A victory and five top-5s from seven starts is the story of Ernie’s Champions Tour season to date, a consistent spell of play that adds up to a cumulative 80-under par and a current scoring average of 68.04. It places him in third position on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List. Away from the tournament scene, in the space of little more than a month Ernie paid site visits to three spectacular new Ernie Els Design golf courses on three different continents – The Els Club Vilamoura in Portugal, Zimbali Lakes in South Africa and Oleada Golf Links on Mexico’s captivating Baja Peninsula.
On Portugal’s beautiful Algarve, the creation of The Els Club Vilamoura is almost complete, with an official opening scheduled for July 2025. Ernie was on site again in early April with the team and was very impressed with what he saw.
Writing on social media shortly after his visit, Ernie commented: “It was a great pleasure to be in Portugal again at The Els Club Vilamoura. It’s exciting for us to bring our firm’s design philosophy to this beautiful part of the world, our first private club in Portugal and a total new design at Vilamoura. It looks incredible, exactly how we envisaged it. 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.”
Asked about his inspiration for this new layout, Ernie gave an insight into something of the thought processes involved in golf course design. “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”, revealed Ernie. “It’s 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.”
Then it wasn’t long before Ernie was back on home turf in South Africa to attend the official opening of Zimbali Lakes. Nestled within the prestigious Zimbali Lakes Resort on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast, this golf course is a striking addition to the region’s golfing landscape and offers players an unforgettable experience with stunning views of the sea, lakes, and inland scenery.
“Projects of this magnitude are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” comments Ernie. “The location is incredible – beautiful open spaces, right by the ocean, and there’s no question that property is booming here. It’s all world class and that’s what our brand stands for; that’s what we showcase to everyone around the world when we create a golfing destination of the calibre of Zimbali Lakes.”
Hopping continents for a third time, Ernie also recently found himself on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula where a very special Ernie Els Design golf course is emerging from the shifting sands in this unspoilt desert-meets-ocean landscape just 15 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas.
“Oleada Golf Links is one of the most spectacular projects on our books,” commented Ernie. “We’ve got a great team on site, the boys are doing an incredible job. As a golf course designer, whenever we can work in sand, it’s heaven for us! This trip with our firm’s senior design associate Greg Letsche gave us an opportunity to see the golf course in different lights at different times of the day, which is invaluable. I had the chance to walk the course, hit some shots, and really getting a feel for how each hole will play. This one is going to be very very special and we’re so excited for the grand opening next year.”
Come back again soon for more news from the world of Ernie Els! In the meantime, you can follow Ernie on Instagram @ernieelsgolf.
