Portuguese Golf Federation

Europe’s Mid-Amateurs Tee Up at Palmares

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Eighty golfers, fifty-four holes, and not one of them doing it for a living.

Mid-amateur golf is the game’s best-kept secret: players over 25 who have kept their amateur status, their day jobs and, in this field, some quite alarming handicaps. From Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, the best of them are in Lagos for the 9th Portuguese International Mid-Amateur Championship at Palmares. Run by the Portuguese Golf Federation and counting for the World Amateur Golf Ranking, it moves to the Algarve after last year’s edition at Troia. (FPG)

Palmares golf course in Lagos with the sea in the background

The office can wait until Monday.

The Field

The final entry lists carry 60 men and 20 women from more than a dozen countries. Sweden sends the largest party, with 11 men; Germany and Portugal have nine apiece, and Ireland six. Top of the men’s list is Germany’s Florian Dittrich, off plus 5.2 — a handicap that suggests the day job is not especially demanding. Compatriot Yannic Völker (+4) and Sweden’s Jonas Olsson (+3.9) follow him in. (FPG entry list)

Ireland’s Aideen Walsh (+3.2) leads the women’s list, ahead of Belgium’s Elsie Verhoeven (+2.8). (FPG entry list) Neither of last year’s champions, Sweden’s Hampus Wijkstrom and Germany’s Silvia Wilms, is on the lists, so both titles are up for grabs. Wijkstrom won at Troia with a closing 66; we covered it here.

The Home Contingent

Portugal’s hopes rest on players in form on the Federation’s own Mid-Amateur & Senior Circuit. Pedro Sá Lima and Marta Lampreia have both won two of this year’s circuit events, at Amendoeira O’Connor and Quinta de Cima, and Lampreia took the mid-amateur and senior titles on each occasion. Neither appears to have much use for second place. (FPG)

Scott Blackshear, twice this season’s circuit senior champion, has the most useful advantage of all: Palmares is his home club. Ricardo Soares, the best Portuguese finisher at Troia last year, is also back.

The Course

Palmares has 27 holes, redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr., running between dunes, woodland and hills above the Alvor estuary and the Bay of Lagos. The greens are bentgrass, the fairways Bermuda. The men play from the yellow tees at 5,700 metres and the women from the red at 4,700, which sounds short until the wind gets up off Meia Praia. (FPG Terms of Competition)

The format is three rounds of stroke play and a sudden-death play-off if needed. A Nations Cup runs alongside it, with teams of two or three counting their best two scores each day. With 11 Swedes in the field, that looks a reasonable bet.

Playing It Yourself

You need not be plus five to enjoy Palmares. Visitors can play all three loops, and the Palmares Beach House Hotel puts you on Meia Praia, minutes from the course. Lagos’s old town, with its grilled sardines and cataplana, is a short drive away.

Palmares Beach House Hotel on Meia Praia, Lagos

For a little competition of your own, the West Algarve Golf Trophy returns to Palmares, Espiche and Boavista from 25 to 27 November. Handicaps there are rather more forgiving.

Browse our Algarve golf courses and book Palmares on a weekend without 80 low handicappers ahead of you.

Vale de Janelas Retain the National Club Championship – Seniors

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Vale de Janelas have done it again. The West Coast club successfully defended their title at the National Club Championship – Seniors, edging out Estoril by two strokes, in what became a tighter contest than most would have predicted.

O Clube de golfe de Vale de Janelas voltou a sagrar-se campeao no Campeonato Nacional de Clubes

The two-day event was played across two formats and two venues. Round one, held at Santo Estêvão Golfe, used Individual Strokeplay — with each club counting its three best scores. Vale de Janelas, arriving as reigning champions, built a commanding nine-stroke lead over nearest rivals Miramar and ACP Golfe.

Day two brought Foursomes into the equation, and with it, a change in tempo. Estoril refused to go quietly, posting an impressive 147 to Vale de Janelas’ 156. In the end, the arithmetic still favoured the champions. Vale de Janelas finished on 385 (+20); Estoril, to their credit, made them work for it, finishing on 387 (+22). Quinta do Peru took third place on 393 (+28).

It is the fourth time Vale de Janelas have lifted this title since 2022 — with only 2024, when Belas Clube de Campo took the honours — interrupting what has otherwise been a rather comfortable reign. The winning team comprised Gonçalo Mota Carmo, Jeffrey Valade, Ken Cooper and John Williams.

Estoril’s challenge was mounted by Miguel Franco de Sousa, Manuel Agrellos Jr., Sofia Paiva and José Maria Cazal-Ribeiro.

O Clube de golfe de Vale de Janelas voltou a sagrar-se campeao no Campeonato Nacional de Clubes2

Commemorative stamps celebrate 75 years of the Portuguese Golf Federation

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As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Portuguese Golf Federation (FPG), Correios de Portugal (CTT) unveiled a collection of four personalised stamps. These stamps, each a unique tribute, brought to life the rich history of the four founding clubs of this distinguished sports federation, fostering a sense of connection to the past.

The Portuguese Golf Federation was founded on October 20, 1949, with a mission to direct, organise, regulate, and supervise the practice of golf nationwide, as outlined in its Statutes. The founding clubs were Oporto Golf Club, Club de Golf Miramar, Clube de Golf do Estoril, and Lisbon Sports Club, with Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva serving as the first president.

Portuguese Golf Federation heritage

Initially headquartered at the Clube de Golf do Estoril, the FPG started with 165 registered golfers. Today, 75 years later, the sport has grown significantly, boasting over 19,000 active members from across the country. These members are registered with the 113 clubs affiliated with the FPG, playing on 89 golf courses throughout Portugal. This remarkable growth is a testament to the FPG’s unwavering commitment to the sport and its players, a source of pride for all involved.

Golf in Portugal today is a sport embraced by all, practised without distinction, and holding substantial social, environmental, and economic responsibilities. The sport is a source of national pride and a beacon of Portugal’s commitment to inclusivity and sustainability.

The personalised stamps being released by CTT serve as a tribute to the legacy and history of the founding clubs. Oporto Golf Club, founded in 1890, is the oldest golf club in the country and one of the oldest in continental Europe. Club de Golf de Miramar, founded in 1931, is famed for its stunning course along the Atlantic coast. Clube de Golf do Estoril, inaugurated in 1929, has hosted numerous prestigious tournaments, while Lisbon Sports Club, dating back to 1922, is renowned for its rich history and contribution to Portuguese golf.

These stamps symbolise the rich heritage of these clubs and the growth and evolution of golf in Portugal. From a modest beginning with a handful of enthusiasts to a flourishing sport with thousands of players, the Portuguese Golf Federation has played a crucial role in this journey.

Tee Times Golf Agency extends its heartfelt congratulations to the Portuguese Golf Federation on this remarkable milestone. Your dedication and efforts have developed golf within the country and positioned Portuguese golf courses among the best in the world, making the country a premier golfing destination globally for golf holidays. Here’s to many more years of success and growth!

Photo by: Portuguese Golf Federation.