Acosol’s general managing director, Carlos Cañavate, and executive managing director, Manuel Cardeña, have awarded the first seal of quality in efficient irrigation using reclaimed water from golf courses at the International Tourism Fair in Madrid.
The presentation, which took place at the stand of Turismo Costa del Sol, was also attended by the Managing Director of the Royal Golf Federation of Spain, Jorge Sagardoy Fidalgo, and the president of the Andalusian Federation, Pablo Mansilla, and the Managing Director of Finca Cortesin, Vicente Rubio, among other representatives of institutions and associations of the golf sector, in addition to the company Xtratega, which has been responsible for developing the protocol to be applied to grant this distinction.
For his part, Carlos Cañavate, Acosol’s CEO, has valued today’s event very positively because “with this distinction we value efficient water management, and in this case, reclaimed water. The fields must comply with a series of requirements that are included in the protocol created by the company Xtratega, which has a simple methodology”. In addition, he stressed that “the 6 phases of which the protocol is composed are based on indicators and criteria made in a technical, dynamic and participatory way, so that the first approaches will be subjected to analysis, comments and verification by the technical area of ACOSOL and will be reviewed and resubmitted until the criteria reach their definition and final version”.
Another important aspect highlighted by Cañavate was “the importance of the involvement of different golf sectors in the elaboration of the criteria, which will include the Royal Spanish and Andalusian Golf Federation and the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers, as well as a reference course, in this case Finca Cortesín, which has served as an evaluation model”.
On the other hand, Manuel Cardeña, Executive Managing Director of Acosol, stated that “Acosol has carried out various actions with the aim of highlighting the use of reclaimed water for irrigation on golf courses and awarding the first seal of quality to Finca Cortesín is a good way to start this journey, as they have been part of the pilot experience for this distinction, and meet all the necessary requirements for it”.
Cardeña also stressed that, “this seal of quality will be a reference in the irrigation of golf courses with reclaimed water, since it is specific for the use of reclaimed water and completes the wide range of existing certificates”.
Another of the protagonists of the day was Vicente Rubio, General Manager of Fica Cortesín, who stated that “we are very proud to be the first golf course on the Costa del Sol to receive this environmental certificate. For us, respect and care for the environment has been and will be one of our main concerns. Together with Acosol we have been irrigating our golf course with 100% reclaimed water since the beginning, more than 15 years ago, and it fills us with satisfaction to be an example for other golf courses of how to maintain a high level course using only reclaimed water”.
Finally, Vicente Rubio added that “now more than ever as host of the Solheim Cup in 2023, our environmental commitment becomes even stronger and more demanding, we are delighted to work together with Acosol so that Finca Cortesin continues to meet the expectations of all golf lovers in a natural environment of high ecological value.”
From now on, the labels will be awarded to the fields that meet the requirements, and then the option will be given for the fields themselves to apply for them.
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