Seve Ballesteros always did have a liking for drama. Think of the birdie putt that the Spaniard holed on the 18 th green of his final round, and the iconic celebration that followed, on his way to winning the 1984 Open at St Andrews and you’ll know what I mean.
Ballesteros’ love of the dramatic extended to his career as a golf course designer, and nowhere is this more evident than on the layout he created on Porto Santo, the eastern-most island on the idyllic Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.
A short 20-minute flight – or two-and-a-half ferry ride from Madeira Island, the largest of Madeira’s four islands – Porto Santo sits 500 kilometres off the coast of Africa and is not very big. Covering an area just a shade over 40 square kilometres, it has a year-round population of less than 10,000 but, what it lacks in size and people, the volcanic island more than makes up for in character and stunning locations, with the golf course one of them.
Built to the best environmentally conscious standards and measuring 7,036 yards off the tips, Porto Santo – opened in 2004 and comprises two distinct nines, spanning an area from sand dunes to basalt cliffs. Host of the Madeira Islands Open between 2009 and 2011, it is a prime example of golf and nature working in perfect harmony.
While the US-style front nine features a number of lakes, is relatively flat and requires long, precise iron play, the back nine takes players on a journey into a clifftop setting near a stunning sandy beach, also called Porto Santo. Wind is always a factor here, with the undoubted highlight of the round coming around the three-hole stretch from the 13th to 15th holes, Porto Santo’s own ‘Amen Corner’.
Playing uphill, the 200-yard par-three 13th requires a shot over a gorge to reach a clifftop green where a watery grave awaits any shots hit right. The par-four 14 th also requires a tee shot that is not for the faint-hearted across a chasm to a green perched high on the clifftops while the 15th is a deceptive short par-three where a ravine is waiting to gobble up any under-clubbed or mishit shots. We're not ashamed to admit that it certainly caught us out!
After your round, take the chance to relax and unwind at Porto Santo Beach which, stretching for nine kilometres, is renowned as one of Europe’s finest sandy beaches. Alternatively, history lovers will be keen to visit the island’s main city, Vila Baleira, and Casa Museu, where the legendary Italian explorer Christopher Columbus once lived. Alternatively, visit the other excellent golf courses on the island in Palheiro golf course and Santo Da Serra, both of which will take your breath away.
