The newly renovated Els Club Vilamoura has been named Most Sustainable Championship Golf Course in Southern Europe at the Sustainable Luxury Awards, thanks to a raft of forward-thinking environmental initiatives and ESG measures.
Since its unveiling earlier this year, the team behind the project has made a concerted effort to weave environmental responsibility, innovation, and eco-design into every layer of the club’s operations, all in line with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It’s been a busy few months for the club. Ernie Els’ first European private members’ club officially launched in July, where it was also revealed that the Portugal Invitational will debut as the first PGA Tour Champions event in Europe from July 2026. Add to that a nomination for World’s Best New Private Golf Course at the World Golf Awards, and it’s clear that Els Club Vilamoura is fast establishing itself as a leader in innovation and sustainable golf development.
A major part of the club’s sustainability story lies beneath the surface. The complete modernisation of its irrigation system now allows for course preparation using treated wastewater from the Vilamoura Waste-Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). The high-precision system can be fine-tuned to suit the needs of every irrigated area, ensuring water use is completely optimised.
Sustainability has also shaped the club’s look and feel. From a landscape architecture point of view, large existing trees have been carefully replanted, and only native tree and shrub species have been used in landscaped areas to promote ecological balance.
The clubhouse renovation followed the same principles, maximising natural light and ventilation, while making use of natural materials throughout the structure.
Nature itself has been given space to thrive. Nature sanctuaries, nesting boxes, bug hotels, and bee and butterfly houses have been added around the course to provide habitats and food sources for local fauna and birdlife. The existing lakes, fringed with vegetation-covered banks, further strengthen the connection between co-existing ecosystems.
Nuno Sepulveda, Co-CEO of DETAILS, the management company overseeing the Els Club Vilamoura and a portfolio of sports and leisure assets across Portugal, said:
“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.
“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.”
Regular Fauna and Flora monitoring programmes help track progress and maintain a sense of ecological uniqueness, ensuring environmental awareness runs through every facet of the Els Club Vilamoura.
