Monte Rei will expand with construction of second golf course
A project to build a new 18-hole golf course at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in Vila Nova de Cacela (Vila Real de Santo António) is under public consultation until February 8.
The new golf course is planned to be built to the south of the existing golf course at Monte Rei, in an area between the Serra do Caldeirão mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean.
The plot has been classified as a “golf subunit” in the Sesmarias Urbanisation Plan, which apart from the golf course also foresees the construction of tourist apartments, a golf club which “already exists”, future commercial and service areas and hotel projects which are “currently under consideration,” says the project’s RECAPE – the Environmental Compliance Report of the Execution Project, which aims to verify that the project adheres to the criteria established in the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA).
“With this project, the goal is to increase both the quantity and quality of golf facilities, particularly in the Sotavento Algarvio (Eastern Algarve) region,” says VNC – Vila Nova de Cacela-Promoção Imobiliária e Investimentos Turísticos, the developer behind the project.
At a time when the Algarve’s drought is nearing a “catastrophic level”, the announcement of a new golf course project is certain to turn at least a few heads.
The developer has thus tried to explain in the project’s RECAPE that certain measures are being taken to ensure sustainable water management at the course. The construction of lakes is chief among them.
“Lakes play a significant role on a golf course, not only enhancing its visual appearance but also serving as a water reservoir for irrigation,” the report reads, adding that the lakes will cover an area of “approximately 32,015 square meters, providing a substantial water reserve for irrigation”.
The report also states that the water for irrigation will come from “lakes and dams located upstream of the development and will be supplied by the irrigation pipeline from the Sotavento Algarvio region, providing non-potable water.” It adds that a connection to a future treated wastewater distribution network will also be established.
“Therefore, water from the dams and the irrigation pipeline will directly enter the lakes. From there, it will be pumped to irrigate the golf course,” the developer explains.
Another guarantee made is that “all the surrounding areas of the golf course that will undergo intervention will not be planted with grass. Instead, these areas will be completely replanted with native species, meaning plants that are fully adapted to the local climatic conditions and soils.”
As the developer points out, “native plants require less intensive maintenance, especially in terms of irrigation, which will be more intense only during the installation phase to ensure the success of the plantations.”
More information on the project can be consulted online on the participa.pt portal until February 8, with citizens encouraged to provide their take on the plans until then.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
