For almost three decades, Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort has attracted golfers from across the world to Portugal’s Silver Coast. Designed by American Cabell B. Robinson, the course is situated on a stunning stretch of land less than an hour north of Lisbon. Eight years ago, Praia D’El Rey opened another course a few miles up the coast – West Cliffs Ocean & Golf Resort. Few new European courses have garnered as much attention and praise since its opening.
GBN sat down with golf sales manager Tiago Monteiro, whose remit covers both venues, to discuss his role, the development of the two resorts, and what makes them an attractive proposition for travelling golfers.
GBN: You’ve been at Praia D’El Rey and West Cliffs for seven years, and in the position of golf sales manager for the last three. Talk to us a little about your journey to this point.
Tiago Monteiro: I have been working in the tourism industry for all of my career. Before golf, I worked within the MICE space and leisure industry here in Portugal. So, I’ve experienced the three main segments of the industry, and I can tell you that golf is my favourite one by far!
I started in Praia D’El Rey and West Cliffs managing the golf groups, taking care of the sales and managing the entire booking process for stays, and then assumed the position of golf sales manager in 2022. As well as supervising and managing the reservations and groups departments, I also take care of the commercial relationship with all our partners – an area which is, of course, ever expanding.
What would you say is the biggest challenge of your role?
I think the biggest challenge, both today and for the future, is to really make sure that Praia D’El Rey and West Cliffs continue on this successful path, maintaining and, where possible, improving all the good work that has been done in the past seven years. This hard work has driven the resorts to the forefront of European golf, creating one of the most important golf destinations in Portugal and Europe.
For those who haven’t played Praia D’El Rey or West Cliffs, what can they expect from the courses?
I think what makes our resorts so popular is the fact that we not only have two incredible golf courses, but two golf courses that vary in terms of their design. Praia D’El Rey provides a mix of parkland and links-style golf. The combination means we have inland tree-lined holes and open holes which run between sand dunes along the coast – making the most of spectacular views over the Atlantic and the Berlengas Islands.
The views become even more prominent at West Cliffs. Cynthia Dye, the niece of the decorated designer Pete Dye, created the course across 200 hectares of natural landscape, featuring rolling sand dunes and coastal vegetation. While Praia D’El Rey could be classed as your more typical resort course, West Cliffs certainly isn’t. It’s a fantastic test for golfers – fairways may be wide in places, but wayward play will be punished. You really have to ensure you select a sensible teeing option when you begin your round.
As you mentioned, partnership work is one area you take great pride in. You recently partnered with the R&A Sustainability Agronomy Service. What are you hoping to achieve through this?
Sustainability has become such a crucial aspect of golf course management over the last decade, and resorts of our standing should be leading the way for what the future of golf in Portugal should look like. Working with the R&A ensures this is the case.
We all know these courses will be enjoyed by golfers for years to come, so we need to invest in the long-term health of our course. We want to do all we can to follow best practices and are purchasing the right machinery and tools to allow our team to do just that.
What would you say is the main challenge you face when looking to attract travelling golfers to the resorts?
I think the biggest challenge we face is ensuring golfers looking to visit Portugal want to stay in this fantastic region for longer. Many arrive, play West Cliffs and Praia D’El Rey, and then head elsewhere – be it to Lisbon or the Algarve. The more we can spread the word that Portugal’s Silver Coast is a golf destination with such quality and varied courses, and that you can enjoy fantastic golf here for an incredibly reasonable stay and play price, I think we will see a lot more people choose and consider this area for a trip over the Algarve or the Lisbon area.
You’ve already touched on this, but is that the reason why you have started working closer together with local resorts Royal Óbidos Scenic Resort and Guardian Bom Sucesso Golf?
It is, of course, part of the reason. To have four golf resorts of such high quality, and with such different characteristics, in as close of a proximity as we have here on the Silver Coast is certainly something worth shouting about.
We know that the best way to ensure more golfers discover this fantastic area is to come together collectively, and we are super excited at what this partnership can not only do for each of us, but also for the wider region. Our packages allow visitors to select which of the four courses they wish to play, and how many times at each, during their stay at either one of the two five-star hotels, villa or apartment accommodation spread across the four resorts. We also organise transfers free of charge between the resorts.
In just a 10-mile radius, you can find three of Portugal’s top 20 golf courses, and also Bom Sucesso, which is a great course in its own right. We find a lot of golfers love adding it onto their trip as the course is more playable to golfers with a higher handicap. By working closely together, we feel we can establish the region as one of the best golf destinations in continental Europe.
For those not too familiar with this part of Portugal, what else does it offer away from golf?
Moving from the mountains of the Serra da Estrela to the towns and beaches on the country’s Atlantic shore, Portugal’s magical Silver Coast is a stunning stretch of land. The region is a real gem for travellers to explore and has long been popular for its surfing beaches. You won’t be disappointed with the food here either, whether you want fresh fish or traditional Portuguese pork dishes.
Our resorts are just a stone’s throw from each other to the south of the region, 40 minutes from Lisbon and close to the historic towns of Peniche and Óbidos. Both towns are worth exploring – Peniche is a traditional Portuguese fishing town while the historic Óbidos located on a hilltop, with the main area of the town surrounded by the castle walls. The town hosts a number of market festivals during the year, including an international chocolate festival and a medieval festival.
If you haven’t visited the region yet, I’d certainly make sure it is on your list of golf destinations to explore. You certainly won’t be disappointed!
For more information on Praia D’El Rey and West Cliffs, visit: www.praia-del-rey.com