Tróia Golf, the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course on Portugal’s Golden Coast, is set to reopen in spring 2027 after a 12-month restoration of the course and its facilities.
The par-72 layout is being renovated by the third generation of the Trent Jones family. Robert Trent Jones II Golf Architects (RTJ II) is finishing construction on a course that, in the words of its chief operating officer, Trent Jones, is “not just a restoration of my grandfather’s work”. “The new Troia will have a much more dramatic feel, especially utilising the surrounding dunes,” he said. “We’re bringing back the original Trent Jones Sr. character, updated to modern design standards.”
The RTJ II team is led by president Bruce Charlton and senior design associate Mike Gorman. In the company archives, Gorman found Jones Sr.’s original hand-drawn grassing plan, which shows rough edges bleeding into the sand, so the course flows in and out of it “like an Irish links”, according to Jones.
Gorman compared the site to Spyglass Hill, another Jones Sr. course, which is also set among dunes and pines. “Spyglass has it on four holes, Troia has it on all 18,” he said. “We think this is the best renovation opportunity in the world.” He said the emphasis is on playability and fun, and on making the course easier to walk. “Troia became a very aerial, one-dimensional, parkland-like course by the sea. We’re digging deep on linksland inspiration.”
All 18 greens have been rebuilt using a native sand mix, and each bunker has been rebuilt to blend into the dunes. Fairways and turf areas have been adjusted to improve playability and maintenance, and the tees and surrounds have been upgraded to allow more variation in course set-up. The irrigation system is being replaced in full, with a new pump station and modern controls, and dunes and native sandy areas have been restored, with selective hydroseeding to reinforce the course’s natural identity.
The practice facilities have been redesigned, with a new driving range with target greens, a new short game area and a 3,000 m² putting green. The clubhouse is being completely rebuilt as a contemporary space with natural materials, indoor-outdoor areas designed for year-round use, and a reception, lounge, bar and terrace that flow together. The new pro shop is conceived as a curated lifestyle retail space.
The course, which opened in 1980, sits between the Atlantic, the Sado Estuary and the Serra da Arrábida. The resort, an hour’s drive from Lisbon, also has a marina and a range of accommodation, restaurants and leisure facilities.
João Godinho, general manager at Tróia Golf, said the project is about preserving the course’s character and identity. “We have not sought to change what makes the course unique but to restore and elevate it, to create an experience that respects Tróia’s heritage while introducing it to a new generation of players,” he said.
Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO of Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure, the management company leading the programme, said the aim is “to restore the course’s natural character, protect its environmental integrity and elevate the playing experience to international championship standards”.