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The Solares de Portugal network has selected golf and horse riding as leisure activities with enormous tourist potential.

Golf is no longer an elitist sport. The number of people enjoying the game in their free time during the weekend or on vacation is rapidly growing. The reasons are not difficult the find. Beautiful surroundings, the benefit of exercise, the high level of concentration necessary and the social interaction that comes with the sport are the most obvious. After playing golf for a while and reaching a good technical level comes the need to try new courses. Most of the golf clubs in Portugal employ professional coaches so anybody can star to learn the game.

Horse riding enthusiasts can now take advantage of the Solares de Portugal great offer to learn the equestrian art through its national network.

The Ponte de Lima Golf Course is located a few miles from the sea in an area of great natural beauty. It will entertain both beginners and advanced players. It is designed in two nine-hole loops, with start and finish at the clubhouse.

Right next to the golf course, the Equestrian Centre of Ponte de Lima is the place where beautiful Lusitano horses are trained in the classical tradition of haute école. Not very far from the centre it is possible to attend races at the hippodrome of Ponte de Lima.

We suggest two more golf courses near Ponte de Lima for players to improve their game. The Estela Golf Club in Póvoa de Varzim was established in 1989.

In 1993 it received a trophy for “club of the year” and has since been the venue of some great tournaments.

The Quinta da Barca Golf Club in Esposende boasts a versatile nine-hole course surrounded by pleasant landscape that includes a sweet water marina. It is situated on the right bank of the River Cávado, in Barca do Lago, 4 miles from Esposende and despite its simple design demands serious approach. The undulating greens, the well planned bunkers and the three lakes guarantee an interesting challenge amidst the pine forest.

The British introduced golf in Portugal establishing the first course in 1890. The Oporto Golf Club enjoys an enormous prestige that still holds today. The course is a par 71 totalling 5157 yards of magnificent surroundings much appreciated by the players and also an excellent clubhouse. The reputed hospitality of the region allied to the equally famous gastronomy are excellent factors that invite you to visit.

Further north the Amarante Golf Club is situated in Deveza. It is a land of rich traditions that benefits from the magnificent landscapes of the river Tamega and Serra do Marão. The course is situated at an altitude of about 2.000 feet. Four holes have lakes and there are 7 par 3 holes and 3 par 5. It cannot be considered difficult and has excellent fast greens.

Close to Amarante, Vidago is an option. It has nine holes with a par 33 layout played in two loops. The spacious course is very pleasant with surrounding leafy tree of many types. Competitions in September are famous and attract dozens of players from Lisbon, Oporto, and Galiza, Spain.;

Arriving in Beiras next to Viseu where local history and culture are worth exploring, Montebelo Golf was the first course in the region. A unique environment and fabulous landscape surrounds the course that is set among pine and oak forests and typical vegetation of the region in the middle of the mountain ranges of Serra da Estrela and Caramulo. The architects Mark Stilwell and Malcolm Kenyon designed this course and the final sequence is unforgettable. The last three holes provide fantastic views of valleys, creeks, hills, lakes and well-protected greens.

Heading south the golf Club of Praia D”el Rey is situated in an area of great beauty not far from Peniche. With miles of Atlantic coast beaches and forests of pines this course has 72 holes in a zone of dunes where it is possible to see the Berlengas islands.

The Tejo valley provides several alternatives for beginners and advanced players. The Beloura Golf Club is the most recent course of the Estoril coast situated in an area of 150 acres. It was executed by American architect Rocky Roquemore. With the mountain range of Sintra on the skyline, small lakes dot the course and with a large diversity of trees it is really attractive. An even surface makes it good for beginners and perhaps less tiring than others.

On the south bank of the river Tejo the Golf Club of Aroeira is only 15 miles away from Lisbon and a few metres from the beach. The club is inside an estate with thousands of pine trees. It includes two championship courses both with 18 holes, a golf school and a welcoming clubhouse with restaurant, swimming pool and four tennis courts.

The golf clubs in the Algarve are many and well known. For this reason we will only mention the Penina since it was the first course built in the Algarve in 1966. Designed by the legendary Sir Henry Cotton, the draining of a rice field was necessary to construct greens, fairways and hazards, planting thousands of trees and giving a different character to each hole.

Travelling in Portugal is not only about contemplation. Besides golf and horse riding active people can choose between many other possibilities. Solares de Portugal takes great honour and pleasure in providing sporting people with the accommodation and facilities to enjoy their favourite activities.

Solares de Portugal (2006), The Stamp of Quality.