On June 23, 1988, a NASA scientist’s testimony significantly expanded global awareness of climate change.
Concurrently, businesses began recognizing environmentalism as a marketable attribute. Coincidentally, this period marked the inception of the term “greenwashing.”
This was important to mention because La Cala Resort claims that sustainability has been important to them for 35 years. Let’s see what they have done for sustainable operation!
With the support of its owners and continued investment, La Cala Resort has been awarded GEO certification in recognition of its environmental and social responsibility.
Ahead of its time in many ways, La Cala Resort made pioneering strides in 1991 by introducing a regenerated water irrigation system on its golf courses via a dedicated pipeline, funded mainly by the FBD Group, that stretches 10km from the resort’s primary lake to the Fuengirola recycling plant.
The benefits are preservation of precious freshwater resources and enhanced long-term water security.
“Spain is a leader in Europe for reusing water and has been a pioneer in regulating water reuse. Unlike other European countries, Spain has had specific regulations governing water reuse since 2007, while no European-wide regulations were in place until 2020.”
The resort is also nearing the end of a five-year project to enhance water efficiency in its irrigation practices by moving from Bent Grass Greens to Bermuda.
Campo America will be the last course to complete the process this autumn, with Campo Asia switching in 2019 and Campo Europa in 2020.
Replacing the tee grass with Bermuda Tahoma 31 has contributed to more water savings, estimated at 20%.
The benefits of this strategic shift are 3-fold:
- First, more water-efficient grass species aid water conservation.
- Second, reduced water consumption means significant cost savings.
- Third, the improved playability of the courses enhances the overall golfer experience.
In 2022, La Cala Resort installed solar panels on the roofs of its maintenance facilities. These now generate 160Kw of clean energy per hour, which benefits the popular clubhouse area.
Encouraged by the initial success, La Cala Resort has extended its solar panel installation efforts to include
- administration offices,
- with future plans, including expanding panels to cover parking spaces and
- implementing energy-efficient LED lighting in hotel rooms and clubhouse areas.
La Cala Resort has already moved from petrol to electric via
- a Jacobsen Eclipse 360 Elite green mower and Smithco Sand Star E bunker rake,
- while 2 robot mowers from Belrobotics are on order,
- along with a driving range ball picker in the quest to reduce carbon emissions and switch further daily operations over to a more sustainable power source.
Reducing turf areas by up to 20% and replacing them with mulch has decreased water usage by a similar figure.
These solutions may not appear entirely new, but following their example and obtaining GEO Certification for your golf club as soon as possible is crucial.