- Details won six honours at the 13th World Golf Awards in Cairo on Saturday, November 7.
- Vilamoura’s Old Course was named Europe’s Best Golf Course.
- Details itself received the Contribution to World Golf Tourism award.
Portugal’s largest golf course operator left the first World Golf Awards staged in Africa with six titles. Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure won five awards across four of its venues at the gala ceremony on Saturday, November 7. It also received the Contribution to World Golf Tourism award in its own right.
The ceremony closed a three-day programme at Madinaty Golf Club in New Cairo, the Robert Trent Jones Jr layout that hosted the 13th edition of the awards.
Where the awards went
Vilamoura won twice. Its Old Course was voted Europe’s Best Golf Course after several years of investment, and the resort was named Europe’s Best Golf Real Estate Venue.
Palmares Ocean Living & Golf took Europe’s Best Golf Clubhouse. The building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning RCR Arquitectes and was named World’s Best Clubhouse at the 2025 awards.
PGA Aroeira Lisboa retained its title as Europe’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility. During September’s Open de Portugal, the resort worked with Details and Ecoterrae on measures aimed at sustainable-event certification.
Monte Rei Golf & Country Club was named Portugal’s Best Golf Course. The award comes two months after the Nicklaus-designed North Course reopened following a six-month renovation of its greens, bunkers, irrigation and practice facilities.
A year of tournaments and spending
The awards follow a busy 2026 for the Arrow Global-owned operator, which runs a portfolio that includes the Vilamoura courses, PGA Aroeira’s two 18-hole layouts, 27 holes at Palmares, Vale Pisão, Tróia Golf, Monte Rei and San Lorenzo.
In July, The Els Club Vilamoura staged the inaugural Portugal Invitational, the first PGA Tour Champions event held in Portugal. The Els Club is Ernie Els’ redesign of the former Victoria Course and the Algarve’s first private, invitation-only club. Zach Johnson won it with a closing bogey-free 7-under 65, two shots clear of Stewart Cink.
Two months later, PGA Aroeira’s No.1 course hosted the Open de Portugal for the first time in three decades. Sebastian Friedrichsen took the title with a tournament-record total. Both Aroeira courses have been upgraded over the past two years.
At Palmares, the signature restaurant Preceito opened in the clubhouse in the spring. Its menu is built on local produce and the cuisine of the Algarve. Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects then oversaw a summer programme that widened fairways and rebuilt bunkers across all three nines.
Monte Rei’s next phase includes a 100-room Nobu hotel, a signature restaurant and branded residences.
Details also moved outside Portugal for the first time. It took over management of the former Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa in Sicily, now Costa Ragusa Golf. José María Olazábal and Miguel Ángel Jiménez are redesigning its 36 holes. Jiménez’s Queens Course is due in spring 2027 and Olazábal’s Castle Course in the autumn.
Vilamoura’s plans beyond golf continue into next year. Its Equestrian Centre will begin hosting three-, four- and five-star international show jumping in 2027. The marina has been expanded, and new residential projects include Springs at The Els Club Vilamoura.
Related: New Video Series to Showcase Costa Ragusa Golf Ahead of 2027 Sicily Launch
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.