Home > Portugal > Ribagolfe I Golf Course
If you are considering a golf holiday in Portugal, you will naturally look at the Algarve as the top destination. However, there are other options and Orizonte Lisbon Golf is home to many top golf courses, one of which is Ribagolfe I.
This course was designed by Peter Townsend and European Golf Design and they had a beautiful landscape with which to work and have created a marvellous golf course.
The European Tour was so impressed with the layout and quality they have used it to host the first stage of the European Tour Qualifying School for many years. If you want a real test of golf in Portugal, this course will not disappoint.
Designed with tournament play in mind and is a long course from the back tees for beginner golfers, measuring 7,370 yards. However, with a choice of tees on each hole, there is something for everyone and many club golfers choose to play from the front tees.
The course is laid out inside a large cork oak forest and you will struggle to find a better setting for a round of golf anywhere in Europe. The main features of Ribagolfe are tight, rolling fairways, sculptured water hazards, undulating greens and many bunkers.
It’s certainly not a course for those looking for an easy round and despite being able to play off the front tees, which can shorten the course by almost 1,000 yards, it remains a challenging round of golf.
However, the layout and quality of the course are excellent and while the bunkers can be punishing, the sand is superb and you will have no complaints. The greens are true and evenly paced throughout, so you can rely on your putt if you get a good read.
To score well, you must find the fairways from the tee, so it’s perhaps best to leave the driver in the bag and choose a club which offers more control. The 12th hole is one of the many highlights, with ball position on the fairway crucial throughout and a green protected by water and sand.
Ribagolfe I is an exceptional golf course and thanks to the five tee positions, it can be enjoyed by players of all abilities. Include Ribagolfe I as part of any golf break in Lisbon and you will not be disappointed.
You will find Ribagolfe I very easy to reach, from wherever in the world you are travelling. Flights to Lisbon are plentiful and once in the Portuguese capital, you can hire a car for the short 40-minute drive to the golf course or book a taxi.
With the Tagus river nearby plus the Reserva Natural do Estuario do Tejo and Portuguese countryside, this is a tremendous location to play golf and you wouldn’t believe you were so close to one of the major European capital cities.
