Tag: Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta

Sergio Garcia to make course designing debut at Terras da Comporta in Portugal

The Torre Course will be the second 18 at the high-end development south of Lisbon.

Sergio Garcia has signed on to design a second course at Terras da Comporta in Portugal, which will be the Spanish LIV golfer’s first as lead designer.

Terras da Comporta already is home to the David McLay Kidd-designed Dunas Course, which opened in 2023 and has been well-received. Garcia’s addition will be named the Torre Course and is slated to open in June of 2025 about an hour’s drive south of Lisbon.

Garcia has worked as secondary designer on courses before, including the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, host course for the Valero Texas Open.

“When it comes to full-on design, this is my first project and we are very, very excited about the course,” Garcia said in a media release announcing the planned opening timeline. “It’s something that I can really put my stamp on.

“The site is located in striking scenery, just a couple of kilometers from the beautiful beaches of Comporta, and the land has all the ingredients for a spectacular golf course. It’s a beautiful spot for a golf course, and we are building it using the best sustainable methods.”

Citing former Ryder Cup site Valderrama in Spain as his favorite course, Garcia said he intends the Torre Course to play tight with small greens amid a pine forest. Work already has begun, with Garcia utilizing Olazabal Design – founded by Garcia’s former Ryder Cup teammate, José María Olazábal – and lead shaper Conor Walsh for construction. Vanguard Properties, the largest real estate developer in Portugal, is leading the project on the high-end community.

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Check out David McLay Kidd’s new Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta in Portugal

Lay your eyes on David McLay Kidd’s new layout in Portugal.

David McLay Kidd’s design of the Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta in Portugal has officially opened, with the Scottish-born architect hitting the opening tee shot earlier this month.

Kidd started on the layout in 2010, but years of frustration followed until real estate developer Vanguard Properties took over in 2019. Kidd was then able to finish the course about a 90-minute drive south of capital city Lisbon. The Dunas Course is Kidd’s first layout in mainland Europe after having started his career with the original layout at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon and having gone on to build dozens of other highly rated courses in the U.S. and around the world.

“It’s been a real rollercoaster of a journey full of ups and downs, but we’ve finally made it and I couldn’t be more excited,” Kidd said in a media release announcing the opening of the Dunas Course. “I’m very proud of what we’ve created here and I firmly believe that there is no other golf venue like this in this part of Europe. I’ve been asked how I would characterize the course and I would say that’s easy, it’s a links course.

“The thing that is really great for me is that this is open to the public and being able to build something like this that’s unique, so natural and is open to all at a reasonable price, is great. I’m hoping that the course will fill with golfers quickly and be a showcase for links golf in southern Europe.”

On the edge of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, the layout is situated near the coast and plays over naturally sandy terrain. It will be one of two courses at the development, with Sergio Garcia named as the lead designer for a second course named Torre slated to open in 2025.