Salamanca Golf & Country Club has certified the presence of 2,138 mature, georeferenced holm oaks within the Zarapicos course. The Zarapicos holm oaks make up an exceptional natural heritage that turns the Salamanca layout into a national benchmark for blending sport, landscape and environmental conservation.
The study is based on the technical and expert inventory carried out by Ingenieros por Naturaleza as part of the Golforest® Project, led by senior forestry engineer Antonio Cansinos Bajo. The work confirms 2,138 adult trees after applying photogrammetry, remote sensing and on-site checks.
How the Zarapicos holm oaks were counted
Set in the heart of the Salamanca dehesa, the course was designed around the existing terrain and trees. For decades it has lived alongside a unique ecosystem in which the holm oak is the dominant landscape feature and the course’s main hallmark.
The technical report initially identified 2,056 mature holm oaks through photogrammetric analysis. After on-site verification and statistical corrections by the specialists, the number of certified Zarapicos holm oaks rises to 2,138: 1,535 are productive trees and 603 are senescent or low-yield trees.
The Golforest® technical resolution also recognises the certificate issued by the Zalio Association, which validates this exact census, and adds this progress to the programme ahead of the award of the Golforest® seal at the end of the calendar year.
The Zarapicos holm oaks, an environmental asset of great value
Beyond their landscape value, holm oaks play an essential role as carbon sinks, natural temperature regulators, biodiversity reservoirs and shelter for many species of wildlife linked to the dehesa. The study also highlights natural regeneration, which secures the future of this woodland.
Individually georeferencing the Zarapicos holm oaks will allow the club to develop advanced programmes for tree-health monitoring, control of oak decline (la seca), planning of forestry work and conservation of its plant heritage under continuous-improvement criteria.
«The golf course of the 2,138 holm oaks»
Club president Juan María López Álvarez expressed his satisfaction with the work done by Ingenieros por Naturaleza: «With this certification, Zarapicos strengthens its position as one of the golf courses with the greatest ecological and forestry value in Spain, and as an example of how golf and the conservation of the natural environment can coexist». He added: «From now on, Zarapicos will be the Golf Course of the 2,138 holm oaks».
«The holm oaks are not just part of the Zarapicos landscape; they represent our history, our identity and our commitment to sustainability. This natural heritage sets us apart and obliges us to keep working to preserve it for future generations», said López Álvarez.
More information at salamancagolf.com. For more industry news, visit the Andalucía Golf news section.
About Salamanca Golf & Country Club
Salamanca Golf & Country Club runs the Villamayor and Zarapicos courses, as well as its equestrian club. With the certification of the Zarapicos holm oaks, the club adds a complete, georeferenced tree census to its dehesa course.
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