its water traffic of all descriptions. The Praca do Comercio square is also the home of the Lisbon Story Centre which describes in sounds, vision and even the smells of the capital city through the centuries. A great way to learn the history of the city in less than an hour.

It is a hilly city but you can take the hard work out of it and catch the circular Yellow Tram 28 which meanders through the backstreets of this fascinating city. The more spirited may like to explore the lively neighbourhood of Bairro Alto and the historic quarter of Alfama. No trip to Lisbon is complete without a visit to Belem with its eye-catching monumental buildings both old and new. It is also the home of the world-famous pastel de nata. They are still made at the original must-visit shop and cafe where they are known by the name Pasteis de Belem

Verdict

Quinta da Marinha is well suited to groups of golfers who enjoy the flexibility of traveling to the local town and into Lisbon for bars restaurants and nightlife. The busy hotel is large and recently refurbished. The course is flat with wide fairways, in pretty good condition with excellent greens. While it will never challenge as the best in Portugal it is a great base within easy reach of Lisbon airport.

Links

Our travel partner golfbreaks has good deals at Quinta da Marinha

• The company’s marketing director Joao Pinto Coelho has a great blog about restaurants and bars in Cascais
• For Lisbon tips see visitlisboa.com

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