Ernie Els’ new course in Portugal offers dramatic backdrop for PGA Tour Champions

QUARTIERA, Portugal — While nearly everything about this week’s PGA Tour Champions stop is new, the experience feels strikingly familiar for Ernie Els.

Long before he became a four-time major champion, Els grew up in South Africa idolizing Arnold Palmer from afar. So when the opportunity arose to renovate one of Palmer’s designs — Portugal’s Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course — he embraced it immediately. The project, however, came with a profound sense of responsibility. Reimagining a course bearing Palmer’s signature meant honoring one of the game’s most influential figures while helping shape the venue’s future.

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Portugal, meanwhile, holds a special place in Els’ life beyond golf. During the years when his family lived in England, the Algarve became a favorite getaway. It offered the perfect balance: Els could spend time honing his craft while his wife and children enjoyed the region’s renowned beaches and relaxed atmosphere. Nearby Praia da Falésia, in fact, has since earned recognition as one of the world’s premier beaches.

That longstanding affection for the Algarve is evident throughout the property. The course reflects not only Palmer’s enduring influence but also Els’ connection to a region he has visited for decades. Now, as the Algarve’s first private golf club, the venue represents both a fresh chapter for golf in Portugal and a personal homecoming of sorts for Els.

And of course, Els has been a staple on the PGA Tour Champions, winning seven times, including one major — the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship.

So on Tuesday, when he stood at the podium of the inaugural Portugal Invitational, the senior circuit’s first foray into Portugal, pride was among the Big Easy’s prevalent emotions.

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“Very thankful, very excited,” Els said. “I think it’s, you know, it’s taken a long time, but the Champions Tour is here.”

Els Club Vilamoura is overhaul from previous course

Since the redesign, one nine follows much of its original corridor, refreshed through strategic refinements and updated design features, while the other has been completely reimagined, reversing the course’s former routing and giving the layout an entirely new feel.

“It was an old Arnold Palmer golf course, one of my heroes. That put a lot of attention on us because you don’t want to screw up a great Arnold Palmer golf course either, but we also needed to put out a great one, which Arrow gave us the leeway for.” Els said on Tuesday. “So we went to work. The foot was right down, accelerator was down all the time. We had a budget to work with. Finally, me and John (Calvao, Arrow Global’s co-founder and head of real estate and hospitality) laugh about it because it was a moving target, but we got into the budget eventually, so we were very proud of that.

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“I think we have a really good product.”

Among the standout holes is the demanding par-5 11th, where length and decision-making are equally important, and the picturesque par-4 16th, which skirts one of the property’s many lakes and offers little margin for error.

With few trees or natural barriers to blunt the elements, The Els Club is especially vulnerable to the Algarve winds. When the breezes rise, the course can become a formidable test, even for the game’s top senior professionals. Yet the layout remains approachable thanks to its flexible teeing options, allowing golfers of all abilities to find a suitable challenge — as long as they avoid the plentiful water hazards that lurk throughout the round. In the past few months, grasses in native areas have been left to bloom, adding a striking contrast and formidable obstacle.

Portugal Invitational sandwiched in European swing

This event follows Jerry Kelly’s ISPS Handa Senior Open win and precedes the Staysure Senior PGA Championship on the Legends Tour at Trump International in Scotland in a compelling three-week swing of European golf featuring some of the game’s most iconic players.

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And since the swing works out logically, the field is stacked, with 78 of the best on the senior circuit, headlined by Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink, second-ranked Zach Johnson, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Pádraig Harrington. Cink and Johnson have been the tour’s dominant forces this season, entering the week as the only multiple winners on PGA Tour Champions in 2026, with four victories and three victories, respectively.

The tournament also boasts a strong Hall of Fame presence. Alongside Els and Harrington, Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie are among those competing. Langer remains the gold standard on PGA Tour Champions, holding the circuit’s all-time wins record with 47 career titles. Adding further depth to the field are two-time Charles Schwab Cup champion Steven Alker (2022, 2024), Stephen Ames, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, 2001 Open champion David Duval and 1997 Open champion Justin Leonard, giving the event a lineup rich in major championship pedigree and international star power.

Although the previous iteration of the course hosted the Portugal Masters on the DP World Tour from 2007 to 2022, with Harrington, Lee Westwood and Shane Lowry among the winners, that course closed in 2023, shortly after Arrow Global acquired five golf courses and three hotels within the Vilamoura resort.

More: These are the 22 golfers who won their PGA Tour Champions debut

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PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady said that the absence left a perfect fit for his circuit.

“For the Champions Tour to play our first-ever event, PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Portugal was a no-brainer, right? We knew it would be great,” Brady said. “We knew we had tremendous partners not only in tourism but in Arrow Global. And what they’re investing in this area is amazing and it’s great for us to see it, and it’s great for us to see this event come to life, right?

“We made the announcement just over a year ago, but to show up this week, our players are coming from the Senior Open, much different atmosphere there. This is one of our events on the Champions Tour, so to see this come to life, our players are showing up, arriving at the hotel, eyes wide open.”

Remaining 2026 PGA Tour Champions events

*Charles Schwab Cup Playoff events

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Algarve region continues to emerge

Among the dignitaries attending the tournament’s opening press conference was André Gomes, president of the Algarve Tourism Board, underscoring the event’s importance to one of Europe’s premier leisure destinations.

Known for its dramatic coastline, sun-soaked beaches and world-class golf courses, the Algarve has long attracted travelers from across Europe. In recent years, however, the region has expanded its reach, emerging as an increasingly popular destination for American visitors seeking a blend of championship golf, luxury resorts and seaside charm.

“It’s the comeback of the Algarve to the international events on golf. The Algarve in fact has a long and success history of golf. We have, as you see, world-class courses, excellent hotels, year-round sunshine, strong activity,” Gomes said. “Players, fans, visitors, families will find here for sure not only great golf but also outstanding hospitality, our beaches, nature, culture, everything that we have to offer and the quality of life we have here at the Algarve.

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“This tournament is also important for us because it brings together two major important segments that are very important for us regarding the work that we have been doing and, of course, international promotion. Events of this level help us to attract new audiences, reach strategic markets and show the Algarve as a destination prepared towelcome high-quality international events.”

Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ernie Els’ new course in Portugal offers dramatic backdrop for PGA Tour Champions