The Environment and Golf in Catalonia: Problems and Perspectives

Abstract

This article summarises the environmental aspects of the results of a research project on golf in Catalonia. The first part studies the changes in land use, based on the comparison between present use and that prior to the construction of each course. This is followed by the establishment of a typology of these changes, with the objective of offering an evaluation of landscape. In the second part, the climatic characteristics of the diferents zones in which the courses are located, are analysed, together with the hydric balance and evapotranspiration levels. On the basis of these statistics and those refering to water consumption, it has been possible to estimate the environmental impact of the courses. Evidently, given that the availability of water is the principal determining factor which enables their existence in Mediterranean regions, aspects not only of consumption, but also of sources of supply, have been carefully examined. Finally some basic recommendations are offered, to facilitate the maintenance of existing courses and construction of news ones within environmentally acceptable parameters. These include the use of treated waste water for irrigation, the avoidance of artificial lakes in course design, and the maximum use of Mediterranean landscape elements, with the objective of conserving, as far as possible the natural environment.