Estela Golf Club

Estela Golf Club is home to one of Portugal's top seaside links courses, and one that hugs Estela beach and the Atlantic seashore for three wonderful kilometres. Laid out on a gently undulating area of rippling sand dunes, Estela provides an excellent reason to come and discover golf in the north of Portugal.

The two nine-hole loops, played to the north and south of the clubhouse, never stray too far from the ocean's shoreline. On the front-nine you'll enjoy the best of the ocean views; the back-nine sits down behind the dunes, and will keep you focused on hitting the often tightish fairways.

In addition to the Atlantic views (and accompanying breezes), plenty of golfing challenge is here in abudance. Tightish fairways, separated by small rippling sand dunes, lead you to small, subtly-sloping, often elevated greens. Here the putting surfaces are often defended by bunkers left and right, and on more than a few occasions, front and back! Accurate tee-shots and equally accurate approach play are essential to scoring well here.

Pick of the holes: by no means the easiest hole on the course, the long par-3 4th plays to one of two possible green sites, with Estela beach and the Atlantic Ocean behind. Top marks if you can hit, and stay on, the scenic but postage-stamp sized green (whichever of the two is in play). Also of note is the par-4 6th; behind its green sits a disused windmill ... which provides the club with its iconic logo.