In Portugal, life isn't just the Algarve. Only a 2 hour flight from Paris, the Lusitanian capital also conceals little golfing gems. The city, which enjoys good weather almost all year round, is attracting more and more French tourists, in particular because of the geopolitical context. To the point of having dethroned for three years the Spaniards, until then leaders in number of foreign visitors.

  • Photo: DR
Completely destroyed by a terrible earthquake in 1755 (which inspired the Candid by Voltaire, who with this tragedy refuted Leibniz's optimistic thesis on “the best of all possible worlds”), Lisbon is a city on a human scale, typical, culturally rich and damn hilly. Unmissable, the medieval castle of Saint-George, nestled on the heights of the city, offers a unique view of the vast mouth of the Tagus, which drowns in the Atlantic Ocean. In the distance, we glimpse the statue of Christ the Redeemer, a replica of that of Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. Ideal for a weekend ... or more if you like. Below, the Alfama district, its small alleys and its Moorish influences adjoins Chiado, its shops and its Pastéis de nata, those little Portuguese flans that will prevent you from succumbing to a hypoglycemia crisis if you have planned to golf. within the next fifteen days.

Devilish greens

Well, tourism, geopolitics, history or philosophy, that's all well and good, but now it's time for serious things: the little white ball. With a good twenty golf courses in the vicinity of the capital, frenetic 7 iron will find something to quench their thirst for bog… sorry birdies. Just five minutes from the airport, the 9-hole Belavista golf course allows even the most impatient to warm up. For those who wish to head south and the Algarve (2h30 drive), a stop on the Quinta do Peru course (located 40 minutes from the capital) is essential. With the Arrabida mountains as a backdrop, the first nine holes are a pleasant appetizer. The return is clearly getting harder due, in particular, to devilish greens. Hole 18, a long uphill par 4, would almost make Augusta's greens pass for the Po plain. The author of these lines, who certainly does not have the putting of Phil Mickelson, still had to do it five times to put the ball in the hole! To know: via the portugalgolfbooking site (http://www.portugalgolfbooking.com/index.xhtml), the green fee sells for 58 euros instead of 110 euros at the club house.

Oitavos, a visual slap

But the most beautiful golf courses in the region are undoubtedly a good half hour east of the capital. In Cascais, the Oitavos golf course clearly stands out and will blow your mind. This even makes Irishman Paul McGinley - a multiple Ryder Cup winner as player and captain - say that this course "is potentially the best in continental Europe". This links, which borders the Atlantic coast at a distance, is also classified 58e by Golf Magazine, in the top 100 most golf courses in the world. Stage of the European circuit in 2007, the French Raphaël Jacquelin had finished second there and even pocketed the prize of the winner, the Spanish amateur Pablo Martin (first success of an amateur on the European Tour).

The 14, signature hole, is the occasion for a double slap for the players. That of the wind, omnipresent (a famous windsurf spot is located nearby), which slaps a large part of the fairways. But also and above all a visual slap! The green is located on a plateau, separated from the tees by a small ravine. Scratches and tops prohibited. Behind the flag, you can see the cliffs of Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. If suddenly the absurd idea comes to you to hope to glimpse America by turning your head to the left, know that it is a waste of time ... even with a good sight or a rangefinder. We tested for you.

Green fee of 110 euros during the week and "only" 70 euros for guests of the hotel du golf (http://www.theoitavos.com/). A recent hotel, with ultramodern decor, which even offers the original possibility of having a meal in ... the restaurant's kitchen. You will attend, live, the preparation of dishes in the company of a particularly affable French chef.

A scent of pine forest and an aqueduct near the flag

Still in Cascais, a stone's throw from the golf course of Oitavos, it would be a shame to snub the Quinta de Marinha course. Change of scenery here, with a course that looks more like those that can be played in Mauritius or the Caribbean. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, this par 71 delivers some breathtaking snapshots, like hole n ° 3, which seems to run aground in the Atlantic Ocean. A magical experience that almost makes us forget the bucket of balls at 6 euros ... Green fee at 95 euros, but almost half the price for hotel guests (http://www.quintadamarinha.com/en/Menu/Hotel/hotel.aspx).

Finally, head north, about twenty minutes from Cascais (and 35 minutes from Lisbon), for another golfing gem, enclosed in the high reliefs of Sintra: Penha Longa. Designed this time by son Trent Jones, this hilly and challenging course gives off the scent of pine forest. So many trees, which will worry hook and slice professionals. But above all a lot of fun and a refined aesthetic, like hole n ° 6, a par 5 which ends near a small Roman aqueduct. Green fee of 97 euros during the week, with a possible reduction for hotel guests (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/europe/penha-longa).

Frank Crudo