Thirty minutes south of Lisbon, deep in a protected pine forest, PGA Aroeira No.1 was designed by Frank Pennink, the architect behind Vilamoura's Old Course, and opened in 1973. Visiting players nicknamed it the Wentworth of Lisbon, and it's gone on to host the Portuguese Open twice, a run of Ladies European Tour events, and the European Men's Club Trophy in 2013.
Tall avenues of pine frame every hole, with Robert Trent Jones Sr. later reworking the signature 11th. The course demands accuracy over power, rewarding precise placement off the tee to open up approaches into well-guarded, undulating greens. Recent storms hit the region hard, uprooting trees and damaging fairways, but the refurbishment since has been substantial: fairways have been completely rebuilt, bunkers reworked, and greens are back running true and disease-free. It's a course genuinely worth booking now, as it comes back into its best form.
One thing to know before you go: the driving range sits at the neighbouring No.2 course, a short shuttle away, and buggies are worth booking ahead, since larger groups can leave them in short supply. Book both nines together if your trip allows it, since No.1 and No.2 sit side by side and make for a genuinely varied two-round stay. For golfers who want a proper piece of Portuguese tournament history, this is the round to build a Lisbon trip around.
Frank Pennink
Holes |
Pair |
White Lenght |
Yellow Lenght |
Red Lenght |
| 18 | 72 | 6044 m / 6648 yd | 5740 m / 6314 yd | 5186 m / 5705 yd |
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