In Andalusia there are more than a hundred golf courses that use reclaimed water for irrigation, that is, water not suitable for human consumption, as long as they have access to them. Thus, according to the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, more than 80 percent of the golf courses in the region use non-potable reclaimed water for irrigation, making Andalusia a benchmark in this field. The region has been leading the golf sector internationally for years. The region leads the European ranking in terms of international golf tourism, with more than 730,000 visitors who, according to data from the General Secretariat of Tourism of the Andalusian Regional Government, come to the region every year with the main motivation of playing golf, attracted by its unbeatable climate and its great golfing tradition.
Decades ago, more than 100 golf courses in Andalusia generated a powerful industry that, according to a study prepared by IE University on golf as a catalyst for economic activity in Spain, has been generating a strong industry for decades. – 2.2 billion per year and more than 52,000 jobs, if we consider the economic impact of this project as a whole. are considered direct, indirect and induced effects. In order to understand the magnitude of the golf sector within the Andalusian tourism industry, it should be noted that, according to recent data from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Regional Government of Andalusia, in terms of employment, in Andalusia there is a total of 447,500 employed in tourism activities.
But beyond these data, and in the current context of drought, the predominant role that Andalusian golf has as a sustainable industry stands out, placing it as an international benchmark, also in terms of reuse of water resources and efficiency of every drop of water.
“At present we can affirm that golf courses represent only 0.3 percent of the total irrigated area in Andalusia and that 80 percent of this irrigation is already carried out with recycled water. 80 percent of this irrigation is already carried out with recycled water.. Golf, therefore, does not compete for the use of potable or conventional water. What it does is convert water that has already been used by the population into a powerful generator of wealth and employment”, declares Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.
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Data support the profitability and efficiency of golf in Andalusia
In comparison, with the 1.1 million hectares of irrigated agricultural land in Andalusia, golf only irrigates 3,500, of which 80 percent uses recycled water. With the allocations included in the Andalusian Hydrological Plans, which have been published at the beginning of the year 2023, the income per cubic meter of irrigation used in golf exceeds the income of any other crop being, therefore, golf the most profitable crop of all .
This happens because, if the sum of the Andalusian golf courses invoices approximately 220 million euros per year, it is the golf tourism generated by the Andalusian golf courses that contributes much higher income to the Andalusian economy, since 9 out of every 10 euros of the golf tourist’s expenditure is destined to companies other than golf courses. In this sense, the direct income from golf and golf tourism activity for Andalusia amounts to 2,200 million euros per year, which means an approximate profitability of 35 to 40 euros per cubic meter of water used, of which, again, most of it is regenerated water.
The total value of agricultural production in Spain exclusively from irrigated agriculture is 32 billion euros, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The total volume of water used in Spanish irrigation amounts to 15,500 cubic hectometers, which results in an average income of 2 euros per cubic meter of water. The sum of the direct, indirect and induced impacts, raises this ratio to around 4 to 5 euros per cubic meter, depending on climatic conditions and prices each year.
From the comparison of the global income obtained from golf and golf tourism and the global income derived from agricultural activity, the conclusion is the very high profitability of golf cultivation, which translates, once again, into a greater generation of employment per volume of water used.
Regarding the origin of the water used to irrigate Andalusian golf courses, a study prepared by the University of Malaga in 2017, states that 81 percent of the courses on the Costa del Sol -where the highest concentration of courses in Andalusia is located- use regenerated water for irrigation. It is important to note that those fields that do not use reclaimed water do not have access to it, with the lack of these canalizations being the cause.
If in the 80s of the last century the percentage of reclaimed water use was zero and today it amounts to 80 percent, the sector wants to reach 100 percent as soon as possible, for which public investment in reclaimed water pipelines from the treatment plants to all golf courses is necessary.
This figure is, logically, lower if it is taken to the national level, which includes regions in the north of the country where, a priori, irrigation with reclaimed water is not necessary, due to its higher rainfall rate. Thus, according to a study prepared by the Royal Spanish Golf Course Federation and the Spanish Golf Course Association, 57 percent of Spanish golf courses reuse water for irrigation, with Andalusia being the region with the highest consumption of reclaimed water.
On the Costa del Sol, golf courses – despite being irrigated mostly with reclaimed water – consume barely 10 percent of the total amount of water treated by Acosol (Public Company for Water Management of the Association of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol). The surplus treated water, which is currently returned to the sea in conditions of quality, flow, distance from the coast and depth that allow its total dilution in the environment, could be used for other purposes, such as irrigation of certain types of agricultural crops, for which connection works to treatment plants are already being prepared.
It should be noted that the Andalusian golf sector has been working and researching for more than thirty years to implement not only intelligent irrigation systems to optimize the use of water to the maximum, but also new types of grass that are more efficient in terms of water needs, that is, varieties that, in addition to requiring less water, allow irrigation with higher doses of salinity, so as to be suitable for the use of regenerated and non-drinking water.
For example, the Bermuda 328 and Bermuda 419 varieties, which were introduced in Andalusian fields in the 1990s, have the main characteristic of saving 50 percent in water consumption for their maintenance compared to native varieties from northern Europe (Agrostis or Rygrass). Today, the fields continue to research new species of grasses that further reduce water consumption and
better withstand extreme weather conditions and water quality.
“The trend, desire and commitment of golf is to continue to grow in this area, and to be a reference, also for other sectors of society, as far as the reuse of water resources is concerned,” concluded the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.
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