The Oitavos Golfe Club
History of the Course:
The Oitavos Golfe Club is located in the picturesque seaside region of the Quinta da Marinha, in Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal. The magnificent 18-hole golf course is subtly crafted amidst the rocky coastal region, within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, with the Sintra Hills forming a backdrop, overlooking the vast blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean and.
The Oitavos Golfe Club is recently created in 2001, being designed by renowned American architect, Arthur Hills. This masterpiece course winds its way through the pine woods forests and undulating duneland terrain, making it a unique woodlands-links style combination course.
The 6,303 metres, par 71, championship course of the Oitavos Golfe Club has a beautiful layout consisting of the excellent greens that are relatively firm and fast; dunes, slopes and burrows spread across the course; tree-lined fairways dotted by strategic bunkers; the Atlantic winds, along with the open links features, makes this course a delightful challenge to play on.
The Oitavos Golfe Course is built on a sandy base that has excellent drainage capabilities, making it a year-round playable course, which also requires accuracy and skill to approach the well-manicured greens. The natural beauty of the surroundings also makes this a wonderful golfing experience here in Portugal.
The beautiful glass-fronted clubhouse of the Oitavos Golfe Club offers various services including restaurant and bar, golf practice facilities like its driving and putting ranges, Pro-shop, as well as provides spectacular views of the course with the distant mountains and vast ocean providing a scenic backdrop.
Course Trivia:
- The Oitavos Golfe Course designer, Arthur Hills is a renowned golf architect, being the ex-president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
- The Oitavos Golfe Club is the first golf course in Continental Europe to receive the Gold Certified Signature Sanctuary from America’s Audobon International Committee for its natural environment surroundings and sustaining of natural resources.
- The Oitavos Golfe Club has been host to numerous golf events including the 2002 /03 Euro Pro Tour; the 2004Estoril Challenge Open Portugal Telelcom; the Estoril Seniors Tour Championship 2003, 2004 and 2006; the 2006 Estoril Ladies Open, and the prestigious Portuguese Open in 2005, and also the upcoming 2007 event.
- The Oitavos Golfe Club Course record is held by Richard Bland and Kalle Brink, with a score of 65.
- Most holes at the Oitavos Golfe Club are excellently designed; the signature hole being its par3-14th hole with a tough tee over a ravine to the narrow right side green; excellent finishing holes with the dogleg 18th hole consists of a narrow shot to the elevated green with bunkers and dunes; also excellent views of the ocean from the 9, 10, 11 and 14 holes. The front nines attractions include bunkers, trees and dunes to overcome on the par 3’s like its 9th hole.
