The next step: The region is now home to Europe’s first Els Club and a new annual PGA TOUR Champions tournament
– October 13, 2025 | Text Maria Simiris
The Algarve continues to reinforce its status as a world-class golf destination with the opening of The Els Club Vilamoura, the first in Europe.
Conceived and designed by Ernie Els in partnership with Arrow Global Group and Details, the project also has the institutional support of the national and regional tourism boards (Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Algarve).
The former Victoria Course, home to the Portugal Masters until 2022, has been transformed into the first private members’ club in the Algarve. Redesigned by Ernie Els himself, the course now features new routes, a sophisticated clubhouse, fine dining and exclusive services.
The goal is simple: to provide a premium, technical and scenic experience of superior quality.
The opening of this new golf club on July 21, 2025, will go down in Vilamoura’s history, with Ernie Els present at the event, who made it clear that he had chosen the location himself.
The 18-hole course was completely transformed and underwent a thorough layout review, with some routes reversed on the back nine, whilst some holes were replaced and new elements were added.
The result is a course with new challenges requiring different approaches, designed to be more interesting and in keeping with the style of play and tournaments that The Els Club Vilamoura aims to host.
Aside from the course itself, the facilities are also top-notch, including a training gym, a golf boutique, a driving range, putting greens, short game areas, and a concierge service for members.
On the opening day, Ernie Els stated that feedback so far had been “extremely positive” in terms of the new course, the changes made and the state-of-the-art facilities.
Apart from Els, the opening ceremony was also attended by other golf legends such as Colin Montgomerie, David Duval and Stewart Cink, who wanted to see the new venue for themselves.
But the occasion marked more than just the opening of The Els Club. It also served as the stage for the announcement and presentation of the PGA TOUR Champions’ Portugal Invitational, an international tournament set to take place on the new course, with its first edition scheduled for July 31 to August 2, 2026.
The Portugal Invitational will be an individual stroke play competition featuring 78 of the world’s best players over the age of 50, members of the World Golf Hall of Fame and pros from the Legends Tour, including Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and David Duval.
The tournament has a purse of $3 million (around €2.5 million) and stems from a five-year agreement signed between the PGA TOUR Champions, the Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, Turismo do Algarve and the local council.
All parties are committed to raise the profile of international senior golf in Portugal, placing Vilamoura and the Algarve, for the first time, on a par with other major golf tournament destinations in Europe.
Ernie Els, a South African professional golfer known as ‘The Big Easy’, has enjoyed a career filled with trophies.
His recent victory at the Kaulig Companies Championship in 2024 raised expectations about the quality he brings to the new course in Vilamoura as a venue for top tournaments. His reputation as a professional who has helped take the sport to another level continues to attract media attention, so expectations for the Portugal Invitational could not be higher.
This is especially true because the estimated impact of the competition goes beyond the course – it encompasses tourism, the local economy, the image of national golf worldwide, and the strengthening of elite sports offerings in the region.
Substantial gains are expected in hotel occupancy, restaurants and local commerce, with the international media reinforcing the Algarve’s image as a premium golf destination.
The new course also raises the standard of quality for golf facilities in the region, encouraging other operators to improve their own training infrastructure and environmental practices.
This is because the redesign of The Els Club Vilamoura includes carefully selected turf to reflect a commitment to environmental preservation, as well as advanced technologies for more efficient water and irrigation management adapted to the Algarve’s demanding climate.
For John Calvão, Arrow Global fund principal, the international tournament in Vilamoura “represents a very significant step for Portugal as one of the world’s best golf and lifestyle destinations”.
André Gomes, president of Turismo do Algarve, said that this is a “historic moment, [which] raises the bar and reflects the regional ambition to establish the Algarve as a year-round destination, with direct impact on the economy”.
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