Returning to
Golf del Sur
Golf del Sur played a central role in the International Pairs story as host venue of the 2024 World Final, welcoming players from across the globe for an unforgettable week of international competition.
In 2026, the course returns to the world stage as the official host of the Ryder Experience — an exclusive Ryder Cup-style team competition taking place alongside the International Pairs World Final.
We sat down with the team at Golf del Sur to reflect on the success of 2024, explore what makes the course ideally suited to the Ryder Experience, and give players an insight into the atmosphere, strategy and challenge they can expect in October 2026.
2026 Quick Facts
Confirmed World Final week in Tenerife, Spain.
Host venue for the Ryder Experience and World Final Competition.
New greens designed by Ryder Cup legend Manuel Piñero.
Team-style competition with Ryder Cup-inspired atmosphere.
Golf del Sur
Speaks.
Golf del Sur hosted the International Pairs World Final in 2024. What are your strongest memories from that event and from welcoming players from around the world?
The most vivid memory is the international energy that filled the club throughout the entire week. Seeing players from different continents sharing the same putting green, exchanging experiences and discovering Tenerife’s volcanic landscape was something special.
There was a genuine sense of community: rivals on the course, but united by a passion for golf. The final, played with the Atlantic and Mount Teide as a backdrop, left an image that both the players and our team will remember for years to come.
What did hosting the 2024 World Final mean to Golf del Sur and the wider golf community in Tenerife?
It meant reclaiming an important part of our identity. Golf del Sur was once a host venue on the European Tour, so staging major competitions is part of our history. The 2024 World Final confirmed that we are once again ready for golf at the highest level and that we want to recover that competitive character.
For Tenerife, it reinforced its position as a top-tier golf destination in Europe — especially in winter — with an impact that went beyond the course: hospitality, restaurants and local tourism all felt it, and many players expressed their wish to return.
What makes Golf del Sur particularly well suited to a Ryder Cup-style team competition?
Its design favours the matchplay format. There are holes that invite bold strategies and others where caution pays off, creating the kind of tactical decisions that define team golf.
The stable climate allows play in consistent conditions, and the surroundings — with natural areas of volcanic rock and native vegetation — create a visually striking setting that adds tension and excitement to every match.
“The final, played with the Atlantic and Mount Teide as a backdrop, left an image that both the players and our team will remember for years to come.”
Golf del Sur · Tenerife, Spain
The Course
Speaks.
How does the character of the course encourage strategy, teamwork and momentum — three important elements in matchplay and team golf?
The layout forces pairs to plan together: where to attack, where to protect. There are stretches where a good run can completely change the course of a match, rewarding momentum.
The variety of holes — some where power rules and others where precision is decisive — allows each member of the team to bring their strengths, reinforcing how well they complement one another.
Which holes do you believe will create the biggest turning points during the Ryder Experience, and why?
The wind will be a decisive factor. At Golf del Sur conditions can change throughout the day, and reading it well — and adjusting the pair’s strategy accordingly — will make the difference in the closest matches. The same hole can play completely differently depending on the direction and strength of the wind, adding a tactical layer that is very much part of matchplay.
On top of this come the new greens that will be completed in time for the October tournament: holes 3, 6 and 7. The new shaping will completely change how they are approached, and most especially the new lake on hole 7, which will come fully into play and force pairs to decide between taking a risk or playing it safe.
There is a detail that makes these holes even more fascinating: these greens were designed by Manuel Piñero, who will also be captain of one of the teams. That means he knows every contour, every slope and every decision he called for when designing them — a knowledge of the terrain he will no doubt try to use to his team’s advantage. It is precisely on these holes — where the wind, the water and a new shaping all combine, bearing the signature of one of the captains — that many of the matches will be decided.
A Course
Reborn
Golf del Sur recently undertook a major renovation with Manuel Piñero — Ryder Cup legend and one of the official Ryder Experience captains for 2026.
The renovation has focused especially on new greens — starting with holes 3, 6 and 7, where the new shaping and the new lake on the 7th completely change the character of play.
But the ambition goes beyond a simple upgrade: Golf del Sur was once a European Tour host venue, and with this renovation the club aims to recover that competitive character — a project designed to mark a before and after for golf in Tenerife, while always preserving the Canarian identity and the volcanic landscape that make it unique.
What Makes It
Special
Matchplay Design
Bold holes alongside tactical ones — the layout rewards both aggression and precision, exactly what team matchplay demands.
Piñero’s Touch
New greens on holes 3, 6 & 7 designed by Manuel Piñero — including the dramatic new lake on 7 that will force crucial decisions under pressure.
Atlantic Setting
Volcanic landscape, Atlantic coastline and the ever-present backdrop of Mount Teide — an environment that adds genuine drama to every shot.
Tenerife Awaits
How important are international events such as the World Final and Ryder Experience in showcasing Golf del Sur and Tenerife to a global audience?
They are fundamental. These events place Golf del Sur and Tenerife on the world golf stage, attracting players and fans who perhaps did not know the island as a golf destination. For us they carry added value: having already been a European Tour host venue, they are the route to recovering that competitive role and demonstrating the level of the course following the renovation.
Each competition consolidates Tenerife as one of the great references for European winter golf, with a climate that allows play in optimal conditions all year round.
For players visiting Tenerife for the first time, what should they make time to experience away from the golf course?
Mount Teide is a must: the highest peak in Spain and a volcanic landscape you won’t find at any other golf destination. I’d also recommend enjoying the local cuisine — fresh fish, papas arrugadas with mojo and the Canarian wines, many grown in volcanic soil — exploring the southern villages and setting aside a day for the coast and the Atlantic.
Tenerife combines nature, culture, great food and an exceptional climate, and that is part of what makes coming here to compete so special.
What message would you like to share with the players preparing to take part in the 2026 Ryder Experience at Golf del Sur?
Come ready to compete, but also to enjoy. You’ll find a renovated course, demanding and fair, with new greens designed by Manuel Piñero that will test your strategy and your teamwork. You’re also looking at a project with the ambition to mark a before and after for golf in Tenerife: a course that was once a European Tour host venue and that wants to recover that competitive character.
But beyond the golf, you’ll experience an unforgettable week in a spectacular setting, with Canarian hospitality flying high. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms.
“Come ready to compete, but also to enjoy. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms.”
Golf del Sur · Tenerife, Spain · 2026 Ryder Experience Host
Your Race to
Tenerife
Starts Now.
The 2026 Ryder Experience takes place at Golf del Sur, 5–9 October. Enter as a single player or pair — no qualification required. Be part of the team, the atmosphere, and the course that’s ready for the world stage.
