Ernie Els has transformed one of Portugal’s most famous championship venues into Europe’s newest must-play golf course. Welcome to The Els Club Vilamoura.
For almost two decades, golfers travelling to Portugal knew exactly what awaited them at Vilamoura’s Victoria Course: wide fairways, immaculate conditioning, and the annual Portugal Masters — a chance to walk the same fairways where the European Tour’s biggest names regularly dismantled the course with astonishing scoring. Then everything changed. Rather than simply refurbish one of Europe’s most recognisable tournament venues, the decision was taken to completely reinvent it. The Arnold Palmer layout that had hosted the World Cup of Golf in 2005 and sixteen editions of the Portugal Masters disappeared, replaced by an entirely new vision from four-time Major champion Ernie Els.
The result is far more than another redesign. It is Europe’s first Els Club, the Algarve’s first truly private members’ golf club, and arguably the continent’s most significant new golf opening in years. Even before golfers had properly discovered it, another announcement confirmed just how seriously the golfing world was taking the project: beginning this summer, The Els Club Vilamoura will host the inaugural Portugal Invitational, becoming the first venue in Europe to stage an official PGA TOUR Champions event. For Vilamoura, it represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
A Fresh Canvas
It would have been easy for Els and his design team to tweak what already existed. After all, the Victoria Course had plenty of pedigree. Opened in 2004, it immediately became one of Portugal’s flagship championship layouts. It hosted the World Cup of Golf just a year later before becoming synonymous with the Portugal Masters from 2007 until 2022, producing champions including Shane Lowry, Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Jordan Smith.
Instead, Els chose the far harder option. The routing was reimagined, the back nine reversed, every green complex rebuilt, fairways reshaped, bunkering repositioned, and strategy completely reconsidered. Rather than preserving history, he created an entirely new golf course.
That bold approach reflects Els’ own philosophy as both a player and course designer. Known throughout his playing career for his wonderfully rhythmic swing and strategic approach to golf, the South African has always believed good golf architecture should reward thoughtful decision making rather than simply power. That philosophy is immediately evident throughout Vilamoura. The course remains generous enough from the tee to encourage aggressive golf, but every approach shot asks a question — angles matter, position matters, and distance control becomes everything. It’s championship golf without unnecessary brutality.
Designed by a Champion
Few modern players possess the architectural credibility of Ernie Els. His portfolio already stretches across South Africa, Dubai, Malaysia and the Bahamas, yet Vilamoura carries particular significance: this is his first signature club in Europe. Speaking at the official opening, Els said the team is very proud of the course, noting there are a lot of great and memorable holes, and that overall it’s a really well-balanced golf course.
That balance becomes apparent throughout the round. There are no gimmicks, no manufactured drama. Instead, the course flows naturally through the Algarve landscape, with expansive lakes, strategic waste areas and beautifully framed bunkering creating visual interest without overwhelming the golfer. It feels unmistakably modern while remaining rooted in traditional shot values. Like the man himself, there’s an understated confidence about the place.
Tournament Golf Returns
Perhaps the biggest endorsement comes not from architects or critics but from professional golf itself. The PGA TOUR Champions has selected The Els Club Vilamoura as the home of its first-ever Portuguese event. The Portugal Invitational immediately places Vilamoura alongside some of the world’s most recognisable championship venues, with legends including Ernie Els himself, Bernhard Langer, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen expected to headline a remarkable field.
For spectators, the appeal is obvious — these remain some of the finest ball-strikers the game has ever seen. For the course, however, the tournament represents something even more important: it proves the redesign was never simply about creating an exclusive members’ club. It was always intended to produce a championship venue capable of testing the very best players.
More Than Length
One criticism occasionally levelled at modern championship golf is an over-reliance on distance. Vilamoura takes a different approach. Yes, it measures over 7,300 yards from the championship tees, but length is only one element of the examination. Approach angles constantly influence club selection, large greens reward imaginative pin positions, and recovery shots demand creativity rather than brute force. Even accomplished golfers quickly discover that playing from the correct side of the fairway often matters more than simply finding it.
That strategic element is becoming increasingly rare. It’s also what makes the course enjoyable for club golfers — multiple teeing options ensure average players can appreciate the same architectural questions without feeling overwhelmed. Good design should challenge everyone, and Vilamoura does exactly that.
A New Identity
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the redevelopment is what it says about Vilamoura itself. For decades the Algarve built its reputation on accessible resort golf — outstanding courses, wonderful weather and exceptional hospitality combining to create one of Europe’s great golfing destinations. Now the region is evolving, and luxury has become part of the experience. The Els Club sits comfortably alongside that ambition; from the clubhouse to the practice facilities, everything has been designed to reflect the standards associated with the Els Club brand around the world. Yet despite the exclusivity, the atmosphere remains unmistakably Portuguese: relaxed, welcoming, never intimidating. It feels like somewhere golfers genuinely want to spend an entire day rather than simply arrive, play and leave.
Walking in Famous Footsteps
One charming aspect of the redevelopment is that golf history hasn’t disappeared. The ground itself remains steeped in championship memories — this is where Lee Westwood produced one of his finest European Tour performances, where Shane Lowry showcased his extraordinary ball striking, and where Jordan Smith reached an astonishing 30-under-par to claim the final Portugal Masters title. Now a new generation of golfing memories will be created, only this time they’ll belong to a completely different course.
The Future of Algarve Golf
Golf destinations rarely stand still. St Andrews continues to evolve, and the Costa del Sol constantly reinvents itself. Now the Algarve has delivered perhaps its boldest statement in years. Replacing an established tournament venue with an entirely new championship course was undoubtedly a gamble, yet everything suggests it has been worthwhile. The PGA TOUR Champions clearly believes in the project, and the design has already received widespread praise. Golfers fortunate enough to experience it speak of a course that feels both familiar and refreshingly different.
Most importantly, it gives one of Europe’s great golfing destinations another compelling reason to return. Because while history matters, great golf is ultimately about creating new stories — and The Els Club Vilamoura looks destined to create plenty.
