Portugal’s largest golf course operator continues expansion with management of Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa in Sicily
Portugal’s largest golf course operator, has broken new ground and expanded its presence in the international marketplace after assuming the management of the resort previously called Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa in Italy – the company’s first project outside of Portugal.
Details will be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the 36-hole venue, including strategy, repositioning, marketing, sales and communications expertise.
The addition of Donnafugata to its portfolio further enhances Details’ growing reputation as one of global golf’s fastest-growing companies and takes the total number of golf venues managed by the company to 13, joining the likes of Vilamoura Golf, PGA Aroeira Lisboa, Troia Golf, Monte Rei, Palmares Ocean Living & Golf, San Lorenzo and Vale Pisão.
Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure – said: “The addition of the former Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa to our group of golf venues represents a defining step in our international growth strategy. Expanding beyond Portugal for the first time is not only a landmark moment for our company but also a reflection of the strength and ambition of our platform. By adding such a significant destination to our portfolio, we are reinforcing our position as a leading force in European golf and hospitality, while continuing to elevate the quality and diversity of the 13 venues under our management.”
Situated in Sicily’s historic south-east region, Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa first opened in 2009. Featuring an array of luxury hotel, golf and lifestyle facilities including two 18-hole championship golf courses – the Parkland and the Links – the resort had the honour of hosting the 2011 Sicilian Open but closed in 2020.
Details will manage this new chapter at Donnafugata golf that, targeting a relaunch in 2027, will transform the venue into a premier upscale resort destination combining hospitality and golf into a cohesive, premium offering. As part of this transformation, both 18-hole golf courses will undergo a comprehensive renovation and redesign.
Donnafugata is located at the heart of one of Europe’s richest cultural landscapes. Sicily’s UNESCO-listed towns, acclaimed gastronomy, volcanic scenery and internationally celebrated wine region provide a depth of experience that elevates the proposition beyond just golf alone.
Situated in the municipality of Ragusa, Donnafugata sits alongside Costa Ragusa, a brand-new hospitality destination in the area operated by Mangia’s, one of Italy’s leading hospitality management groups. In 2026, two ultra-premium properties will debut at the site: Costa Ragusa Borgo, a five-star retreat set within a historic borgata, and Costa Ragusa Resort, a five-star luxury beachfront property. Together, these two openings will establish Costa Ragusa as a fully integrated luxury destination ahead of Donnafugata’s golf relaunch in 2027, combining world-class accommodation with two redesigned championship courses in one of Sicily’s most culturally and scenically compelling territories.
The new investment at Donnafugata represents one of the most significant golf resort development in Italy in recent years and the project and reopening of its two courses is set to be transformational for Sicilian golf, moving the island from a limited-venue market to a credible, multi-course destination capable of growing international golf travel by significant amounts.
