When a new golf course opens, it usually takes years to build a reputation. In the case of Dunas Course in Comporta, that process took less than three years. The course, which opened in October 2023, has already been named the best in Portugal by Golf Digest.

At first glance, it may seem like just another industry award. But its significance goes further: a course in Alentejo has managed to outperform the renowned venues of the Algarve, a region long regarded as the capital of Portuguese golf.
Dunas Course is set among pine forests and Atlantic dunes south of Lisbon. It was designed by acclaimed architect David McLay Kidd, whose courses are widely considered must-play destinations by golf enthusiasts. Yet experts attribute its success to more than a celebrated name. From the outset, the project was built around preserving the natural landscape rather than reshaping it to suit the sport.

That philosophy is gaining increasing recognition across the global golf industry. Where the sector once competed on scale and luxury, players are now more often drawn to courses with a distinctive character and a stronger commitment to environmental stewardship.

For Comporta, the award is further confirmation of its growing status. For Portugal, it signals that new tourism hubs are emerging well beyond the country’s traditional destinations. Sometimes just a few years are enough to change the rules of the game in an industry where reputations were once built over generations.