Golf

The popular golf courses of mainland Portugal have attracted the great and the good of the golfing world for many years. The quiet, unassuming courses of the Azores are just waiting to be discovered.

There are two rewarding courses on the main island of Sao Miguel.Furnas was the first course built on the islands in the 1930s. The first nine holes were designed by Philip MacKenzie Ross (of Turnberry and Estoril fame) – Cameron Powell supervised the addition of nine new holes in 1992, taking great care to retain the spirit and style of Ross’ original. Set amongst a forest of Japanese Cedar, its gentle nature belies a course which many find a genuine test of skill and finesse.

Batalha is the newest and most challenging – designed by Cameron Powell from scratch, it’s twenty-seven holes are laid out over a magnificent one-hundred and twenty hectares, with large flowing greens and sinuously contoured bunkers.

It’s a short flight from Sao Miguel to the island of Terceira – home to the eighteen-hole Vila Nova course. This par seventy-two course is considered the easiest of the three – nevertheless, its wide fairways and infrequent bunkers make this arguably the most fun of the islands’ courses.