LA HACIENDA LINKS BLAZES SUSTAINABLE TRAIL FOR EUROPEAN GOLF RESORTS

La Hacienda Links Golf Resort is at the forefront of Spanish golf’s drive to preserve the environment after implementing a wide-reaching programme of initiatives to boost the resort’s sustainable credentials and reduce its eco-footprint.

Aligned with its long-term commitment to sustainability, the 36-hole resort in the Costa del Sol has invested across its golf facilities in solutions designed to tackle the most important green issues faced by global golf venues, with upgrades including a major overhaul of its water and energy consumption which has helped to reduce its water usage by 20 per cent.

A key focus for La Hacienda has been the irrigation of its two 18-hole golf courses – the Links and the Heathland – and keeping them in pristine condition all-year round.

Golfers are already enjoying the benefits of putting surfaces which have been updated with Bermuda grass, which is highly resistant to drought and disease – meaning the demand for water and chemicals is drastically lower than the previous putting surfaces, while also offering high-quality playability. In addition, more than five hectares of non-essential irrigation has been eliminated and replaced by the planting of 200,000 drought-resistant mastic trees – which also serve as an important habitat for native biodiversity.

The remaining irrigation has been refined with the implementation of Rain Bird’s CirrusPRO system. Allowing course managers to monitor and adjust more than 1,200 sprinklers across the property to ensure that water usage does not exceed the necessary amount demanded by that day’s weather, the introduction of the system has had an instant impact and yielded water savings of 20 per cent.

The renovated greens, along with the rest of the courses, are now maintained with hybrid machinery as opposed to traditional mowers. These units are equipped with electric cutters which, as well as operating without carbon emissions or the risk of oil leaks, are able to trim grass more efficiently and precisely than their non-electric counterparts.

Meanwhile, La Hacienda’s maintenance team has carried out a comprehensive refurbishment of the pumping station, which has significantly reduced electricity consumption and CO2 emissions. The renovation is another example of the venue’s dedication to only using sufficient resources to meet each day’s demand, eliminating waste and optimising operability.

Taking advantage of the Costa del Sol’s sunny climate, La Hacienda has installed solar panels in the resort’s golf car park as a source of renewable energy. In addition, La Hacienda’s acclaimed halfway house – crowned as the world’s best at the 2024 World Golf Awards – has been built using the finest and most sustainable materials available, while future plans to promote a cleaner environment include the resort eliminating the use of plastic bottles by installing water fountains across the property to ensure guests stay hydrated while playing the golf courses.

Javier Jimenez Casquet, director general at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, said: “We believe that to be truly effective, sustainability cannot simply be a side project segregated from the rest of a resort’s operations. It must be built into every aspect of a venue, like when we constructed our halfway house.

“Every member of the team is working hard every day to achieve our sustainability goals, and it has been wonderful to see not only our staff, but our guests as well, doing their part to pave the way for a more sustainable future at La Hacienda Links. We are so proud of this beautiful part of Spain that we call home, and we want to preserve it for the next generation and every generation to come.”

La Hacienda Links Golf Resort has risen to the upper echelons of European golf in recent years thanks to significant investment in facilities both on and off its two 18-hole courses. The venue’s international reputation has never been stronger, boosted by the opening of the five-star Fairmont La Hacienda hotel earlier this year.

Between 2022-2025, the resort has added a new clubhouse and dining facilities, new halfway house, beach club and real estate, while La Hacienda will further enhance its status in Spanish golf when it hosts the finale of the 2025 Santander Golf Tour this autumn.