The Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta has confirmed its reputation as Europe’s most talked-about golf design project after being named in the top ten of Golf World’s influential list of the ‘Top 100 Courses in Continental Europe’.
The par-71 layout near Lisbon, which was named the ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ and ‘Europe’s Best New Golf Course’ at this month’s World Golf Awards, was ranked in an amazing ninth place in the respected industry poll, less than six months after opening its doors for the first time.
The highest new entry in the updated list, The Dunas Course was also the highest rated layout in Portugal with the Top 100 judging panel hailing architect David McLay-Kidd’s first golf-course design project in mainland Europe as a “modern masterpiece in the making.”
Each course was assessed across six categories – design, setting, memorability, playability, consistency and presentation – with The Dunas Course scoring well in each to earn an impressive 81 points out of 100.
Chris Bertram, Top 100 editor, said: “Another continental European top 100 with a new entry in the top ten is a real statement. Again, though, we have no doubt this new course thoroughly merits this sensational entry. Indeed, it had six months more to settle in, it may well have entered higher.
“The bones are there for a World Top 100 contender. David McLay-Kidd was given a wonderful site and he has delivered with it. The scale is epic, the holes are varied, distinctive and memorable, the experience thrilling and playable in equal measure. This is a modern masterpiece in the making, and it will be exciting to watch how it progresses.”
Located one hour south of Lisbon, the layout has been created over 84 hectares of natural, sandy terrain on the coast in a secluded setting on the edge of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, and opened for play for the first time in June.
Rodrigo Ulrich, director of golf at Terras da Comporta, said: “We knew we had something special on our hands when David McLay-Kidd was putting the finishing touches to the course. We were excited before the course opened but are even more excited now following the incredible reaction that we have received from both golfers and the golf industry alike.
“For a course so new to be included in such a prestigious list of Europe’s top golf venues is an amazing achievement, and the great thing is that The Dunas is only going to get better as it matures and beds in.”
Owned by Vanguard Properties, Portugal’s largest real estate developer who took ownership of the development in 2019, Terras da Comporta features two large developments: Torre, comprising 365 hectares of land and where a second course designed by Sergio Garcia and José María Olazábal is being built (set to follow in 2025), and Dunas, which occupies around 1,011 hectares.
Complementing The Dunas Course will be a new clubhouse and golf academy. Away from the fairways, an array of lifestyle activities will be available including horse-riding, wellness, tennis, padel, pickleball and many other sports, with a wide range of plots for hotels, tourist and residential condominiums also on offer.
To book a round on The Dunas Course, email golf@comporta.com and for more information, visit www.comporta.com
About Vanguard Properties:
Vanguard Properties, the largest real estate developer in Portugal, was founded in 2017 Claude Berda and José Cardoso Botelho. Focusing on innovation and standards of the highest quality, Vanguard Properties mainly operates in the luxury and premium residential and tourism segments, with a vision enshrined in an integrated lifestyle philosophy, where every detail counts. Projects with the Vanguard hallmark extend far beyond the expected, they promote a lifestyle in which all aspects, from architecture to exclusive services and interior design, including the pieces of art in shared areas, all converge to the same result: to offer a unique way of life, while at the same time, providing buyers with a handsome investment.
The group currently has 22 urban and tourist projects in its portfolio spread over upmarket locations in Lisbon, Oeiras, Algarve and Comporta. covering a total above ground Gross Building Area (GBA) of around 1.027.781 sqm, in an investment worth more than €1.215 million.
About Terras da Comporta:
The Terras da Comporta development, located in the heart of Comporta, is the result of Vanguard Properties’ acquisition of assets from the Herdade da Comporta Real Estate Fund in 2019.
It is made up of two large developments: Torre, comprising 365 hectares of land in the Alcácer do Sal municipality, and Dunas, which occupies around 1,011 hectares of land in the Grândola municipality. Both enjoy exceptionally tranquil and beautiful locations in dense pine forest. Torre is found near Comporta Village and its iconic rice fields, and Dunas, eight kilometres to the south, is next to Praia do Pego beach.
The Terras da Comporta project is founded on the best environmental, economic and social sustainability practices, assuming a long-term perspective that will undoubtedly contribute to the region’s development. Positioned in the market’s most exclusive segment, where aspects such as quality, comfort and privacy are given top priority, both Torre and Dunas offer a wide range of plots for hotels, tourist and residential condominiums.
There will also be excellent sports facilities including two 18-hole golf courses designed by world-renowned golf architect David McLay-Kidd (Dunas) and two US Masters champions, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia (Torre). Having been originally launched by McLay-Kidd in 2010, the Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta opened for play on June 1, 2023, with its official inauguration taking place in October 2023.