DETAILS, a newly established, independent sports and hospitality management platform, has taken over some of golf’s most famous real estate in Vilamoura with a vision of elevating the destination to one of the best in Europe. Tomorrow spoke to the co-CEO, Nuno Sepúlveda to find out more.
Nuno is originally from Lisbon, but he has travelled the world to acquire the knowledge and experience needed to take on such a large project. He studied sports science and golf course management at Lancashire University in the UK before embarking on an internship in Florida in Bonita Bay. Nuno returned to Portugal to work as a golf course construction manager, greenkeeper and superintendent of golf courses. After that, he obtained his master’s degree in soil science engineering at Cranfield, UK. During his career, he has worked in the golf and sports industry and has managed resorts, construction and maintenance. For the last six years, he was general manager for Costa Navarino resort in Greece, which has four golf courses, four hotels and three clubhouses. It was named the best golf resort in Europe and third in the world. This led to him being offered the position of Co-CEO for sports and leisure in Vilamoura. “I was excited by the project,” he tells me.
DETAILS is owned by Arrow Global Portugal, which manages a collection of hospitality and sports assets. The Arrow group also owns the real estate arm Norfin and the credit management company White Star. DETAILS specializes in hospitality projects and managing assets like golf courses, hotels, a sports centre, and an equestrian centre. Nuno’s appointment comes as part of a significant multi-year development plan, which will see Vilamoura significantly enhanced through a series of ambitious upgrades.
I asked Nuno if the goal was to elevate Vilamoura to the status of Quinta do Lago. “Yes and no,” he replies. “Vilamoura is a lot bigger, so it is a different ecosystem. It could be the biggest resort in the world or the smallest town.”
In fact, Nuno and his team’s main focus is combating seasonality, and they perceive that this is done through sport. “We want to create an all-year-round solution by investing in sports. Hopefully, the sports centre will begin construction in 2025; we also have the equestrian centre, marina and hotels, so we are focused on creating activities in Vilamoura all year round to dilute seasonality. People want to be healthy and active, so it’s a different proposition. Sure, June, July and August will always sell, but if you want to have five-star service and proper amenities, you must have year-round guests. In order to keep staff, you need to give them a 12-month contract, so having the sports facilities will keep hotels and restaurants open, and will also stimulate real estate as people will be able to use the houses more, so it will benefit the whole setup.”
I asked him how they aim to house these contracted staff given the housing crisis in the Algarve. “The lack of affordable housing is a Europe-wide problem. It is difficult for staff to find affordable housing, which is a major problem for our business. We are investing in infrastructure for staff and trying to provide accommodation, but it takes time, as we are doing it from scratch. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
Nuno became the president of the National Golf Council (CNIG) in May 2024, taking on the role with a “robust strategic plan to promote the sustainable growth of the sector”. He told the press at the time, “We want to call attention to the significant impact of golf on the national economy and help demystify some wrong beliefs about this sport.” The council represents owners of 85% of the golf courses in Portugal and their primary function is to fight for the future of golf, which sometimes conflicts with the Portuguese Federation, which pushes for the expansion of golf. “We are fighting for things like sustainability, discussing water issues, VAT, staff issues and PRR (recovery and resilience plan),” Nuno explains. “We advocate for the golf industry and owners of golf courses, and golf events that are missing in Portugal. It’s more about the sustainability of golf in the long run. We also invest in research and studies to collect data on golf and its impact on the country’s economy.” Alongside this, CNIG believes that golf is more than a sport, it is an economy driver that contributes to breaking up seasonality and increasing national cohesion, particularly in the Algarve region and the islands.
I asked Nuno to explain what is being done to save water on golf courses. “New and old golf courses have been reducing the amount of green and grass areas, and, on some courses, this has been by up to 30%. We also use some of the most advanced water technology in water management, so we don’t lose any water. We have sensors linked to pump stations and specific grasses that require less water. Only 6% of overall consumption goes to golf courses in the Algarve. We also want to use recycled water. At the moment, wastewater is cleaned by the local councils, and then put back in the ocean, which doesn’t make sense. We are trying to negotiate with the local authorities to connect to those treatment stations so we can use this water on our grass. We wish the government would work more with us on this. The bigger issue is what happens to the rest. Some local authorities are losing 50% of water due to leaks and inefficient connections. We want to explain to the local communities that the water shortages are not due to golf but the local government. We want to use the water no one else wants.”
In line with this goal, the recent renovations of Dom Pedro Golf Vilamoura have focused heavily on sustainability. The second oldest course in the Algarve has undergone a fundamental and sustainable series of updates over the last few months, with a new state-of-the-art clubhouse set to open in November. Nuno and his team have introduced a new long-term strategy to make it one of Europe’s most environmentally friendly courses. Several key initiatives will be introduced, such as new sprinkler systems and water-resistant grass varieties to reduce water consumption, new and more efficient pump stations to reduce energy consumption, and new 100% electric machinery where possible.
These improvements have been driven by an increase in golf tourism, both in volume and average spend. Nuno puts this down to the pandemic when golf was perceived as a non-contact sport that could be played outdoors. “Clients have been spending more on golf holidays since COVID. It is seen as a healthy sport across different age groups. While COVID was a tragedy, it was great for golf as it put us back on the map.”
Other sports have also been on the rise post-COVID, so the new sports centre will incorporate padel courts, as well as facilities for playing pickleball, tennis, football and rugby. “We would like to cater to high-performance teams, athletes, amateurs, and the wider community. Vilamoura is looking to attract international sports teams, including football, although we want to do something a bit different from other sports centres in the Algarve.”
The existing equestrian centre is also being upgraded and, by 2025, will be the largest in the country. Nuno told me, “The Equestrian centre will be a couple of notches above what it was before—offering more high-quality products to match our hotels and marina in quality. It will have a capacity for 1000 horses on site, so we are envisaging a special place for horse riders from Northern Europe who want to spend the winter here, like the UK, Ireland, Finland, and Belgium. It will be a great place to come with your horse and prepare for the next competitive season.
I wonder if the goal is to attract more quality tourists away from the bad behaviour of tourists who hit the headlines in Albufeira. “I think this will come naturally as we reposition ourselves, leading to different behaviours from our guests.”
After a fifteen-year delay, the second phase of the new Marina Nova will be ready by November, offering berths for larger vessels. Nuno assures me the new facilities “will be the latest state-of-the-art moorings for boats. Anything you can think of provided by marinas all over the world will be available in Vilamoura.”
Nuno is very focused on his goals: “I would like to see Vilamoura as to what it deserves to be. I did my internship here 24 years ago, so it is fun to come back and get the chance to make that change happen. I am working with a big team trying to reposition Vilamoura on the world map. We have everything to offer visitors within a short distance, including the airport, the climate, hospitals and good infrastructure. It is very unusual that all these things come together in one place, but they do in Vilamoura.”
The DETAILS team can only achieve all this with a close alliance with the Algarve Tourism Board.
“It’s a partnership with which we have a very good relationship. We rely on them, and they rely on us.”
I wonder if a lot of Nuno’s work gets done on the golf course, but he assures me he only gets to play golf about 10 times a year. “For me, to play on my own golf courses feels like work.” So, who would he most like to see play a round on one of his golf courses? “Tiger Woods, I grew up with him and watching him play. So that would be my dream.”
Nuno and his team are undoubtedly paying ‘attention to detail’ in this exciting project, which will see Vilamoura emerge as the jewel in the illustrious crown of Algarve tourism. Tomorrow, we will look at the ‘finer details’ and keep you abreast of all future developments!
