Minthis wins the 2020 IAGTO Sustainability Award for Resource Efficiency
Minthis Golf Club is proud to announce another sustainability award, the 2020 IAGTO Sustainability Award for Resource Efficiency. This accolade is the second prestigious sustainability honour that the Golf Club has received this year, after becoming the first course in Cyprus to be awarded with a GEO Certification. This latest award forms part of the prestigious annual IAGTO Awards, the IAGTO Sustainability Awards being a partnership between International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) and non-profit golf sustainability body, GEO Foundation.
Jonathan Smith, GEO Foundation Executive Director, said: “We’d like to congratulate Minthis Resort in Cyprus for winning our resources category this year. The facility has taken several important actions to reduce the amount of water used on the course which included a complete renewal of its irrigation system, collecting rainwater and connecting Minthis to the greywater supply of Paphos town which is now available to irrigate the entire golf course. The resort also makes the most of the natural resources around it with wine, olive oil, honey, fruit and herbs used at the clubhouse restaurant and bar. The clubhouse itself was designed to minimise use of resources through things such as low U-Value insulation walls, solar panels for hot water and LED lights and low-energy lamps combined with sensors and timers. Minthis became the first GEO Certified facility in Cyprus in June 2019.”
Stelios Patsalides, the Minthis Golf General Manager for 22 years, was thrilled to receive the award and commented: “Our eco-friendly, holistic approach and authentic resort philosophy has evolved in the last twenty years from the redesign of the course and clubhouse to preserving nature, resources, involving and supporting the local community. These topics are closest to my heart and this award acknowledges our work and reinforces our commitment to become a leader in Cyprus Golf for sustainability. The dedicated team who support the daily implementation of our sustainability programme is what motivates me and has made the course a success. As well as the onsite team I’d like to personally thank our Golf Course Architect Tom Mackenzie, from Mackenzie & Ebert, who has also recently been honoured as a Sustainable Design Leader by EIGCA.”
The IAGTO Sustainability Award takes into consideration and acknowledges that all building structures at Minthis have been designed to ensure optimal thermal and light performance while sustainable design strategies, such as solar energy harnessing and on-site water treatment, will reduce the energy requirements.
The new and exciting greens upgrade to USGA specification sand greens over summer 2019 and summer 2020 is further enhancing the resort’s efforts. The 007 Creeping Bent Grass, known for its heat-tolerance and enhanced resistance to weed invasion and turf disease, not only provides consistent and quality year-round putting surfaces but also benefits the long-term sustainability of the golf course. In addition, the fairways and rough have previously been completely re-seeded and the cool-season grass was replaced by Bermuda grass, which is more drought tolerant and compatible with the Cypriot climate.
The award praises the onsite water recycling management strategy which includes a reservoir with high-density linings built at the lowest point of the course to collect rainwater, which is pumped into a new irrigation lake, allowing Minthis Golf Club to use its water during the drought-prone summer periods. There are numerous open, concrete storm drains, added as features to the golf course, to harvest as much rainfall as possible and rainwater is also being collected from the clubhouse roof, where it is channelled to the reservoir.
Another major milestone in its sustainability commitment is the investment of over 2 million Euros to connect Minthis to the grey water supply of Paphos to irrigate the entire golf course. An on-site sewage treatment to recycle and reuse the resort’s own grey water will be completed by 2020. The sewage treatment plant considerably adds to the resort’s mindful philosophy of preserving the environment and retaining the distinctive authentic character of Minthis.
For more information about the 2020 IAGTO Sustainability Awards and to download high resolution photos and logos, please visit: www.iagto.com/awards
