Terras da Comporta Dunas: A New Links-Inspired Course Shaped by Nature
In the coastal landscape of Comporta, David McLay-Kidd’s Dunas Course follows the natural undulations of sand, native grasses and pine. Its architecture is designed to feel grown from the site rather than laid across it.
Dunas Golf Course is part of a new chapter in Portuguese golf architecture. Set in the coastal landscape of Comporta, it was designed by David McLay-Kidd to work with the land’s natural curves and vegetation. The result is an 18-hole, par-71 course in which sandy ground, low native planting and rolling dune forms create the playing corridors. The design is not a conventional parkland layout, nor a copy of a traditional links course; it is a contemporary interpretation of the coastal site.
Fairways that follow the shape of the dunes
Dunas was inaugurated in October 2023 and was conceived as a course that blends into its landscape. The fairways follow the natural undulations rather than imposing a uniform grade, while the native vegetation and sandy edges remain visible parts of the course. This gives the holes a sense of continuity with the surrounding environment, where the course seems to emerge from the dunes rather than replace them.
David McLay-Kidd’s design is known for using landform and ground movement as active elements in the strategy. At Comporta, the setting offers a clear canvas for that approach: sandy rises, open coastal corridors and pockets of pine and indigenous planting make each hole feel connected to a particular part of the landscape.
Precision, imagination and respect for the natural ground
Dunas is a par-71 course with 18 holes shaped into the natural terrain. The visual width of the fairways can be inviting, but the contours determine where a tee shot should finish and what angle remains for the next stroke. Players need to consider not only where the ball lands but how it will react on the sandy ground and rolling surfaces.
The course rewards imagination and controlled shot-making. A line that uses the natural roll can be more effective than a high carry, while a green approach needs to account for the contours and the surrounding native vegetation. The challenge is to play with the landscape rather than attempt to overpower it.
A course that puts the landscape at the centre of the experience
Terras da Comporta is developing a wider golf destination on the Alentejo coast, with Dunas as its first signature course and Torre as a separate golf project. The distinction matters: Dunas is the David McLay-Kidd design inaugurated in 2023, and visitors should select that course when booking if they wish to play it.
The course’s identity is closely linked to the wider Comporta landscape, where pine forests, dunes, beaches and open coastal spaces form part of the destination. Its appeal is not simply that it is new; it offers a modern approach to golf architecture in which the natural site remains visible and influential throughout the round.
