PGA Aroeira No.1

The eighth at PGA Aroeira No.1 gives a clear sense of the round ahead. It is a 208 yard par three from the white tees, rated stroke index 3, with a green falling sharply from right to left and a large bunker waiting on the right. Club selection matters, but so does committing to the correct portion of the putting surface. Across this 6,610 yard, par 72 layout, Frank Pennink makes similar demands. Tall umbrella pines close in around the fairways, doglegs ask you to place the ball from the tee, and the protected greens reward a properly judged approach rather than a hopeful one.

The ground is fairly level, making PGA Aroeira No.1 an enjoyable walk, although the trees and carefully positioned bunkers ensure it never becomes a simple test of length. The yellow tees play to 6,277 yards, while the blue tees offer a 6,018 yard option for a different look at the course. Open for play since 1973, it has the substance of a mature woodland course and has hosted the Portuguese Open, along with the International Portuguese Amateur Championship for men and women. Time on the practice ground is worthwhile before a round, with PGA professionals available through the on site golf academy.

Set within protected pine forest south of Lisbon, the course feels removed from the city without making the transfer a chore, at around 30 minutes from Lisbon. The coast is close by at Costa da Caparica, so a morning round can sit comfortably alongside an afternoon by the Atlantic.