West Cliffs Golf Course

From the elevated tee at the fifth, a par-three carries a natural valley before reaching a green held by dunes, an early indication of the decisions West Cliffs Golf Course asks you to make. This is an 18-hole, par 72 links laid across the Silver Coast’s existing dunes, coastal scrub and pine groves, where the Atlantic is often in view and just as often part of the calculation. Wind direction changes the shape of holes, elevation affects club selection and sand waits for a shot played too aggressively. The greens have pronounced movement, so leaving the ball on the right tier matters as much as finding the putting surface. From the championship tees the course runs to 7,003 yards, but a choice of teeing grounds makes it a sensible test for mixed golfing groups. Cynthia Dye’s design keeps the terrain central to the round, rather than forcing a uniform parkland look onto the coastline.

A practice area, changing rooms, rental equipment and a well stocked pro shop make the arrival straightforward, including for groups travelling light. After the round, the two-storey clubhouse is where the day settles down, with a panoramic bar, lounge spaces and an à la carte restaurant. Broad glazing, balconies and terraces look across the course towards the Atlantic, a good place to watch the light change over the dunes with a drink before dinner. West Cliffs sits at Vau, near Óbidos on Portugal’s Silver Coast, around an hour north of Lisbon, so it works well as part of a coastal stay combining golf and accommodation. Opened in 2017, the course has quickly established its own identity through its exposed setting and its refusal to offer many easy recoveries.