Portuguese course hosts inaugural John Deere Trade Invitational

The Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta in Portugal recently hosted the inaugural John Deere Trade Invitational, an event designed to showcase turf machinery to an audience of VIP clients from all over Europe. Around 50 greenkeepers, superintendents and general managers from leading clubs and resorts visited the acclaimed course near Lisbon for the showcase.

The two-day event – organized by John Deere as part of a five-year preferred partnership agreement that the company signed with Vanguard Properties, the owners of Terras da Comporta in 2023 – provided guests with the exclusive opportunity to see the latest equipment, from electric to hybrid machinery being developing ahead of it being released to market.

After seeing the equipment in action on the course on the first day, the group, which included industry personnel from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom, received the opportunity to play 18 holes on The Dunas Course before the event finished with a golf tournament prize ceremony.

“Terras da Comporta is committed to working with the best names in golf, and this event was a fantastic way to celebrate the first year of agreement with John Deere,” Terras da Comporta director of golf Rodrigo Ulrich said. “It was a privilege for us to host the group and to have the opportunity to showcase John Deere’s latest machinery range on Europe’s best new golf course, and we can’t wait for the event to return in 2025.”

Located one hour south of Lisbon, The Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta is architect David McLay-Kidd’s first golf course in mainland Europe. Owned by Vanguard Properties, Portugal’s largest real estate developer who took ownership of the development in 2019, the par-71 layout is the first of two 18-hole courses that is being built at Terras da Comporta, with a second designed by European Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia set to open in summer 2025.

“The John Deere Golf team use the saying ‘Trusted by the Best’ and this showcased at Comporta Dunes Golf,” John Deere golf & turf business manager Paul Trowman said. “It was a pleasure to share the success of our alliance by hosting this event for just a few of our valuable customers from around Europe.

 “During the event, the team shared the goals that unite us as partners – a dedication to excellence, a passion for innovation, and a deep-rooted commitment to serving customers with the utmost care and professionalism. John Deere is proud to be partners with Terras da Comporta, and together, we look forward to shaping a future where precision technology continues to drive sustainable practices and elevate customer experiences to new levels.”