Spanish golf courses are an example of the use of reclaimed water for the world; more than half of the water consumed by golf courses (56%) comes from non-conventional sources: reclaimed and desalinated water; 92% of golf courses carry out practices aimed at reducing water consumption…
Clear and direct messages, backed by the data collected by Professor Juan Antonio López of the University of Cadiz, were part of the presentation of the “Report on Spanish Golf Courses and their relationship with water”, promoted by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and the Spanish Golf Courses Association, which took place at the headquarters of the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid, a tournament that is itself an example of a sustainable sporting event.
Juan Antonio López, Professor at the University of Cádiz, author of the aforementioned report, revealed during the presentation what is the water consumption of Spanish golf courses; where it comes from; how many use regenerated and desalinated water; the practices carried out by the courses to minimize their consumption; the economic return…
“The golf sector in Spain is very aware of the importance of implementing actions aimed at caring for the environment and reducing water consumption. These are practices that have been carried out for many years and it is necessary to reveal them to Spanish society as a whole,” agreed Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the RFEG, and Luis Nigorra, President of the AECC,
The data contained in the “Report on Spanish Golf Courses and their relationship with water” endorse actions that the golf industry as a whole, to the extent of its possibilities, has been implementing for years, with success stories recognized around the world that affect tourist areas of the importance of the Costa del Sol, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, etc.
. Fifty-nine percent of Spanish golf courses use reclaimed water for irrigation, compared to only 21% in the United States.
. Spain is by far the country that uses the most reclaimed water in Europe to irrigate its golf courses.
. More than 75% of the golf courses in the Mediterranean area and islands use reclaimed water: 70% of the golf courses in the south of the peninsula and Levante, a percentage that rises to 80% in the Canary Islands and 96% in the Balearic Islands.
. The water consumption of all the Spanish golf courses is set at 108 hm3 . 30.34% of all the water consumed in Spain each year (32,000 hm3 ).3). At the time, the National Water Pact did not take it into account because it was insignificant in comparison with what is done either sectorally or globally.
. More than half of the water consumed by golf courses (56%) comes from non-conventional resources: reclaimed and desalinated water.
. 92% of golf courses have practices aimed at reducing water consumption.
. Each cubic meter of water used to irrigate golf courses generates an economic return of €147, of which €131 (89%) benefits sectors other than golf .
. The main reason given by golf courses for not using reclaimed water is the lack of infrastructure for its transport.
During the presentation of the Report, interesting questions arose regarding the implementation of new grass varieties with lower water requirements, irrigation control systems in specific playability areas and the performance of golf courses as natural firebreaks – as was evident once again this summer – thanks to the use made by firefighting aircraft of the lakes, which commonly serve as natural reserves for thousands of birds that migrate through Spain.
Another important issue was to point out that most golf courses (70%) irrigate with reclaimed water that is not suitable for human consumption, which undergoes tertiary biological treatment to be reused in these sports facilities instead of being discharged into aquifers or directly into the sea, with the consequent ecological problem.
The unity of action of the Spanish golf institutions as a whole was evidenced by the participation of Ilona Shekyants, Deputy Assistant Director of Tourism Development and Sustainability of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism; Manuel Cardeña, President of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol; Joaquín Mollinedo, General Director of Institutional Relations, Communication and Branding of ACCIONA; and David Urueña, Sustainability Manager of Madrid Trophy Promotion.
Gonzaga EscauriazaPresident of the RFEG, said that “never in the history of our country had we had a study related to water consumption in golf courses as rigorous and professional as this one. The data and their interpretation are endorsed by the University of Cadiz, an academic center of recognized prestige that gives validity to the interesting conclusions that emerge from this report, which shows the willingness of the Spanish golf industry to be at the forefront of sustainability in this particular aspect. The correct use of water that must be made is part of the obligations of Spanish golf as an integral part of a society that is very sensitive to these issues”.
For his part, Luis Nigorra, President of the Spanish Association of Golf Courses, stressed that “it has become commonplace that when we go through a period of drought in our country, golf courses are unfairly singled out for the use they make of water, even claiming to close them, completely ignoring the reality of the sector and as if this were the solution to the shortage of this precious commodity, which we suffer recurrently. Although our sector has been a pioneer in sustainability for years, it needed an independent document to endorse what it has always boasted: the good management of water resources and the use of reclaimed water”.
In his turn to speak, Manuel Cardeña, president of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol and Acosol,
stated that “from our institution we have been doing hard work for the maintenance, improvement and distribution of reclaimed water between the different municipalities in the region, so collaborating in this report is for us a way to inform and inform the public about the use of reclaimed water, and the use made of it by the golf courses in the area and that in periods of drought, such as the one we are currently suffering, it is even more important to publicize not only the work of Acosol for the regeneration of wastewater, but to show that it is the water used to irrigate the golf courses in the region without causing consumption of drinking water from our supply systems”.
Illona Shekyants, Deputy Assistant Director of Tourism Development and Sustainability of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, said in her speech that “the golf product is sustainable from all aspects, starting with the economic one, since we are talking about an activity that creates wealth not only in the field of golf, but also in other sectors. In addition, it is an activity that deseasonalizes, which allows us to bring people out of season and, in addition, to bet on inland tourism”.
David Urueña, head of sustainability at Madrid Trophy Promotion, delved into the work done to turn the ACCIONA Open de España into a sporting but also environmental reference. “Our goal since 2021 is to leave a positive impact, economically and in terms of sustainability. Hand in hand with ACCIONA, we have been calculating the carbon footprint of the event for four years and offsetting it with other measures. We have planted thousands of trees over the years so that the impact is always positive. This year we also measured and compensated for the water footprint to leave a positive impact in this area as well. The ACCIONA Open de España is the first sporting event in the world to achieve this,” he said.
Joaquín Mollinedo, General Manager of Institutional Relations, Communication and Brand of Acciona, congratulated the golf institutions “for the wisdom of making this excellent report. The problem in this country is with water, not with golf. We aspire to efficient management of these resources, and golf is doing its homework. We need investment in infrastructure, water treatment plants, desalination plants… And at a third level of investment, we need investment in pipeline maintenance. This will be a win-win situation for everyone, not just golf.
Finally, Juan Antonio López, Professor at the University of Cadiz, emphasized that “being prepared to be efficient in the use of water, in an objective and demonstrable way, will minimize the damage caused by droughts and stop society from debating the existence of golf courses. They are part of an industry that generates multiple benefits and usually to sectors that are not directly related to the golf course. Doing it in a sustainable way will remove prejudices, demonstrating it objectively should eliminate them. I encourage the golf industry to start promoting sustainable practices and extend environmental education to other public and private users.
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