Estela Golf Club

A number of courses around the world have attempted to attach the ‘links’ title simply because they are built near or on the coast. But very few have those qualities of delicate turf, sand, undulating fairways and hard greens that truly define traditional links golf courses.

Estela Golf Club can rightfully boast to being one of the few that can justifiably lay claim to the ‘links’ title, although the lack of horizontal freezing rain and winds that chill to the bone will disappoint the purist! In fact, Estela is cooled by the omnipresent Atlantic breezes in the summer and warmed by the Gulf Stream in the winter, it’s therefore wonderful weather for year round golf. As with the Costa Brava in Northern Spain, this area of Portugal never experiences the searing summer temperatures of the southern resorts, but will stay pleasantly warm during the winter months.

Situated on the stunning and at times dramatic Minho coast of northwestern Portugal, Estela is set 30 kilometres north of the beautiful city of Oporto and near the lively summer resort of Póvoa de Varzim. The course was designed by Duarte Sottomayor, who started his career working with the world renowned Robert Trent-Jones. Inaugurated in January 1989, Estela is a traditional par 72 layout measuring almost 6,300 metres from the back tees. The quality of the course was immediately recognised and, since it opened, Estela has played host to a number of amateur and professional events including the Portuguese Open in 1991.

Sottomayor has developed the 3-kilometre strip of coastline on which Estela is sited into a wonderful test of golf. Wherever possible he has used the natural sand dunes and shoreline hazards to shape the holes and simply placed tees, elevated greens and fairways between the dunes to stunning effect. The addition of a number of well-placed lakes adds to the struggle a golfer will have in achieving a respectable score.

Estela will require long straight drives to fairways almost totally bereft of fairway bunkers. A lack of bunkers does not make things easier for the player, because missing the narrow fairways will undoubtedly mean an excursion into the dunes and usually the sand and grass will prevent any thoughts of making the green in regulation. Open green fronts will allow the skilful ‘links’ golfer to play low, running approach shots to putting surfaces that are renowned for their subtle undulations and speed.

Estela opens up with a couple of reasonably gentle holes, but apart from the short 8th the rest of the front nine will test the golfer to the limit. The 3rd is stroke index 1 and the 4th a cracking par three measuring 175 metres across a valley to a green bordered on the left by the beach. No let up through holes 6, 7, 8 and 9, as they are all long with tight fairways and well-protected greens.

The back nine is arguably slightly easier with the pick of the holes being the par three 12th hole, the par five 13th, the short par four 16th and the final hole that plays significantly longer than its 359 metres suggest. The par five 13th is a classic ‘links’ hole, running alongside the beach before dog-legging and dropping downhill to the green.

In 2013, as part of an on-going course improvement plan, the green on the long par five 7th hole was moved 45 metres to the right, enabling the old green site to be used as an elevated platform for tee shots across the irrigation reservoir on the following hole.