Nuno Sepulveda believes the future of Mediterranean golf is not necessarily about building more courses – but transforming the ones that already exist.

Sepulveda, President of the Portuguese Confederation of Golf Owners and a senior figure at golf and hospitality management company Details, says the business is pursuing a strategy based on repositioning established resorts, significant capital investment and delivering a higher-quality experience to golfers. Details currently manages 22 hotels and 14 golf courses, with around 110 employees within the organisation and approximately 2,500 people across the wider assets it manages.

For Portugal in particular, Sepulveda believes competing on volume is unrealistic. The country has around 80 golf courses, compared with several hundred in Spain, and he argues that the opportunity lies in positioning Portugal as a premium golf and tourism destination. That means investing in ageing courses and resort infrastructure, improving standards and creating experiences that justify higher levels of spend. Golf already plays a significant role in Portuguese tourism, particularly during the traditionally quieter months, and Sepulveda says the sector is growing by around 5–6% annually in terms of rounds played.

The strategy extends beyond the golf course itself. Details’ investment philosophy is centred around resorts where improvements to golf, hospitality and other amenities can have a wider impact on the surrounding destination and real estate. Sepulveda says the company is deliberately taking a long-term view, with the objective of creating assets that will remain relevant for the next 20 to 30 years rather than simply pursuing short-term returns.

One of the most significant examples is Costa Ragusa in Sicily, where the former Donnafugata resort is being comprehensively redeveloped. The project includes two hotels and two completely revamped golf courses, with Miguel Ángel Jiménez and José María Olazábal involved in the redesign. The Jiménez course is scheduled to open in March 2027, with the Olazábal-designed course following in October 2027. For Sepulveda, the project demonstrates the potential of bringing existing, underused golf assets back to life rather than starting again from scratch.

The changing expectations of golfers are also central to the strategy. Sepulveda believes the industry is moving away from selling individual golf products – a room, a green fee or a package of rounds – towards selling complete experiences. He expects family-focused golf, higher service standards and the integration of golf with hospitality and leisure to become increasingly important as the market develops. Details is already using customer-experience measurement through 59club across its properties to identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvement.

With Details now expanding its footprint across Portugal, Spain and Italy, Sepulveda sees significant further potential for growth over the next five years. His vision is clear: rather than chasing volume, Mediterranean golf should focus on quality, investment and experience – unlocking the potential of existing assets while creating destinations that can compete at the highest level internationally. “We used to sell product,” he says. “Now we're selling experiences.”

Here more of Nuno's story on the Golf Club Talk UK podcast.

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