Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection will invite newly crowned Portugal Masters champion Thomas Pieters to officially reopen the Dom Pedro Laguna Course after it undergoes a major renovation to improve its overall playability and environmental sustainability.
Pieters, who won the Portugal Masters on Dom Pedro’s Victoria Course, will hit a commemorative tee shot to mark the official unveiling of the new-look Laguna course at a special ceremony to be held next summer before being invited to play and set a new course record.
Originally designed by American golf course architect Joseph Lee, the Laguna course’s upgrade will see a new state-of-the-art Rain Bird IC irrigation system installed to increase coverage efficiency and reduce water consumption by up to 30%. The course is expected to be supplied with recycled water treated (ApR) from the Vilamoura Wastewater Treatment Plant upon its reopening.
Led by Rui Grave, the resort’s Head Greenkeeper, the bunkers will be restored with a fresh new layer of white sand to enhance their overall structure, with increased levels of solidity, texture, and compaction for a greater playing experience, whilst additional bunkers will be transformed into natural grassland areas.
Modifications are due to make the Dom Pedro Laguna the first golf course in Portugal to use 100% Bermuda Grass across all of its greens, fairways, and tee boxes; rejuvenating them with improved aesthetics and increased water consumption proficiency, to provide optimal playing conditions all year round.
Close attention is also set to be paid to all tee boxes, realigning and relevelling them to showcase a pristine flat finish that will allow the greenkeeping team to maintain the tees at a lower mowing height, improving the playing experience for all guests.
Finally, the requalification will look to increase animal integration across the course with an artificial island set to be formed in the lake between the fourth and fifth holes to allow birds and other species to create new nesting environments, expanding the existing biodiversity that already includes a colony of otters.
Commenting on the Dom Pedro Laguna Course renovations, Eng. Luis Correia da Silva, Chief Executive Officer at Dom Pedro Golf, said “Firstly, we would like to thank the European Tour for putting on another great tournament at Dom Pedro, as well as Thomas Pieters for his tremendous victory. We are proud to be the host venue for the Portugal Masters and as the current champion, we would be honoured to invite him back to the resort next summer to reopen our newly improved Dom Pedro Laguna Course.
“The team, led by our Head Greenkeeper Rui Grave, is confident that these improvements will not only enhance the overall golfing experience for all of our guests at the resort, but also help align the Laguna with the standards set across our other four courses. It is our ambition to attract the world’s best golfers to play at the resort and to do so we must continue to improve and elevate the Dom Pedro experience year on year.”
