PGA Aroeira

Eerste keer op deze baan dus even wennen - mooi klassiek houten clubhuis - maar zijn met een nieuw aan het bouwen. Afwisselende bebouwing tussen de naaldbomen - hour is 50 jaar oud. Nieuw is groot en in de vorm van witte blokkendozen. Krijg wel last van golfschaamte - want lang geleden was dit een mooi bosgebied. Ok golfen - prima te doen - niet echt moeilijk, voldoende afwisseling, blijf op de fairway en mooi greens. Morgen doen we 2!

Beide golf course gespeeld vond echter dat door een renovatie en bouw van een nieuw hotel bij de Aroeira 2 de diversee hole zijn ingekort en dat maakt het jammer omdat de oude baan heel mooi was. De nummer 1, vier mei gespeeld, is een mooie en uitdagende baan met moeilijk water partijen. De omgeving veranderd ennorm door ook hier weer veel bebouwing rondom de baan. Dat vind ik ook hier weer jammer.

Played course #2 today. Was disappointed that the course is under a lot of construction. The fairways and greens are awesome. The rough? Wow. You’ll be lucky if you find your ball off of the fairway. High grass, brush and branches border most all fairways. I lost a lot of balls today. My other complaint is that the course map is confusing. They are re-numbering holes and your app and the course scorecard don’t match. Course hole #1 is actually on my GPS / app as hole number 13. So I had to consistently make sure I was at the correct hole all day as well as make notes on my scorecard so I didn’t get confused. There is no real clubhouse and full facility at course #2. They have a small makeshift check in office that is similar to a trailer office. They did have push carts and electric golf carts available. There was a refrigerator in the office that had waters and sodas available. I didn’t see any snacks or food available. There was no ice available. If you are coming to play this course, bring all of your own snacks, drinks and ice. There were clean male & female restrooms at the office area. I also did see restrooms on the course. The staff was awesome. Very friendly and helpful to me. I traveled from the USA, so my clubs were in my travel case. The staff offered to hold my bag in their storage area while I played. They also let me charge my phone in the office at the end of the round as I was almost at a dead battery. Cart paths need some work. Most people I see in Portugal WALK the course so maybe the cart paths are not a priority? There is no driving range here or putting green. My overall opinion is that course #2 should be offering a discounted rate while it is under so much work/construction.

Aroeira No. 2 provides a clear contrast to its sister course, Aroeiera no.1. The layout is significantly more demanding, with more complex holes and several risk-and-reward situations that require thoughtful course management. The course was designed by Donald Steel and underwent a big renovation in the summer of 2025. The design and routing and hole sequence was largely preserved. But tees and bunkers, greens & fairways, irrigation and turf, water features and landscaping and infrastructure received a massive upgrade. I expect that the rating of both courses (Aroeiera 1 received an upgrade in 2024) will go up after more players experience these nice courses The conditioning during our visit was excellent. The club is still recovering from severe storms that hit the region in November and December 2025, during which nearly 170 trees were uprooted. Work to clear and restore parts of the course was still ongoing. After a relaxed lunch at the clubhouse at Aroeira No. 1, playing Aroeira No. 2 in the afternoon provided a much sterner test and a nice contrast between the two layouts.

Aroeira No. 1 is the more accessible of the two courses at the Aroeira resort and suits a wide range of golfers, particularly resort players or those who do not play frequently. The layout is relatively open with generous fairways that provide plenty of landing space from the tee, while the greens are straightforward and approachable. The course winds through pine forest close to the Atlantic dunes. Although the sea is nearby, it is not visible from the course itself, giving the layout more of a forest character than a seaside one. The only thing that surprised me is that the 1st hole is directly east from the tee, if it is summy it is (almost) impossible to see your ball, so better make sure it is straight.... The clubhouse (currently serv ing both courses 1 & 2) is located here as well and is a charming wooden building nestled against the dunes with a relaxed, homely atmosphere. Aroeira No. 1 will also host a Challenge Tour event in October 2026, bringing additional attention to the resort. If you play both courses on the same day, like we did, it is best to start with no. 1