BREAKING: Ernie Els Brings a Touch of Destiny—and Design Brilliance—to the Algarve with the Els Club Vilamoura

The Els Club Vilamoura, a private members sanctuary set to open mid-July, is not just the Algarve’s newest golfing jewel—it’s the rebirth of a legend.

And, as four-time major champion Ernie Els puts it, fate had a fair bit to do with it.

“It has been exciting for us to bring our design philosophy to Portugal, and it’s exactly how we envisaged it. It looks incredible,” Els said, likely grinning like a man who’s just birdied the 18th with a belly full of bacalhau.

And it’s not just about bunkers, birdies, and backswings. For Els, Vilamoura holds sentimental weight.

“The whole family loves it here,” he admitted. “When the kids were small, we would often come down to this area for summer holidays. We’d play some golf in the area, often at Vilamoura…

The location is unbelievable, the people are great, very friendly, the food is great, the weather is great. I feel like I’m coming home!”

So, what we’re witnessing isn’t just another golf course launch. It’s a homecoming.

A culmination of family memories, championship ambition, and that little thing called destiny.

And while The Els Club Vilamoura adds a luxurious new chapter to Portugal’s golf story, it does so with one of the game’s greatest storytellers holding the pen—and the putter.