Spain’s 2023 Solheim Cup venue seals Sustainability accolade
Finca Cortesín, the 2023 Solheim Cup host venue, has recently announced that it has become the first golf course in Spain to be awarded the Acosol seal of quality for efficient golf course irrigation using regenerated water.
This latest acknowledgement will help Finca Cortesín move closer to its end goal of becoming one of Europe's most sustainable golf destinations by the time it stages the 18th edition of The Solheim Cup in September 2023.
Awarded by Acosol, which is the public water company for the western Costa del Sol region, the seal of quality is highly coveted both nationally and internationally and recognises the exceptional water management methods used at the Spanish Resort, which has already become a leading example for other golf courses in the region, and across Europe, when it comes to this matter.
For over 15 years, Finca Cortesín has ensured the water used on its championship golf course has come entirely from regenerated sources - surpassing Acosol's 50% threshold - and has bolstered this effort more recently with other water management and weather monitoring systems that ensure optimum usage throughout the year.
The assessment process was conducted by measuring Finca Cortesín's golf course irrigation systems against Acosol's outlined standards and requirements for water management, including the resort's consumption of water and the sources from which they were obtained.
Presenting the seal of quality on Acosol's behalf was their CEO, Carlos Cañavate: "It is a great day for Finca Cortesin and for Acosol, as we work intensely on caring for the environment under the principle of sustainability, and the presentation of this certification to Finca Cortesin is the best example of this, as it recognises the resort for being the first golf course to comply with the technical, dynamic and participatory criteria for the efficient use of recycled water."
Speaking on behalf of Finca Cortesín at the presentation, which had been delayed for a year due to the pandemic, was Managing Director and President, Vicente Rubio Mörch: "Being presented with our certification from Acosol today is a culmination of many years of hard work from the team at the resort and it aptly reflects the positive moves we are making to guarantee our sustainability position, ahead of hosting next year's Solheim Cup.
"Water, and the responsible use of it, forms an important part of this work and is something that I have cared passionately about for a long time. Also becoming a model template for other golf courses to aim for is a remarkable feat that will help generate a wider appreciation for our golf course and its superb, year-round condition."
In its aim to stage the most sustainable Solheim Cup ever held, Finca Cortesín is implementing a range of environmentally friendly initiatives at the resort, such as water management systems and water-resistant grass types; flower and fauna programmes; and other regenerative wildlife practices, with further activity and announcements planned in the build-up to the event next year.
Designed by renowned architect Cabell Robinson, Finca Cortesín's championship golf course will provide the stage for one of the world's biggest sporting spectacles when it hosts The Solheim Cup next year, a tournament that will see the best female golfers from Europe and the USA go head-to-head from 18-24 September.