![\"Richard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/499499c574EDNthumbRich_128x128_GCA.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\nDesign team focuses on bringing back the ground game and integrating the course with the site\u2019s natural dunes<\/p>\n
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By Richard Humphreys |<\/p>\n
\t\t\t 28 October 2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II) has renovated the golf course at Tr\u00f3ia Golf, located on the Atlantic coast about an hour\u2019s drive south of Lisbon, Portugal. The 18-hole layout is expected to reopen in spring 2027.<\/p>\n
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The resort, now managed by Details \u2013 Hospitality, Sports, Leisure, is located between the Atlantic Ocean, Sado Estuary and Serra da Arr\u00e1bida. The golf course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr in 1980, and the renovation is the first phase in Details\u2019 plan for the resort, with further investment expected to upgrade the existing hotels and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe transformation of Tr\u00f3ia Golf represents an important new chapter for one of Portugal\u2019s most distinctive golf experiences, and the extensive renovation programme has addressed every aspect of the course,\u201d said Jo\u00e3o Godinho, general manager at\u00a0Tr\u00f3ia Golf.<\/p>\n
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\u201cCentral to the project is a commitment to preserving the character and identity that have made Tr\u00f3ia Golf so special. We have not sought to change what makes the course unique but to restore and elevate it, to create an experience that respects Tr\u00f3ia\u2019s heritage while introducing it to a new generation of players.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis new investment forms part of the wider evolution of Tr\u00f3ia as an Atlantic golf destination. The renewed golf experience will complement the destination\u2019s exceptional natural setting, hospitality and broader tourism proposition, strengthening Tr\u00f3ia\u2019s position within Portugal\u2019s golf landscape and re-establishing the course as one of Europe\u2019s bucket-list venues.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The project has been led by RTJ II president Bruce Charlton and senior design associate Mike Gorman. In the company archives, Gorman found Jones Sr\u2019s hand-drawn grassing plan for Tr\u00f3ia, which, chief operating officer Trent Jones says, \u201cshows rough edges that naturally bleed into the sand and show how the course flows in and out of the sand like an Irish links.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Gorman said: \u201cLand like this just doesn\u2019t exist anymore for golf. I equate it to Spyglass Hill. It\u2019s on the same type of land as Spyglass \u2013 a mix of dunes and pine trees. But while Spyglass has it on four holes, Tr\u00f3ia has it on all 18. We think this is the best renovation opportunity in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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All 18 greens have been rebuilt with native sand mix, each bunker has been rebuilt to integrate with the dunes, fairways and turf areas have been adjusted for improved playability and maintenance, while tees and surrounds have been renovated for better aesthetics and flexibility in course set-up. Irrigation has been replaced, including installing a new pump station and controls. Landscaping work has been completed \u2013 restoring dunes and native sandy areas, with selective hydroseeding undertaken.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0\u201cIt is not just a restoration of my grandfather\u2019s work,\u201d said Trent Jones. \u201cThe new Tr\u00f3ia will have a much more dramatic feel, especially utilising the surrounding dunes. We\u2019re focusing on tying the course into the dunes, flashing up bunkers into them, and using the dunes to cradle greens. We\u2019re bringing back the original Trent Jones Sr character, updated to modern design standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Gorman adds that the emphasis has been on playability \u2013 including bringing back ground game options that were lost over the years \u2013 fun and walkability. \u201cTr\u00f3ia became a very aerial, one-dimensional, parkland-like course by the sea,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re digging deep on linksland inspiration, promoting links golf, which is the best kind of golf.\u201d<\/p>\n
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RTJ II has also redesigned the practice area, which now includes a new driving range with target greens and a revamped short-game area with a 3,000-square-metre \u2018social green\u2019.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis is the beginning of a new era for Tr\u00f3ia and the objective is clear: to restore the course\u2019s natural character, protect its environmental integrity and elevate the playing experience to international championship standards, ensuring it remains relevant, competitive and distinctive for decades to come,\u201d said Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re so excited at the prospect of what lies ahead, and the chance to put the resort and the surrounding region firmly back on the map as a golf destination of international renown and repute.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Design team focuses on bringing back the ground game and integrating the course with the site\u2019s natural dunes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":943867,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-943866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=943866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/943867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=943866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=943866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=943866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}