The opening day battle lines have been drawn in the 2015 ‘Lisbon Challenge’ – a five-day feast of frenzied competition among 16 of the finest members of Crail Golfing Society, and golf’s seventh oldest club.

After a below zero 3.30am local time Sunday morning departure from Crail the group arrived in the Portuguese capital right on time at 9.30am following a two-and-a-half flight from Ediburgh.

Sixteen of Crail Golfing Society’s finest members on arrival t Lisbon Airport. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

It was a cloudless blue sky Sunday morning in Lisbon and despite a cold wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean everyone was delighted to see the sun shining.

We then made our way to the superb Hotel Baia located in Cascais and overlooking Portugal’s Atlantic shoreline.

The Hotel Baia will be our ‘home’ for the week.

Here is the link to the Hotel Baia overlooking the stunning Atlantic Ocean coastline:

http://www.hotelbaia.com/en/index.php

Our superb hotel for the week of the 2015 Lisbon Golf Challenge – the Hotel Baia in Cascais (left of photo).

Cascais was alive with people strolling along the shoreline and there could be no better location as we enjoyed a coffee before heading to our respective rooms.

However the serious side of the week began at around 5pm when rival captains – Alan Reid and Peter Roger – named revealed their pairing for the opening round of competition on the famed Estoril Golf Club course, and a former long-time host venue of the Portuguese Open.

Sidnei and Andre, two of the wonderful staff working at the Hotel Baia served up drinks ahead of Allan, captaining his Reid’s Raiders and Peter, who is captaining Rogers Dodgers, revealed the make-up of the long-awaited first day encounters.

Andre (left) and Sidnei of the Baia Hotel already spoiling us on day one of our visit to Lisbon,

Rival captains Allan Reid and Peter Roger shake hands in the bar of the Hotel Baia here in Estoril.

‘Good luck’ – Rival captains Alan Reid of Reid’s Raiders shakes heads with Peter Roger of Roger’s Dodgers ahead of this week’s much-anticipated competition in Lisbon.

And finally the all-important opening round of matches in the 2015 Lisbon Golf Challenge.

The opening round draw of matches in the 2015 Lisbon Challenge.