Belas - Lisbon & Centre - Portugal

Located between the town of Belas and Vale de Lobo – a short drive (by car) from Lisbon city centre – is the pretty golf course of Belas Clube de Campo.

Belas opened for play in 1997 and it stretches out to a healthy 6,280 metres from the tips, representing an enjoyable challenge for all standards of golfer. “Carved through valleys and over the rolling slopes of Carregueira, an area of fairly inhospitable hills, Belas was something of a tour de force for American designer Rocky Roquemore.” Wrote Michael Gedye in his Golfer’s Guide Portugal. “The rugged hillsides, with sparse vegetation, only accentuate the lush green succession of gently mounded fairways, large scalloped bunkers and areas of penal water. To build a golf course here was an achievement in itself; to produce one in such superb condition, nestling comfortably within the succession of rolling hills, is a triumph.”

Standout holes at Belas include the short par five 15th, called ‘Serpentine’ which features a stream that dissects the fairway which may catch the big hitters tee shot if using one of the forward tees. The back-to-front sloping green will represent a putting challenge if your approach shot ends above the hole. The home hole, modestly called ‘Great Hole’ is a strong and potentially watery par four where your approach shot must carry across a U-shaped lake in order to find sanctuary of the narrow, final green.