Staff WriterEls Club Vilamoura isn’t just another glossy Algarve golf project — it’s a course that’s actually walking the sustainability talk. Els Club Vilamoura has been named Most Sustainable Championship Golf Course in Southern Europe at the Sustainable Luxury Awards, a pretty swift bit of recognition for a club that only opened its doors in July.
What’s made it stand out is simple: they built the place to look good, play well, and respect the land it sits on. No greenwashing, no token planting.
The whole operation has been lined up with selected UN Sustainable Development Goals, which tells you this was planned, not patched together.
A fast starter — and already on the big stage
This is Ernie Els’ first private members’ club in Europe, and it’s not easing its way in. As well as the sustainability gong, the club’s already up for a World Golf Awards nod for World’s Best New Private Golf Course. And in July 2026 it’ll host the Portugal Invitational, which will be the first PGA Tour Champions event ever staged in Europe. That’s not a bad opening act.
Smart course management, not just pretty turf
One of the big reasons the club took the award is the way it handles water. The irrigation system was completely modernised so the course can be prepared using treated wastewater from the Vilamoura Waste-Water Treatment Plant. That system can be dialled up or down for different areas, so they’re not blasting every inch of grass with the same amount. In other words: proper optimisation, not waste.
Built to sit in the landscape, not on top of it
The design team didn’t bulldoze the place and start again. Existing large trees were replanted, and only native trees and shrubs were brought in for the landscaped areas. That keeps the course feeling like it belongs in the Algarve, not like it was imported.
The clubhouse followed the same logic — eco-design first, nice finishes second. Natural light, natural ventilation, and natural materials. That cuts energy use and, let’s be honest, it just feels better to be in.
A course that actually supports wildlife
This is the bit most golfers won’t see at first glance, but it matters. The team created nature sanctuaries around the course and installed nesting boxes, bug hotels, and bee-and-butterfly houses.
That gives local species somewhere to live and feed, instead of being pushed out. The lakes with planted banks help tie those areas together so the eco-systems aren’t isolated pockets.
They’re not guessing, either. There are monitoring programmes in place for fauna and flora so if something dips, they can adjust. That’s how you keep “sustainable” from becoming a plaque on the wall.
Credit where it’s due
Nuno Sepulveda, Co-CEO of DETAILS — the company running Els Club Vilamoura and a bunch of other sports and leisure sites in Portugal — put it plainly: “It is an honour to have been recognised within just two months of the launch for our efforts towards making meaningful and long-lasting environmental change.”
And he’s right to point at the team:
“This is a testament to our wider team who have proved that it is possible to combine sporting excellence with exemplary environmental management – where nature and human activity co-exist in perfect harmony.”
That’s the line, really. Els Club Vilamoura is showing you don’t have to pick between tournament-level golf and looking after the environment. You can do both — if you design it that way from the start.
