The Portuguese Invitational - the first PGA Tour Champions event in Europe - staged at the new Els Club in Vilamoura heralded the start of a new era for the popular resort that has been a magnet for holidaying golfers since it opened in the 1970s.
Most club golfers who travel to the Algarve to play will be familiar with the courses there - and many will have memorable tales to recall after golf during nights out in the bars and restaurants around the marina.
The resort was purpose-built in the 1970s for golfers and holidaymakers on a stretch of land that was formerly a swamp. Over the years it has entertained hundreds of thousands of families and parties of golfers from all over Europe.
In recent years it was beginning to look a bit tired - not just the courses but the hotels and infrastructure were beginning to show the strain.
Major Improvements Have Come to Vilamoura
In stepped asset management company Arrow Global Portugal and its sports and hospitality platform DETAILS who have launched a masterplan to restore the resort to its former glory and indeed, to enhance its quality throughout.
Much has already happened. Former Dom Pedro hotels and courses have been acquired and refurbished, the marina extended and deepened to accept a larger class of luxury yachts, and a general tidy up is apparent throughout.
While the masterplan envisages the resort to remain middle market and family friendly, a number of key flagship projects are emerging. A huge equestrian centre is being built with the intention of staging important international events, and international cycling and sailing fixtures are set to become part of the annual sporting calendar.
A number of high quality villas and apartments are under construction to complement the uplift.
Golf remains a key driver - as well as upgrades to the Old Course, Pinhal, Millennium and Laguna courses - the prestigious Els Club has been created on the former Victoria course.
It is a high quality venue and its clubhouse and practice facilities are second to none. Sadly it’s not open to the public and will remain the playground of members with deep pockets.
By staging the Portuguese Invitational, it has attracted the attention of the golfing world and has showcased Vilamoura and the Algarve in general to a wider audience.
Winner Zack Johnson, collecting his trophy, summed up Arrows Global’s intentions succinctly when he said: "Our host Ernie is all class and what he has done with this facility is so impressive. It's great for us pros but also playable for beginners - and the Algarve generally is easy to love and hard to leave."
Playing the Els Club might be out of range for most but I was fortunate to be invited to play it along with the others in June 2026 and this is what I found.
The Old Course
The most famous and sought-after of the Vilamoura courses has stood the test of time well since its inauguration in 1969.
Its revamp and upgrading in the hands of DETAILS is almost completed and once again it is generally regarded as the best of the four courses in the town that are open to the general golfing public.
The original Frank Pennink layout, modified by Martin Hawtree, is unchanged while greens and fairways have received a full maintenance upgrade. Bunkers have redefined lips and slopes and the sand replaced to improve overall quality.
Tee boxes have been seeded with Bermuda grass, re-levelled, and are in top condition to match the rest of the playing area.
The statuesque umbrella pines that grace the fairways have been crown lifted allowing more sunlight to reach the fairways and the new hazard, replacing the rough under the trees, is a generous layer of chunky pine chippings. Recovery from these is now more than a punch shot back to the fairway via the nearest route.
A very smart clubhouse has replaced the tired original, but it’s styled in a traditional manner to match the heritage of the venue.
Pinhal
Another Frank Pennink design from the 1970s, that underwent a makeover by Robert Trent Jones in the 1980s, is regarded as one of the trickiest in the region due to some tight pine-lined fairways. Accuracy off the tee is the order of the day to shoot a good score here.
I’d previously rated this as the second best in Vilamoura behind the Old Course but now I think it may be its equal, and it is definitely one to play. It was in very good condition when we played it.
Millennium
Sharing the same clubhouse as Laguna, this is a course of two halves. On the opening nine, holes 3-7 resemble Pinhal, showing maturity and tree-lined fairways. Many of the rest appear to be part of a different course being open and rather dull, and the explanation lies in its development history.
The course opened as the name suggests, in 2000, but was made up of nine from the 27-hole Laguna course, built in 1990, and nine new ones.
The difference is most obvious when you reach the 8th tee where a wide, flat fairway stands before you with not a tree in sight.
Despite its hybrid nature the course plays well and it's easy to see why it features in the play list of so many travelling golfers who visit the Algarve every year.
Laguna
Cheek and jowl to the Millennium is the Laguna course which opened in 1990. Unlike its near neighbours, it’s wide open with very few trees offering a contrast to the typical Algarvian layout. There is plenty of water though, and when the wind blows it’s wise to take plenty of balls as some of the carries, though reasonably short on paper, play much longer than the card, including the fearsome 3rd, 4th, 5th and 12th.
Most people regard this as the warm up course in Vilamoura. It’s not the greatest to be sure and the conditioning on tees and greens can leave a little to be desired. The back nine is the nicer, more interesting, while overall Laguna is by no means a pushover, so don’t blame the course conditions if you don’t score well.
Off Course
Vilamoura is a complete year-round sports and leisure destination which has become a legend for groups of golfers coming from all over Europe, so it’s of no surprise that there are plenty of hotels such as the recently refurbished and popular Hilton and the new Hyatt Regency and lots of bars and restaurants. The area around the marina is the hotspot, where variety and plenty of activity entices those looking for a good night out.
Getting There
There are plenty of year-round three-hour direct flights from the UK across multiple airports to Faro International, about 30 minutes drive from Vilamoura.
Verdict
Vilamoura has been a value-for-money hotspot since its inception in the 1970s. With four courses in very close proximity and a wealth of others in easy striking distance, it has rightly stamped its name on the map of must visit destinations. Arrow Global is spending plenty of money on the resort to ensure it remains one of the key sporting and leisure destinations within the Algarve.
Our travel partner Golfbreaks has a wealth of deals in Vilamoura. See https://www.golfbreaks.com/en-gb/holidays/vilamoura/ for details.
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