One of the best new courses to come to Europe in the last number of years, the West Cliffs Ocean & Golf Resort opened this month, and it is truly a feast for the eyes. The first Dye design in Portugal, this is a course for the bucket list.

The varied landscape and natural terrain of this course is maintained as undisturbed as possible to create a unique and world-class 18-hole seaside course along the silver coast, developed in a links style.

Managed by and only a 10-minute drive away from the five-star Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort, if golf course scenery is your thing then there are few better courses around than West Cliffs. The clear blue Atlantic Ocean, visible throughout the course, is a sight to behold.

And unlike playing the many great courses in Ireland in overcast and rain conditions, this course can be enjoyed in near perfect weather for golf, in peak season it has enough heat without the searing heat you sometimes get in south Portugal, and a cooling breeze making for a pleasant round of golf.

The course was designed by the niece of the great Pete Dye, Cynthia, and playing the course immediately brings to mind one of his most famous designs, the 2015 PGA Championship course – Whistling Straits.

Cynthia Dye was inspired by that course, and that is evident, especially on the tough third hole, which was designed by some of the same team. It is Index 1 in every sense, a long par 4 where four lakes cascade down with a tight approach into the green. This gives it a classic “Dyeabolical” feel, and Dye is not afraid to use the natural waste areas to provide obstacles.

The par 3 16^th hole, for example, is a spectacular hole laid into a natural sand dune at the highest point of the property. Golfers will enjoy a panoramic view of the golf course and coastal reaches. The tees complexes have been ‘nested’ into the dunes. A shot from the back tees is a daunting but fun challenge as players must thread their shot between the dune on the right and the pine forest on the left, with the green protected by bunkers.

This is not a particularly easy course for the average golfer, but the challenge never stops this course from being fun to play. And as Dye emphasises, there are several teeing options to allow the golfer to play at the distance that they feel most comfortable with to play golf.

This golf course was 14 years in the making for Cynthia Dye and one of the main features is that she worked extensively to ensure a minimum disturbance of the environment and protection of the areas of existing drainage basins, dinosaur fossils and heritage pine trees.

“How to determine how much water, and where it was going to come from was an issue, and prove that we could support a golf course,” Dye said.

“It’s a very fragile habitat, so we are doing a lot of restoration to it, which will take a lot of time for that to evolve.

“But it is a truly unique setting here, it is beautiful. It’s not too cold, it’s very pleasant. The weather here is spectacular, it’s very dry as you can tell from the vegetation and when you see the deep blue sea and the sky, you need to pinch yourself.”

As the course website reads: “The course layout is the result of a long-term study of the terrains and characteristics to preserve the natural beauty and ecological balance of the site. It seems as if it was always here. We have just perfected nature.”

Following the round, the West Cliffs Club House offers an exclusive view out over the Atlantic Ocean and the golf course, including a large bar with panoramic views. It features a restaurant coordinated by Chef Carlos Goncalves, with a menu based on the steakhouse concept.

West Cliffs will be managed by Praia D’El Rey, which offers an eclectic and ever growing range of services and activities in terms of accommodation, golf, food and beverage, and leisure.

Most golf packages include a round at Praia D’El Rey, which is firmly established as a fantastic course in its own right. Designed by the renowned American golf architect Cabell B. Robinson, it is set among extensive pine forests and undulating dunes. Some of the holes along the back 9 are incredible with stunning views over the Atlantic and the Berlengas Islands beyond, while the front 9 provides more of a traditional parkland challenge.

When you combine the two together, then it is a seaside combination of golf as good as any in Europe. The exclusive Resort is home to miles of golden beaches and long days of plentiful sunshine – Praia D’El Rey hotel is only 100 metres from the water’s edge – and offers a host of superb villas, holiday residences and of course, the luxury accommodation of the charming 5-star Marriott Hotel.

Praia D’El Rey and West Cliffs are less than one hour away from Portugal’s capital Lisbon, where cheap flights from Ryanair and Aer Lingus go every day from Dublin. For more information about Praia D’El Rey, visit www.praia-del-rey.com/en/. For more information about West Cliffs, check out www.westcliffs.com/en/