Sesimbra Hotel & Spa 4*

We (Thucket Knowe Golf Society) have been visiting the Lisbon area for 13 years, basing our group in different hotels in Cascais or Sesimbra. We started to go to Portugal after many years of Scottish golf breaks where the courses are great but the weather was too unpredictable!

On our golf trip this year, we based our group in the Sesimbra Hotel and Spa. The rooms were excellent, the views spectacular, and the staff extremely friendly and helpful. The bar and restaurant prices were a little bit racy but nothing more than you should expect from a golf resort of such quality. We did venture out to the local restaurants and bars after a couple of nights and we found them to be very nice with a really nice, relaxing ambience.

After so many years, and having seen quite a lot of changes, we are now of the opinion that Cascais is a beautiful town to visit, but it seems to have become a little "chic", with prices to match. Sesimbra however, in spite of a lot of investment to make it more of a resort, it still retains its fishing port atmosphere, and the restaurants seem to stay the same, and offer the same good food at the same fair prices.

This year we played Aroeira I and II, Penha Longa and Quinta do Peru. We have played all of them numerous times before, and our impression of them this time was as follows:

Aroeira I was in the best condition we have seen it, except perhaps for some of the tees, which were a bit worn. The main issue with Aroeira I is that there are some good holes, but there are many that are very similar. The main defence of this course comes from the abundant pine trees so accurate driving is a must.

Aroeira II was also in great condition and is a much more interesting course, with a great variety of holes that keep you guessing from tee to green the whole way round. Perhaps more tees should be added to cater for the shorter hitters because it can be a struggle if you don’t hit the long ball.

The staff at Aroeira were very welcoming and helpful, and we will surely be playing there again.

It was on to Penha Longa for our third round. The course was, as always in excellent condition. We love this course because the holes are so varied and interesting. And if the golf isn't going well the views are simply magnificent! The course is one of the best in Portugal and is a must for anyone on a golf tour near Lisbon. The food and drink in the clubhouse is quite pricey due to the corporate nature of the golf club but there are plenty of places to grab a bit nearby.

The fourth course we played was Quinta do Peru, which is always one of our favourites. The holes are varied and the course was in immaculate condition. The staff here are the best of any of the golf club near Lisbon and the food and drink is good value for money. We would like to keep this place a secret, because for the club golfer, this is Utopia!

What else can we say? The Lisbon area is superb for golf holidays and we thought the value for money we got from Your Golf Travel was great. We shall be returning to Portugal for future golf holidays and will no doubt be contacting YGT when the time comes.

Ray