Choose Mallorca, Play green.
Beyond the green, Mallorca’s golf courses are European leaders in water sustainability.
When you choose Mallorca to play golf, your game has an impact that goes far beyond the green. Here, sport, nature and technology come together in a pioneering European model, where every stroke helps return water to the land, protect biodiversity, and strengthen the island’s future.
A cycle that turns waste into resources
In the Balearic Islands, a distinction is made between treated wastewater and reclaimed water. The first refers to wastewater that, after passing through a treatment plant, can be safely returned to the environment. The second undergoes additional processes to make it suitable for new uses, such as irrigation. Talking about reclaimed water therefore means talking about reuse.
In Mallorca, reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants (EDAR) is used in three main areas: agricultural irrigation, golf course maintenance, and urban uses, including watering parks and gardens or cleaning streets. Within this system, 100% of the island’s golf courses irrigate their facilities exclusively with reclaimed wastewater. This way, they do not use drinking water or extract resources from aquifers, making them part of the solution to water scarcity.
The cycle begins with the collection of rainwater and household wastewater, which is channeled to treatment plants. There, it undergoes purification: part is returned to the sea under safe conditions, avoiding pollution, while another part is transformed into reclaimed water used for irrigating golf courses. This reduces pressure on aquifers and makes use of a resource that would otherwise be lost.
This system turns waste into a resource: the water used in homes is treated, regenerated, and returned to the environment in better condition. Every year, more than 100 million m³ of water are treated in Mallorca. A large part is discharged into the sea, but golf courses reuse nearly 9 hm³ (exactly 8.94), which accounts for 94.5% of all the water they consume.
Two decades of environmental commitment
Balearic golf did not begin its sustainability journey yesterday. Since the early 2000s, the island’s courses were pioneers in obtaining environmental certifications such as ISO 14001 and EMAS, which require continuous improvement. Since then, new measures have been added every year to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, and manage resources more responsibly.
Among the most notable initiatives:
- Installation of solar panels for self-consumption.
- Replacement of conventional machinery with hybrid or electric equipment.
- Renewal of lighting with LED systems.
- Smart and sectorized irrigation with more efficient pumps.
- Progressive elimination of single-use plastics, even ahead of regulation.
- Selective and controlled waste management, including hazardous waste.
- Maximum reduction of chemical use on turf, replaced with organic fertilizers and biological solutions for pest control.
Beyond water: biodiversity and circularity
Golf courses don’t just return water. Maintaining native vegetation and Mediterranean habitats reduces water consumption and turns these facilities into biodiversity reservoirs for flora and fauna. In fact, many clubs publish guides and materials to showcase the species that live on the courses.
The big challenge for the future lies in circularity: making the most of every resource, reusing and repurposing materials, and transforming them into new raw materials for the courses themselves or the local economy. The other major challenge is decarbonization. It is estimated that around 70% of a golf course’s emissions come from electricity consumption. Reducing or eliminating these through renewable energy and self-consumption is already a strategic priority.
Choose Mallorca, play for sustainability
Mallorca Golf Island is now a European benchmark in sustainability applied to sport. Choosing the island to play golf means participating in a model that reuses water, protects biodiversity, promotes circularity, and adds value to the economy and the local community.
The commitment of each and every golf course in our Community, together with the Balearic Golf Federation and the Association of Golf Courses of Mallorca, is beyond doubt.
Choose Mallorca. Play green.
