nicokraszkiewicz critique de Quinta da Ria Resort (Ria/Cima)

The Quinta da Ria golf course is a beauty. The front and the back nine are in my opinion were different. On the front nine, you have long and narrow - very narrow - fairways well protected by smart bunker areas. If you hit your driver around 180-220 meters, you better have the ability to handle that club. The greens are fast - but allow some misses with your approach shot = there is quite some area to recover if you missed the green with a shot or hit a short game stroke too long. The back nine start with two very difficult holes (Par 4 + Par 5), before you enjoy a fresh breeze from the sea on holes 12+13. The view is stunning and the Par 3 (hole 13) is long, approximately 175+ meters from "gents yellow". The next holes are about course management, starting with a dog leg where it is smart to go tiger line (ca. 130meters across the water). Overall, there is a little more water on Ria, but not that "dangerous" to be afraid of. The last holes have anything you ask for: distance (Par 5), course management and "touch" (Par 3) from the top. Overall, I can only recommend to play this course when you are in the region - and in best case play both. They are both beautiful, different, but demanding in their own ways.