- Solheim Cup venue demonstrates high standards across key sustainable golf themes and action areas
Finca Cortesin, host venue of the 2023 Solheim Cup, has further demonstrated strong commitment and performance in sustainability by achieving the third party verified, GEO Certified® label for sustainable golf.
Since opening in 2006, the venue has developed world-class facilities and a championship golf course that complement the area’s local culture, landscape and ecology. Spanning over 240 hectares, Finca Cortesin continues to place great emphasis on the preservation of its property through sustainable turfgrass management.
Employing a combination of cultural and mechanical practices, the resort maintains impeccably healthy and resilient playing surfaces, capable of withstanding droughts and diseases, having installed Bermudagrass on the greens in 2016. This has since helped the resort to reduce on-course water consumption by 30%.
Pioneering water management practices have also become a hallmark of Finca Cortesin’s commitment to environmental stewardship. By using 100% recycled water from the nearby village of Manilva, the resort was awarded ACOSOL’s seal of quality for recycled water management in May 2022, making it the first golf course in Spain to receive this accolade.
Vicente Rubio, President of Finca Cortesin, said: “Our GEO Certification stands as a resounding testament to Finca Cortesin’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. At every step, our resort prioritizes the preservation of the environment and the well-being of our planet. We approach each decision with a profound respect for nature, recognizing that our actions today shape the future of our ecosystem. Our dedication to sustainability permeates every aspect of our operations, from naturalization efforts that foster native habitats to meticulous turfgrass management practices that prioritize water conservation.”
Suzann Pettersen, European Solheim Cup Team Captain, and a Sustainable Golf Champion, reinforced the significance of this to the event and to golf in general: “It is so important that golf’s major venues and events are leading sustainability efforts to reduce negative impacts and maximise positives for the environment and communities. Personally, I recognize the role golfers and golfing events play so to see Finca Cortesin being recognised at the forefront of action and providing solutions to these, and other related issues is the right thing to do, very encouraging and setting a great example for other future Solheim Cup venues.”
Speaking about Finca Cortesin’s commitment to sustainability, Carole Kerrey, Credibility Manager at GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, said: “We are thrilled that Finca Cortesin is flying the flag for sustainable golf. Over recent months they have worked hard on the process, providing so much data, representing so many best practices, and with some fantastic strategic projects and highlights. The accredited third-party verifier was very impressed by what they have achieved since opening, and their plans for the future. To see a resort that operates at the highest level do the same for sustainability is a real example of what can be achieved at venues like this across the world.”
Highlighting the sustainable and environmental work that tournaments and venues do is part of the LET’s initiative Celebrating the Green, Presented by Dow which aims to recognise and celebrate the sustainability activity – environmental, human, social and economic – stemming from players, partners, tournaments and venues.
Beyond the golf course, Finca Cortesin has established a range of exciting initiatives including the creation of beehives to support vital pollination; offering guests the opportunity to try honey produced from the colonies.
Furthermore, Finca Cortesin also recognizes its role and responsibility in supporting the local community, extending a significant programme of social benefits above and beyond the valuable, skilled employment the facility provides.
Notable collaborations including partnerships with Malaga University, providing educational programmes, and internships for unemployed individuals through a relationship with City Hall. Additionally, the resort actively supports organizations like Katrama, dedicated to raising funds for Saharan children living in Casares.
