Clube de Golf do Estoril

 

The history of the club dates back to 1929, when Fausto Figueiredo – the holder of the concession rights for the Estoril Casino, as well as the owner of two hotels in the area – opened the first nine holes of the course. Designed by the Frenchman Jean Gassiat, this course was intended to provide an area for tourists and the foreign community living in the country to enjoy as a leisure space.The second nine holes were opened in 1945, and the remaining holes were adapted. This project was designed by the Scottish architect Philip Mackenzie Ross.

 

In 1945, a group of Portuguese players founded Clube de Golf do Estoril with the aim of developing the sport. They secured the lease of the golf course and clubhouse, and were granted broad administrative autonomy.

 

The following individuals stand out among the founding members:

– Visconde de Soveral

– Visconde de Pereira Machado

– José Posser de Andrade

– Nuno de Castro Pereira

– António de Vasconcellos Marques

– Duarte Bello

– José de Sousa e Mello

– Conde de Farrôlo

– Alfredo Roquette

– Bartolomeu Perestrello

– Máxime Vaultier

– Fernando Cabral

– Luís de Sousa Lara

– António Lino

– Barão de Beck

– Luís Beltrão

 

The current clubhouse was inaugurated in 1948.

 

The club’s oldest trophy dates back to 1938 and is named after Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva, the first president of the Portuguese Golf Federation. However, there are records of games dating back to 1929.

 

The Club has had several notable members, including H.R.H. the Count of Barcelona, who was a regular player. A tournament is still held in his name today.

 

Upon entering the clubhouse, visitors can sense the weight of the club’s history and the spirit with which it was founded and has been preserved over time.

 

The Club has won several titles in the Men’s Inter-Club Championship, the Visconde Pereira Machado Cup (created in 1944), as well as in the Women’s Inter-Club Championship, the Nini Guedes de Queiroz Cup (created in 1992).

 

Individually, members Visconde de Pereira Machado, his son of the same name, and José Lara de Sousa e Melo (grandson of the founder) stood out as great players of international renown.

 

Clube de Golf do Estoril is currently one of the largest golf clubs in Portugal.

 

The first Portuguese golf professionals, Henrique Paulino, Joaquim Rodrigues and Carlos Aleixo, were trained at Clube de Golf do Estoril.

 

The following individuals have served as Club Presidents since its foundation:

 

1945 – 1948    Luís de Sousa Lara

1949 – 1953    Visconde de Pereira Machado

1954 – 1956    Nuno de Castro Pereira

1957 – 1960    Viconde de Soveral

1961 – 1967    Visconde de Pereira Machado

1968 – 1970    Fernando Mendes de Almeida

1971 – 1973    Luís Beltrão

1974 – 1987    Visconde de Pereira Machado

1988 – 1990    Carlos Garnel

1991 – 1996    Ruy Soares Franco

1997 – 2002    Rui Sottomayor

2003 – 2006    António Braamcamp Sobral

2007 – 2021    José Lara de Sousa e Melo

2022 –              Miguel Soares Franco