Few courses in the Algarve have been through a transformation like this one. Built originally by Arnold Palmer and home to the Portugal Masters every year from 2007 to 2022, the course was stripped back to bare ground in 2023 and rebuilt from scratch by Ernie Els and his design team, a reported €17 million investment that makes this Europe's first Els Club and the Algarve's first private members' course.

Els reversed the entire back-nine routing, so nothing about the old championship rhythm carries over. New green complexes and sand-capped fairways have replaced the Palmer-era layout hole for hole. The par-5 11th is the one Els's own team points to as the round's centrepiece: water down the left off the tee, a stream tight against the green, and a genuine risk-reward decision on the second shot. It plays every bit as sharp as its pedigree suggests, and the PGA Tour Champions has already picked it to host the inaugural Portugal Invitational in 2026.

Access here works differently to the rest of Vilamoura. The Els Club is a private members' course, and non-members can only play through a stay-and-play package at the adjacent Victoria Golf Resort & Spa, with a minimum three-night stay. It's a different kind of booking, but for golfers planning a longer Algarve trip, it's a rare chance to play a tour-standard course built by one of the game's great champions.