Print this page  |  Close Window

By David Brice
Golf International, Inc.

Ranking golf courses is a perilous task at best and one that mere mortals who may be sensitive to criticism and accusations of favoritism, would be better advised to avoid.

1997 Ryder Cup venue Valderrama is ranked No. 1 in Europe

That being said and with the protection of two of Europe's most respected ranking authorities -- The Peugeot Guide to Europe's Top 1,000 Golf Courses and Golf World Magazine's Top 100 Courses of Continental Europe, I offer this overview of the best two courses on the Iberian Peninsula. Both of the previously mentioned publications and most others who know Spanish and Portuguese golf agree, Spain's Valderrama and Portugal's Vilamoura -- Victoria Club are the undisputed Kings of their respective country's golf.

Valderrama Golf Club, located on Spain's Costa del Sol, is arguably one of Europe's most exclusive, private clubs, which also owns one of the most pedigreed golf courses in existence. Ranked as the No. 1 course on continental Europe for each of the past 16 years and permanent venue to the European Tour's most prestigious event -- the season-closing Volvo Masters -- the credentials are nothing less than amazing.

Valderrama makes course maintenance an art form

The crowning accolade occurred in 1997, when Valderrama was honored as the very first course outside of Britain and the U.S. to ever host the Ryder Cup. Under the masterly stewardship of club president, Jaime Ortiz Patino, no expense has been spared in building a precious tribute to the game of golf. The course is superb, the maintenance immaculate and the clubhouse -- incorporating the best golf museum outside of Scotland -- is extravagantly impressive. This is a club that respects the traditional values of golf like no other outside of the inner sanctum of the most traditional British club. Valderrama is a golfing shrine to which every serious golfer owes themselves a pilgrimage.

At first glance, the course gives the appearance of being a gentle, rather agreeable layout -- nothing could be further from reality. As every player discovers, Valderrama is a stern test for the best, with a level of difficulty tough enough to shatter the nerves of even the calmest. The carefully thought out fairways, with a minefield of nearly 100 bunkers, lead to elevated greens protected by encroaching cork oaks. A generous helping of water hazards are thrown in for good measure. This is a thinking man's layout where accuracy and careful course management means everything.

Vilamoura's Victoria Club - a touch of genius from Arnold Palmer

With the reputation Valderrama has built for itself, golfers the world over chomp at the bit to play it for themselves. But this remains a very private club and the members want to keep it that way. Despite this, they also recognize that in many ways they have built a national monument and recognize their responsibility to allow others to share in their treasure.

A very limited number of visitor times, just nine a day, are offered between the hours of 12 noon and 2 p.m. with starting times at 15 minute intervals. There is a very strict dress code and maximum handicap requirements to be complied with together with a respect for the traditions and etiquette of golf.

Not surprisingly, the law of supply and demand requires an early application to even have a chance of playing the finest golf course in Europe. A reliable golf travel company, such as Golf International, with experience in Spanish golf trips is the best way to go -- and what an experience you have in store at the course.

Portugal's top ranked course sits on the sunny Algarve Coast, surrounded by a wealth of superb layouts, but Vilamoura's Victoria Club has proved to be a little bit superior to the rest. In the two short years since opening, this remarkable course is on a rocket ride to stardom.

Victoria Club will host the Portugal Masters this year.

A masterful design from Arnold Palmer, this is unequivocally Mr. Palmer's best architectural accomplishment ever. Palmer has sculpted a layout filled with character that is not only stunningly handsome, but also presents a seemingly endless variety of challenges. With more than enough muscle and a hefty 7,174 yards to test the most accomplished player from the back tees, a choice of five different tee positions can shrink Portugal's longest course to a more modest 6,200 yards and for the ladies, 5,200 yards. But don't think that moving to the front tees transforms the Victoria into a cakewalk -- most high handicappers will still be confronted with a rather serious examination of their golfing skills.

This is a course where the big hitters may have something of an advantage, but only if their strength is accompanied by accuracy, good course management and the ability to use every club in the bag. Above all, the Victoria is a layout that rewards the thinking golfer and remains totally unimpressed by brawn alone. There is sophistication to the design and subtleties to the undulating fairways, the cleverly positioned bunkers and superbly maintained greens that call for far more than mere brute force.

Valderrama's famous cork oaks present a special hazard

FEATURED CONTENT

For more ideas on how best to include Spain and Portugal in your future travel plans,  click here. Or call Golf International at 800-328-9898.

One of the most striking features is the preponderance of water hazards, which come into play on seven of the holes and practically all of those on the back nine. There are a total of 22 lakes in all; some linked by dramatic waterfalls which add even further to the layout's already strong aesthetic appeal. But for all of the beauty, the water's primary function is as a hazard and the job is accomplished effectively and with a distinctive sense of style.

There is no question that the Victoria is an outstanding layout of which Arnold Palmer and Portugal can be justly proud. The selection of the course as a venue for the new European Tour event, the Portugal Masters, is acknowledgement by the highest authority, that Vilamoura's Victoria Club is very special. Where things go from here is anyone's guess, but for a course that has so quickly been acknowledged as deserving of a place among the cream of European golf courses, the direction can only be upward.

For ideas on how to include the very best courses in Spain and Portugal into your trip, click here.

© 2007 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Golf International -- Providers of quality golf travel arrangements since 1988.