The Sintra Natural Park is the setting for this course suspended between the sea and the most romantic range of hills in Portugal, which is considered by professionals to be one of the best on the European circuit.
Framed by the oddly-shaped rocks that form the Serra de Sintra, once a source of great inspiration for Lord Byron, who labelled the region “Glorious Eden”, the Atlântico course is a fabulous set of 18 holes situated only twenty minutes from Lisbon. Robert Trent Jones II designed the course in such a way as to make the most of its uneven terrain and the different views that it offers over the surrounding landscape of hills and sea. From the 6th and 13th holes, which have been built on a slight elevation, there are imposing panoramic views over the whole of the surrounding region.
The course’s championship qualities have earned it a reputation as one of the best courses on the European Tour, and it has already hosted the Portuguese Open, in both 1994 and 1995, the Estoril Open in 1999, and the Challenge Tour Grand Final in 1998. In 1995, it was voted the best course in Portugal and still ranks in the top 5 in the biennial election organised by European Golf Magazine.
UNESCO included Sintra’s cultural landscape in its list of World Heritage Sites in 1995. In this exceptionally romantic spot, there is no shortage of places that are guaranteed to take your breath away: the palaces of Pena, Monserrate and Seteais, Quinta da Regaleira, the Palácio Nacional de Sintra and a whole host of charming restaurants. Close by, at Cabo da Roca, you can savour the experience of standing at Europe’s westernmost point, where the land ends and the sea begins.... |