Ribagolfe Lakes

Overview: Ribagolfe Lakes, also known in earlier directory material as Ribagolfe I or the Blue Course, is an expansive 18-hole, par-72 layout in cork-oak country east of Lisbon. Peter Townsend and European Golf Design created a course stretching beyond 7,300 yards, with narrow landing areas, large greens, lakes, and long sightlines through native woodland. Its scale suggests a power course, but trees and approach angles reward players who plan the hole in stages. The challenge is not just carrying distance; it is keeping the next shot available.

History: The Lakes course opened in October 2004 as part of the Ribagolfe development near Samora Correia. It was conceived as a championship venue in a large estate of cork oak forest and later became associated with European Tour qualifying activity from 2009. Those dates describe the competitive development after opening, while the original routing remains defined by Townsend’s use of the forest and the natural scale of the property.

Did You Know? The cork oaks are a defining part of the architecture, not simply a woodland backdrop. They narrow landing corridors, break up the horizon, and make a long approach into a large green feel more demanding than the scorecard shows. The Lakes name also has practical meaning, with water becoming increasingly important as the round moves toward its later holes.