“The Els Club Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve, the sunniest location in the entire continent of Europe, officially opens for play this coming July. In this exclusive interview, Ernie gives an insight into his design process, his inspiration, and why designing golf courses is a big part of his life now.
1. When you visited here with your family and friends many years ago, did you ever imagine you’d be here now as a designer?
“Probably not. That was a long time ago, before we’d even thought about setting up our design firm. But I always loved the idea of designing courses, always loved it here in Portugal, so maybe this was destiny for us! I feel blessed to be able to do what we do, working on some incredible sites all around the world. Golf course design is a big part of my life now and I love it.”
2. What did you envision at the start of this project, and is this vision close to being realised?
“Definitely. It has been exciting for us to bring our design philosophy to Portugal, our firm’s first ever golf course in continental Europe, and yes it’s exactly how we envisaged it. It looks incredible. Whenever we design a golf course, we always have an eye on what makes it a championship golf course. Most of the courses in our Ernie Els Design portfolio have hosted events; whether that’s on the PGA Tour, Asian Tour, DP World Tour, or Latin American Tour. We’re proud of that. The Els Club Vilamoura we are confident will follow suit. But this is also a golf course for its members and we’ve done everything possible to make sure it’s an incredible experience for them, too.”
3. How would you describe your design style and inspiration?
“Playing around the world these past 35 years, on golf courses of all different types and in every possible kind of landscape, you develop almost a sixth sense for the little details, the shot values and design touches, which come together in your own designs. It’s always a balance, because you want golfers of all standards to enjoy a golf course. I like to give golfers the opportunity to put the ball in play, so the fairways are generous. The second shots, I like to start playing with you a bit, greens at angles and so forth. I like a certain style of bunker, so you’ll see that at Vilamoura. Golf course design is like your signature; it’s a personal thing.”
4. Was there a specific element of the new course design that proved challenging in the development process?
“People might recognise the setting here, but they won’t recognise this golf course. It’s completely new. Greg and I decided very early on in the process that we were going to reverse the back nine routings and create some new holes. That brought with it some logistical challenges, but it was absolutely the right thing to do. The feedback we’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive. As part of that work, we also created a new practice area, which a golf course of this calibre deserves.”
5. Will there be a specific hole to watch out for that will test any golfer in attendance?
“There are a lot of great holes on this golf course, a lot of memorable holes that are going to make golfers want to come back again and again. One standout hole is the par-5 11th, which measures 560 yards from the tips. It looks incredible and strategically I’d say it’s got that perfect balance of risk-reward, with water down the left on your tee shot and a stream nestled against the right-hand side of the green complex. Wind also comes into play here. It’s a great hole.”
6. Lastly, does this project extend beyond golf for you in terms of the luxury lifestyle experience that Vilamoura also offers?
“Absolutely. The whole family loves it here. 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. So, when this opportunity came to us, it really made sense. 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! Anyone who visits here is going to experience world-class amenities literally every step of the way.”
