The 18-hole PGA Aroeira is a special course that I personally love to play. I was able to play it for the first time last year under its old name Aroeira Pines and was already quite taken by this hidden gem back then. With the rebranding, some changes were also made to the layout and various design adjustments to PGA Aroeira No.1 that made me curious.

Basically, I find PGA Aroeira Lisbon an incredibly exciting golf travel destination. On the one hand, this has to do with the proximity to the hip metropolis of Lisbon, which is about 30 minutes away from the first tee, depending on traffic, and with the amazing layout of the two PGA Aroeira courses No.1 (formerly Pines Course) and PGA Aroeira No.2 (formerly Challenge Course), the whole thing comes in combination with great package prices with the two partner hotels Aroeira Lisbon Hotel and Crown Plaza Caparica. For example, you can do a wonderful 3-day golf trip with two rounds on the two PGA Aroeira courses and a city visit to Lisbon. I can tell you it’s really worth it.

But now to the golf course. I was very happy to see the Pines Course getting some love and many improvements. First of all, it is clear that these changes need time to grow. So what has actually been done apart from the successful rebranding to PGA Aroeira Lisbon. All tees have been redone. Levelled and reset. I think that’s great because in the past this would have been more of a constructive criticism. Furthermore, all the bunkers have been redone, i.e. the bunker edges have been partially reshaped and filled with new sand. In the past, these may have looked better in certain areas, but they are now much smoother to play and have a more modern shape. All the fairways have also been reshaped and the old overgrown pine trees have been thinned out and the areas between the individual fairways have been cleared of bushes and weeds. This will look pretty great in the coming season and will be even easier to play when the individual fairways are nicely overgrown and the areas between the nearby ones are covered with pine needles again. A nice contrast that might remind you of the Pinehorst here and there.

A new visual highlight are fairways 3, 4, 5 and 6, where a water obstacle has been skilfully and visually redesigned. Parts of the rising bunker complex merge seamlessly into the water hazard. A real golfer’s eye candy moment, especially in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is low. However, my two favourite holes are the 11th and 14th of the PGA Aroeira No.1. You have to play the 11th very smartly – a good fairway splitter is necessary and you have to be able to attack the very narrow lower lying green with a short iron. Everything else is golfer’s roulette with water on the left and bunkers on the right. The narrow sloping green is visually magnificent, especially in the late afternoon when the long shadows of the pine trees mark the green.

The 14th is a short par 3 that could well merit a bench to linger on, as the tall old pine trees are reflected in the water hazard in lovely harmony with the sunlight at almost any time of day.

A real speciality is the. Clubhouse of the PGA Aroeira Lisbon. The old wooden building exudes a very special charm both inside and out. I really like the style of the furnishings around the central green bar. Lunch or dinner in the clubhouse is an absolute must. I recommend the Bacalhau, which is simply great.

To summarise, the PGA Aroeira No.1 is a course that you should definitely play at least once. It is a challenge for every level of player and is fair and, in combination with the described proximity to Lisbon, worth an exceptional golf trip.

👉🏻 Package 4×3 ( 4 Nights + 3 GF ):
Low season from € 449 to high season 624 €

➡️ 2x PGA Aroeira No.1
➡️ 1x PGA Aroeira No.2

👉🏻 Package 7×5 ( 7 Nights + 5 GF ):
Low season from € 756 to high season 1049 €

➡️ 3x PGA Aroeira No.1 
➡️ 2x PGA Aroeira No.2 

👉🏻 Aroeira Lisbon Hotel ****
Prices per person sharing a classic twin room
on B&B basis, other rooms typologies on request

👉🏻 Halfboard (exc. drinks): 35€
👉🏻 Drinks supplement: 12€
👉🏻 Semi all-inclusive supplement: 35€*
(*min 10 px) Drinks from 5:30pm to 11pm: White & red wine, sangria, moscatel, porto wine, gin tonic, beer. Prices per person / per day