Ernie Els Design is a full-service golf course design company wholly owned by its principal Ernie Els. Since its incorporation in 2000, the company’s portfolio of courses has been recognised with many accolades.
Notably, in 2018 Ernie Els Design achieved the unique distinction of having two of its courses host professional tournaments – the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Anahita and the Hero World Challenge at Albany (pictured above) – across four of the world’s four major golf tours in the same week, with Ernie himself teeing it up and making the cut in Mauritius.
In 2015 Ernie was voted ‘Designer of the Year’ at the World Golf Awards, while The Els Club Teluk Datai was awarded the title ‘Best New Golf Course in the World 2014’. It has also since become the first layout in the Ernie Els Design portfolio to be listed in Golf Digest’s prestigious ‘World Top-100’.
Meanwhile, six Ernie Els-designed courses have hosted professional Tour events: Albany (The Hero World Challenge), The Els Club Dubai (Dubai Open Golf Championship), The Els Club Copperleaf (Tshwane Open), Anahita Mauritius (Mauritius Golf Masters and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open), Wentworth West Course (BMW PGA Championship) and The Els Club Desaru Coast (back-to-back events on the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Tour in 2023).
Albany (above)
Has hosted the PGA TOUR’s annual Hero World Challenge since 2015.
Anahita (above)
Named ‘Best Golf Development for Europe & Africa’ at the CNBC International Property Awards 2008. Hosts its first professional tournament, the 2010 Mauritius Golf Masters. It hosts the tournament again in December 2011. Anahita is voted the best luxury hotel in Mauritius in the 2013 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards and sixth in the category of Top 25 Hotels in the World, making it the highest rated property in the Indian Ocean. It is also named the Indian Ocean’s Best Golf Hotel in the World Golf Awards 2015. Hosted the 2016 and 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the first ever tri-sanctioned tournament by the DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.
The Els Club Copperleaf (above)
Named ‘Best New Golf Course 2008’ in the Gauteng region by South Africa’s highly regarded Compleat Golfer. Hosts the opening tournament on the 2010 Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Tour – dubbed ‘Origins Goes Easy’ in honour of Ernie Els. Hosts Sunshine Big Easy Tour Championship 2011. Hosts its first ever DP World Tour event, the inaugural €1.5 million Tshwane Open in 2013, and again in 2014.
The Els Club Dubai (above)
Named ‘Best New International Course 2008’ by Links magazine. Wins CNBC Property Award in the category of ‘Best Golf Course Dubai’ in 2009. Awarded runner-up spot by Golf Inc. in its prestigious ‘Best International Golf Development of the Year’ rankings in 2009. Voted by Troon Golf as ‘Best New Facility of the Year’ in 2009. Proudly hosts its first tour event in December 2014, the Asian Tour’s inaugural Dubai Open Golf Championship. At the 2015 Middle East Golf Awards The Els Club Dubai scooped an impressive hat-trick of awards, winning Golf Maintenance Team of the Year, Best F&B Outlet of the Year for The Big Easy Winebar & Grill, and Academy of the Year for the Butch Harmon School of Golf located at The Els Club Dubai. Voted Dubai’s Best Golf Course at the 2022 World Golf Awards.
The Els Club Teluk Datai (above)
Receives the greatest possible endorsement of its highly acclaimed redesign after being named the region’s ‘Best Golf Course’ at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Property Awards. In November 2014 The Els Club Teluk Datai was then voted the ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ at the inaugural World Golf Awards, part of the World Travel Awards – known as The Oscars of the travel industry – which celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism, world class courses and golf destinations. In 2016 it became the first golf course in the Ernie Els Design portfolio to feature on Golf Digest magazine’s prestigious ‘Top-100 Courses in the World’ list.
The Els Club Desaru Coast (above)
Voted ‘Best New Course in Asia Pacific’ at the 2017 Asian Golf Awards. Voted Malaysia’s Best Golf Course at the 2022 World Golf Awards. Also a Silver Award of Excellence for Best Course in Malaysia and Bronze Award of Excellence for Best Clubhouse in Asia Pacific at the 2022 Asian Golf Awards. Hosts back-to-back events on the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Tour in 2023.
Hoakalei (above)
Wins ‘Best New Golf Course in the US’ at the 2010 Americas Property Awards in association with Bloomberg Television (formerly known as the CNBC Property Awards). This makes it four years in a row that Ernie Els Design has been recognized at this prestigious annual awards ceremony. Hosts US Open sectional qualifier 2010. Voted one of the ‘Best New Courses of 2009’ by Links magazine in the US.
Oubaai (above)
Voted ‘Best Golf Resort in South Africa’ at CNBC African Property Awards 2007. Hosts Vodacom Business Origins of Golf grand finale 2010. Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort & Spa is named Luxury Golf Resort of the world at the 2012 World Luxury Hotel Awards.
Wentworth West Course (above)
Highly acclaimed renovation and modernisation project by Ernie Els Design on one of the UK’s finest inland courses, host every year to the DP World Tour’s flagship tournament the BMW PGA Championship.
Whiskey Creek (above)
Ernie’s first venture into golf course design is nominated in Golf Magazine’s ‘Top-5 Best New Places You Can Play’.
Other Awards
Ernie receives ‘Honorary Award’ at 2014’s prestigious IAGTO, the official annual awards ceremony for the golf tourism industry.
Ernie is awarded the Old Tom Morris Award in 2018 from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Ernie is voted Golf Course Designer of the Year at the 2015 World Golf Awards.
Two members of the Ernie Design team, Greg Letsche and Thad Bell, are proud to be members of the prestigious American Society of Golf Course Architects.
