IAGTO Sustainability Awards 2020
Cyprus, Spain and Dubai golf venues honoured
Aphrodite Hills Golf Resort, Cyprus: IAGTO Sustainability Award for Outstanding Commitment to Sustainable Golf
“The overall award for outstanding commitment to sustainable golf goes to Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus. The facility achieved GEO Certified status for the first time in July 2019 and has demonstrated high standards and processes in the areas of nature, resources and community. Highlights from the course range from turfgrass selection to reduce water and other inputs, upgrading to hybrid green mowers and plans for the creation of nature trails and hiking paths in the Randidi Gorge and the Randi Forest to encourage resort guests to explore. The club also collects hundreds of bottle caps on a daily basis for a local charity that turns them into wheelchairs for people with disabilities.”
Runner-up: Troia Golf, Portugal
Category winners
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE: IAGTO Sustainability Award for Community Value
“Jumeirah Golf Estates takes first place in the community category for 2020. The facility engages with non-golfing locals in a variety of ways from the UAE National Sports Day and environmental awareness training for employees through to creating walking trails for residents and an annual mass participation yoga event on the 18th fairway. Jumeirah Golf Estates also provides its members and guests with stainless steel reusable water bottles free of charge to help cut plastic that could end up in landfill or the ocean.”
Runner-up: Golf Della Montecchia, Italy
PGA Catalunya Resort, Spain: IAGTO Sustainability Award for Nature Protection
“The multitude of unique activities on offer at GEO Certified PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain helps to provide the resort with a unique identity away from golf. These include bird watching around the lakes; a guided tour of the tree species; beekeeping workshops and capturing, labelling and releasing endangered native turtles. The resort attracts people of all ages to take part and learn new skills. The resort is also home to an ecological garden, five-hectare vineyard and produces its honey from the 18 hives on-site. It’s a multi-functional facility that is delighted to share its natural surroundings with the local community and tourists alike. It’s therefore a worthy winner of the 2020 nature category.”
Runner-up: Terre Blanche, France
Minthis Resort, Cyprus: IAGTO Sustainability Award for Resource Efficiency
“We’d like to congratulate Minthis Resort in Cyprus for winning our resources category this year. The facility has taken several important actions to reduce the amount of water used on the course which included a complete renewal of its irrigation system, collecting rainwater and connecting Minthis to the greywater supply of Paphos town which is now available to irrigate the entire golf course. The resort also makes the most of the natural resources around it with wine, olive oil, honey, fruit and herbs used at the clubhouse restaurant and bar. The clubhouse itself was designed to minimise use of resources through things such as low U-Value insulation walls, solar panels for hot water and LED lights and low-energy lamps combined with sensors and timers.”
Runner-up: Al Mouj Golf, Oman
