Quinta da Baroneza

From the moment he first set foot on Brazilian soil in the late 1980s, American architect Dan Blankenship was destined to make a significant impact on the golfing landscape of the largest country on the continent.

Back then he worked (mainly in Asia) for Pete Dye Design and although the project he was involved in at Buzios was suspended due to a financial crisis, Blankenship would return a few years later with his own company, Gold Tee Golf International, to complete the development.

Since then, he has unveiled a further ten courses around the country – including this one near São Paulo at Quinta da Baroneza – on the way to being recognized as the most prolific contemporary designer in Brazil.

Quinta da Baroneza Golfe Club is set within yet another one of these exclusive private property estates that have sprung up all over the nation, with fairways laid out over a surprisingly undulating landscape.

One of the most remarkable holes here is the tough 415-yard 4th, made memorable due to its strategic split fairway. Then again, in terms of notable holes, who could forget the closing hole on each nine when they share the same horseshoe-shaped green in front of the clubhouse?