Finding land for a golf course south of Lisbon was an imaginative task and part of the fascination lies in travelling by ferry from Setubal to cross the Sado River. Upon arrival, the reasons become clear. Troia is set on the tip of a long peninsula between the Sado Estuary and the Serra da Arrabida with dazzling sea views from every hole.  With such a spectacular setting, Golf World magazine ranked Trioa at #17 in whole of Continental Europe.

The position of Troia is vulnerable, but the peninsula is not directly in the Atlantic, so winds are advantageous and not too strong, allowing pines and foliage to grow much more profusely than in the British Isles. The course, which has links character with small well-protected greens, is dominated by large waste-area areas with sand dunes, heather and many beautiful pine trees. The par 4, 3rd hole was included by designer Robert Trent Jones in his ideal 18-hole golf course.