As the golf industry is challenged by some of the most severe obstacles in its history, Lumine Golf Club continues to pursue its strategic objective to create a more sustainable venue by putting measures in place to better protect the environment, support animal infrastructure and apply new measures contributing their efforts to halt climate change.
Located in an eye-catching and unique setting, Lumine is positioned between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of the Costa Daurada, a native forest area renowned for historic landmarks and hiking. Equipped with some of the best facilities for recreation in Spain, including three golf courses, a beach club and multiple restaurants, the resort is certified by a group of environmental agencies, including Golf Environment Organisation (GEO), Audubon International Gold Signature Sanctuary, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
The Golf Club, which includes two Greg Norman-designed courses and is located 100km south of Barcelona, has established itself as one of the most important wetlands in Catalonia, playing host to some of the rarest and most endangered animals in the country – including protected species such as the Spanish Tooth Carp (fish), European and Leper Galapagos (turtle) and the Purple Gallinule (bird).
Already GEO certified, Lumine Golf Club operates an impressive water recycling system. Not only does this feed into the local ‘Waste Management Water Treatment Plant’, utilising 100 per cent of the natural water collected from unused water flow from the towns of Vila-Seca, La Pineda and Salou, it also is repurposed around the resort.
This is made possible by a state of the art de-salination plant that cleans the refuse water for use on the courses, rather than emptying it straight back into the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, this practice has already been used as an example by both the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and ISEAL Alliance in recent reports on global sustainability.
How has Lumine gone the extra mile to support local and global challenges?
In the past 12 months, all Lumine Golf Club decisions have started with an “eco-first” strategy, especially for any purchases or adjustments to the golf course. All new waste bins, golf club washers, welcome podiums and plant pots are made from 100% recycled plastic milk containers and wooden golf tees in the shop have replaced plastic variations.
Lumine is now operating without plastic water bottles, following the installation of new water fountains on-course, and has started selling a range of reusable, insulated bottles from the pro-shop and clubhouses that will see a reduction of around 120,000 plastic bottles per year.
To support with growth of natural plants and the reproduction of wildlife, in the last eight years the greenkeeping team has reduced the irrigation area by 30 per cent, with course coverage dropping from 120 hectares to 85. These areas have now been returned to nature, helping the organic growth of native plants and the repopulation of animal species in the region.
Lumine’s latest ‘eco-first’ purchase, the Smithco Spray Star3180, will continue to align with their environmental strategy as it will help reduce the use of chemicals on the courses by 15%. With the spraying components of the machine functioning via GPS and all the courses mapped out, the vehicle will automatically be able to identify where the greens, bunkers, fairway, tees and rough are situated, therefore allowing the team to target only the specific areas of the course they want to spray with chemicals.
The machine also has the ability to put down chemicals to a precision of 5cm from the edge of the targeted areas, as well as only spraying areas of the course that have previously not been sprayed.
What is next for the Lumine Golf Club?
Thinking environment first, Lumine is setting out to become one of the most sustainable golf courses in the world, with additional projects either underway or in discussion.
Home of the European Tour Final Qualifying Stage and recent winner of Europe’s Best Golf Venue at the World Golf Awards, Lumine prides itself on continuously pushing boundaries and activating “efficient and effective” strategies to improve its reputation and position within the golf industry.
Andy Gordon, Head Golf Professional, recently commented on Lumine’s approach to sustainability: “We, as a resort, have made a continued effort in the past 10 years to improve our methods and processes in creating a world-class golf course, whilst caring and protecting our environment. We believe that there are still ongoing opportunities for us to help protect the local, domestic and global landscape in years to come.”
As health and wellbeing of individuals across the world becomes more important, Lumine Golf Club will provide the perfect landscape for golfers and non-golfers alike to enjoy the outdoors, spending valuable time in picturesque environments with some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet.
For more information on Lumine Golf Club visit www.lumine.com