Staff WriterIf DETAILS had a trophy cabinet, they’d best start reinforcing the shelves. The Portugal-based golf management company is teeing up for a potential clean sweep after bagging seven nominations at the 2025 World Golf Awards, including the heavyweight crown of Golf Business of the Year.
DETAILS, known for its transformative grip on Portugal’s golf scene, has again proven it’s not just playing the game — it’s rewriting the rules.
Front and centre is the soon-to-open Els Club Vilamoura, vying for the title of World’s Best New Golf Course. It’s set to become the Algarve’s first private members’ club, and its arrival adds a flourish to the Vilamoura Golf portfolio — a fleet of fairways that’s become a poster child for luxury, sustainability, and innovation.
“Our team is proud to see the hard work of every individual who has contributed to our projects recognised by the WGA,” said DETAILS Co-CEO Nuno Sepulveda. “For us, this is just the beginning of our plan to reshape the narrative and position Portugal as one of the premium global golf destinations.”
And reshape they have. Owned by Arrow Global, DETAILS has overseen a remarkable renaissance of the former Dom Pedro courses — now reborn as Vilamoura Golf.
Millenium, Laguna, Pinhal, and the historic Old Course have undergone everything short of open-heart surgery. The Old Course — Portugal’s second-oldest — has emerged with new clubhouse interiors, gastropub dining, food stations flanking the 1st and 18th, and a splash of high-end branding that wouldn’t look out of place on Bond Street.
Meanwhile, the practice range now features TrackMan tech, and the whole site operates with a mindful nod to Mother Earth.
Think warm-season grasses and Bermuda turf, sipping less water and reducing environmental strain, all while holding onto GEO certification — the golfing world’s version of a Michelin star.
It’s no surprise the Old Course is nominated for Portugal’s Best Golf Course, while the entire Vilamoura area is gunning for World’s Best Golf Venue.
The latter’s reputation is buoyed not just by the fairways but by its surrounding attractions — a glitzy marina, blue-flag beaches, top-tier cuisine, and the always-handy Faro Airport just 25 minutes away.
Still, it’s not all about Vilamoura. DETAILS has flexed its green-thumbed management elsewhere, too. PGA Aroeira Lisboa, Portugal’s only PGA National venue, is chasing the award for World’s Best Eco-Friendly Facility — no greenwashing here, just pure innovation. A full 2024 renovation of its historic No. 1 course has set the tone, with updates to its sister course, Aroeira No. 2, not far behind.
But in true DETAILS fashion, golf is only part of the story. The brand has joined forces with Italian fashion royalty Missoni for Aroeira Collections by Missoni, an ambitious residential and tourism complex that includes a new clubhouse and the flagship Aroeira Collections Hotel, slated for 2027. If you ever wanted to follow up your birdie with a Bellini in a Missoni bathrobe, this’ll be the place.
Over at Palmares, up for Europe’s Best Clubhouse, the fusion of golf and gastronomy is on full display. Al Sud, its Michelin-starred restaurant, is just one piece of the resort’s expanding jigsaw puzzle.
The upcoming JW Marriott Palmares promises 172 rooms and 133 branded residences, bringing a deluxe twist to coastal living on the Algarve. It’s the kind of place where you can play a championship course before unwinding at a five-star spa — or vice versa, depending on how your round goes.
Which brings us full circle to the big one: Golf Business of the Year. This nomination recognises DETAILS’ all-encompassing, 360-degree model — from asset management and operations to marketing and beyond. It’s not just about golf; it’s about creating high-end experiences that place Portugal front and centre on the world stage.
From resurrecting legendary fairways to building luxury residencies with designer flair, DETAILS has put Portugal in play like never before. Seven nominations. One clear message: they’re not just in the business of golf — they’re in the business of redefining it.
For more information on DETAILS, click [here].
