Finishing touches being made at West Cliffs ahead of summer opening
The new Cynthia Dye-designed West Cliffs golf course near Lisbon, Portugal, is being prepared for opening this summer.
Located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the new course is set to be unveiled in June, and has been built on a site featuring sand dunes and much coastal vegetation.
Work commenced in February 2016 following a lengthy planning process, delays caused by ownership changes and the sensitive planning and permitting required for the site.
Cynthia Dye – a member of the Dye Designs Group and niece of Pete Dye – and her project team worked with the local government to minimalise environmental disruption during the course’s development.
“One of the most impressive characteristics of the course is just how anchored it is to the native coastal environment,” Dye said. “The terrain at West Cliffs is amazing. On the vast majority of the holes, it was only necessary to site the green complexes with a bit of shaping and then define the limits of grassing. For the most part, the course was already there waiting for us.”
“The most distinguishing architectural feature on the course is the collection of bunkers with irregular perimeters blending into and dictated by the native vegetation. It will be a very dramatic experience for the players,” she added.West Cliffs will be managed by Praia D’El Rey resort, which is located around ten minutes’ drive from the course itself.