GOLF IN MADEIRA

GOLF IN MADEIRA

The Madeira archipelago is home to three breathtaking golf courses. Two of the courses – Clubede Golf Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf– are on Madeira itself, while the third, Porto Santo Golfe, lies a short hop away on the island of the same name, one of four comprising the archipelago.

Clube de Golf Santo da Serra

Robert Trent Jones Snr’s 1991redesign of Clube de Golf Santo da Serra – which dates originally from 1937 –created a spectacular 27-hole complex in a beautiful natural landscape, withviews of Porto Santo and the bay of Machico, where Portuguese navigators firstlanded in 1419.

The Machico and Desert as nines form the 6,825-yard championship course, on which the European Tour’s Madeira Islands Open was held on 10 occasions – Mark James winning theinaugural 1993 tournament. The third and fourth on the Machico are regarded asthe signature holes, sitting atop cliffs more than 2,200ft above the Atlantic.

The 3,193-yard Serras courseoffers a delightful alternative, with lakes and mountain views along flatterterrain.

Palheiro Golf

The Cabell BRobinson-designed Palheiro Golf opened in 1993 and sits within the magnificentPalheiro Estate, which is more than 200 years old. The course borders thefive-star Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro and meanders through a pristineenvironment of maritime pine and botanical woodland, garnished with lush,sub-tropical vegetation.

And, at nearly 1,640ft abovesea level, the location enjoys dramatic views of Madeira’s mountainous skylineand the vast Atlantic Ocean, as well as – nestling below, just 10 minutes away– the island’s capital, Funchal.

The par-72, 6,656-yard coursetakes full advantage of Madeira’s hilly terrain, with abrupt ridges and deepvalleys. It is listed inside continental Europe’s top 200 in one benchmarkcourse ranking, and the presence of a splendid hotel, secured a spot forPalheiro in the top 80 in two recent ‘best European golf resort’ lists.

Porto Santo Golfe

A short, 20-minute flight –or a two-and-a-half hour cruise – will cover the 27 miles between Madeira andthe archipelago’s eastern-most island, Porto Santo, home to Porto Santo Golfe,which hosted the Madeira Islands Open between 2009 and 2011.

Laid out by Severiano Ballesteros, the 7,036-yard course, which opened in 2004 and was built toenvironmentally conscious standards, comprises two distinct nines, spanning anarea from sand dunes to basalt cliffs.

The US-style southern routeis dotted with lakes, requiring a long, precise game; while the northern routeis atop yet more fantastic cliffs, near a stunning beach, also called PortoSanto. The signature hole is undoubtedly the 200-yard, par-three 13th, whichrequires a shot over a gorge to reach a cliff-top green.