We are pleased to share with you an article written by Petra Himmel, journalist and Founder of Golf Sustainable, who visited Bagnaia at the beginning of December. Very impressed by the quality of our course however more interested in our water conservation methods and distribution of irrigation throughout the year. She wrote:

“The water becomes more expensive, and it becomes less. The energy to run the pumps is becoming increasingly expensive, and climate experts agree that heat waves and droughts like those in Italy over the past two years will be more frequent in the future. The circumstances for operating a golf course are changing”.

Petra then continues speaking of Bagnaia:

“At Royal Golf La Bagnaia near Siena, it’s early December as we talk to General Manager Martin Shaw about water management and grass. The view from the clubhouse is of Robert Trent Jones Jr’s excellent 18-hole course, which opened in 2011 and was laid out with Bermuda grass from the start. Between the holes, you can see the five lush lakes where the rainwater is collected in winter. (…) An on-site spring is available for emergencies, and the head greenkeeper keeps water consumption low anyway, thanks to constant moisture measurements. Irrigation is adjusted daily, and the course has coped recognizably well with heat and drought.”

To read the complete article and the interview with our Director Martin Shaw, click here