Club de Golf Alcanada in Alcudia, Majorca, has teamed up with Austrian environmental technology company DAS Energy to fit all its buggies with solar panels to reduce the club’s carbon footprint.
Opened in 2003, the 7,107-yard layout is situated on the Balearic island with views of Alcudia Bay and lighthouse from which the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course takes its name.
The DAS Energy solar panels will increase the range of the buggy by up to 35 percent before it needs recharging, while battery life will be extended by up to two years with the lightweight roof additions. The panels are made of high-tech compound materials, giving it a weight of 5.7 kilograms, which means that the buggy’s centre of gravity is not negatively influenced.
Kristoff Both, director of golf at the club, said: “We all need to be more conscious about the environment and it is always at the forefront of our thoughts at Alcanada. DAS Energy is a professional company with a great product and we were keen to get involved with them. We are really pleased with the end result and it was a quick and easy installation process.
“As a club, we have eliminated the use of plastic straws, we will introduce bee hives to unused areas of the course and we will also be installing charging points for electric cars in the near future. They may seem like small changes, but it all adds up and can make a real difference to the bigger picture.
“In Majorca, the law states all golf courses must already use recycled water for irrigation, but we are hoping others will follow our lead and look at some of the other ways to reduce our impact on the environment.”
Alcanada will close from December 2018 to February 2019 to renovate all greens, as part of the club’s €600,000 revamp.