Algarve in Portugal is one of the most beautiful regions of Europe. Its stunning coastlines, rolling terrain and a pleasant weather all through the year has made this region a perennial tourist heaven. Playing a round of golf is something most tourists who came here look forward to. The golf courses not only offer a fantastic round of golf, but also offer a pleasing and enchanting view of the locality. One of the leading golf courses in the area is Quinta do Lago.
The man behind this foremost golf course of Europe is Andre Jordan, a leading property developer of Portugal. It was his vision that saw a stunning golf course among the forest swamp of Quinta do Lago way back in 1970. The area that was developed was 550 hectare-site that was owned by Pinto de Magalhaes family. This family had been the owner for nearly 300 years but it was Andre Jordan who saw the possibility of the site when he stopped at the old farm house and viewed the unspoiled pine terrain that slowly rolled into the nearby beach. He was mesmerized by the view and knew that so will be those who come here for a holiday.
It took about a year for Jordan to purchase the property and he had in his side some of the best international collaborators whose reputations were impeccable. Pedro Vasconcellos along with Luis Nobre Guedes led the team of architecture and engineers who drew and executed the first Master Plan. The idea was to build a resort where visitors will get a chance to stay and play a tranquil round of golf in all the privacy and seclusion they wanted. Quinta do Lago was touted as the ultimate leisure resort for leading an active and sporting life. The property was advertised in leading European and American countries and interested buyers lined up to buy their place in Quinta do Lago. The crème de la crème of American and European society was seen buying and the place became the meeting point of industrialist, politicians, aristocracy and artists. More than 50 plots where sold within a week in 1974, such was the demand of the property.
But the military coup of 1974 threw a spanner in the plan of Andre Jordan as the new Portuguese government took over the control of Quinta do Lago. The region saw a slump in development but the golf course managed to maintain its grandeur thanks to Mario Barruncho. The real estate segment of the area especially suffered with many investors distancing from the project due to the revolution. Still Jordan did not lose hope for the resurrection of the area; when the Planal was returned back to the shareholders in 1981, he started approaching big businesses in place of individual plot owners to turn the debt-ridden property into a cash-rich one. His efforts bore fruit and soon Quinta do Lago was transformed from an 8-million dollar debt property to one with a value of 30 million dollars!
Since then, the golf resort and its surrounding real estate property have only seen a surge in value and demand. The group responsible for the development has changed hand since 1987 to present day. In 1987, Andre Jordon sold Planal that oversaw Quinta do Lago to a consortium made of British shareholders whose head was David Thompson and Roger Abraham. The latter left the Planal in 1989 and Domingos da Silva was installed as the administrative head. He was responsible for further developing the luxury image of Quinta do Lago in face of stiff competition from other nearby luxury resorts and courses. By the 1990s, the resort was the undisputed leader when it came to luxury golf not only in Algarve but also in whole of Europe. It was also a recipient of many awards which sealed its reputation.
At present, the owner of Quinta do Lago is the O’Brian family from Ireland who brought the Planal from Thompson family in 1998.
