GOLF AND WATER

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To mark World Water Day, which takes place this Saturday, March 22, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (RFEG) and the FFAA group, the Spanish Association of Golf Courses (AECG), the Spanish Association of Golf Managers (AEGG), the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers (AEdG) and the PGA of Spain celebrate this day by highlighting the efficient use of water on Spanish golf courses with examples of actions undertaken on some courses.

World Water Day is a date that the golf sector commemorates by highlighting the efficient use of water in Spanish golf courses, as shown in the study carried out by the University of Cádiz (UCA) at the end of 2024, 'Golf and Water. Report on Spanish Golf Courses and their relationship with Water', in addition to highlighting examples of actions undertaken in this regard in some of these courses.

Based on the data obtained from this study, the

Spanish golf courses are a clear example of the use of reclaimed water for the world, since more than half of the water consumed by these golf courses, 59%, comes from unconventional sources: reclaimed and desalinated water, a waste that, in most cases, if not used, is dumped into the sea, thus contributing to the sustainability of the environment.

The report also highlights that golf courses that do not use reclaimed water do so due to a lack of infrastructure for its transport. In this respect, Spain is by far the European country that uses the most reclaimed water to irrigate its golf courses.

In this regard, more than 921% of Spanish golf courses implement practices aimed at reducing water consumption, such as: implementation of smart irrigation technologies, planting of turf varieties that require less irrigation, construction of reservoirs for self-sufficiency in water, etc.

And if we pay attention to the

Water consumption on Spanish golf courses is set at 108 hm3, which

This represents 0.341% of all the water consumed annually in Spain (32,000 hm3). Furthermore, other data from the report reveal that over 751% of the water used by golf courses in the Mediterranean region and islands is reclaimed: 701% for golf courses in southern Spain and the Levante region, a percentage that rises to 801% in the Canary Islands and 961% in the Balearic Islands.

That is why, starting on March 22, World Water Day, through the

Social media profiles of the AECG, the RFEG and PlaySpain.Golf, with the hashtags of

#GolfYAgua #DíaMundialDelAgua #WorldWaterDay #AECGxElAgua #RFEGxElAgua #AEGGxElAgua #AEdGxElAgua #PlaySpainGolfxElAgua #GolfVerde #GolfSostenible #AguaYDeporte #Sostenibilidad, the actions that many golf courses have implemented on their courses for efficient irrigation use will be published, demonstrating, once again, the

The golf sector's commitment to sustainability and efficient water use on Spanish golf courses.

WATER CONSUMPTION DATA IN SPANISH GOLF COURSES

. 59% of Spanish golf courses use reclaimed water for irrigation, while in the United States it is only 21%.

. Spain is by far the country that uses the most reclaimed water in all of Europe to irrigate its golf courses.

. More than 75% of golf courses in the Mediterranean area and islands use reclaimed water: 70% of golf courses in the South of the Peninsula and Levante, a percentage that rises to 80% in the Canary Islands and to 96% in the Balearic Islands.

. The water consumption of all Spanish golf courses is estimated at 108 hm³, representing 0.341% of the total water consumed annually in Spain (32,000 hm³). At the time, the National Water Pact did not take this into account, considering it insignificant compared to the sectoral and national water consumption.

. More than half of the water consumed by golf courses (56%) comes from unconventional resources: reclaimed and desalinated water.

. The 92% golf courses carry out practices aimed at reducing water consumption.

. Each cubic meter of water used for irrigation of golf courses generates an economic return of €147, of which €131 (89%) benefits sectors other than golf.

. The main reason golf courses give for not using reclaimed water is the lack of infrastructure for its transport.