Belas Clube de Campo, located near Sintra in Portugal, has become the first golf facility in the country to be certified for its sustainability by the Golf Environment Organization.

Designed by Rocky Roquemore, Belas has been using innovative sustainable management techniques since it opened in 1998. Pedro Texeira, the resort’s environmental manager, said: “As well as building our profile and international reputation, GEO’s guidance-based programme helped us to understand and develop the environmental actions carried out on our golf course, highlighting sustainability issues and opportunities, and enabling us to identify our needs and future goals.

“Belas understands the ecological value of our site and has embraced the opportunity to present a naturalised golf course. Belas sits comfortably within the local landscape, contributing to the protection, enhancement and function of local ecosystems. Between 2000-2010 our comprehensive woodland management strategy led to the planting of four thousand indigenous trees.”

Developer André Jordan said: “Golf development that works against the environment is costly, time consuming and creates a legacy of resource inefficiency over the long-term.”