The Tierra del Sol Golf Course, located on the Caribbean island of Aruba, has reopened following a 13-month renovation.
GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf has led the project on the Robert Trent Jones II-designed course as part of its ‘Sustainable Golf Renovations’ programme. Work has included bunker reduction and reshaping, greens restoration, new irrigation, tee work, and the expansion of nesting habitats for the shoco owl.
The golf course has long been a stronghold for breeding owls, and the recent renovation has increased the number of on-property nesting sites by 80 per cent. “Making this property a better owl habitat was important, but long-term sustainability was at the core of our decision-making process,” said Ashiko Martinus, general manager at Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf.
“We recognised the need to reduce water consumption, improve turf quality and enhance biodiversity across the course. Another key renovation was upgrading our irrigation system for better water efficiency – but we also introduced drought-resistant grass varieties and restored several additional natural habitats to support local wildlife.
“All of these efforts align with our commitment to environmental stewardship and ensuring that the course remains in top condition for generations to come. While the current renovation focused on the course itself, we are also looking at enhancing our other golf facilities, improving practice areas, and hosting special events that highlight the natural beauty of Tierra del Sol.”
Sam Thomas, developments director at GEO, said: “The Foundation has long certified course operations and developments, many of which look to GEO to guide and support them through the process. We see course renovation as a quite natural fit – to foster sustainable course maintenance and operations going forward.
“We believe true ‘sustainability’ relies equally on the protection of the natural environment, the methodical reduction of resource usage, a productive impact on the surrounding community and taking robust and positive climate action. They all work together. We worked with the project team at Tierra del Sol to make sure those foundational elements would be delivered through the renovation process.
“We’re also pleased to announce that, upon reopening, the resort will move into the OnCourse platform, where certification will help drive the further reduction of impacts and realise additional savings going forward. Because sustainability is many things, but it’s not something you finish.”
The Tierra del Sol project team included Green Ball Golf Construction, Arnaud Le Lanchon, general manager of Iberostar Aruba, and Ashiko Martinus, the resort’s general manager.
A key aim of the project has been to reduce the course’s water consumption by 30 per cent, with GEO’s development and renovation project manager Tyler Annan working with the Aruba Conservation Foundation and Aruba Birdlife Conservation to formulate a strategy for the proposed works. GEO created a ‘Sustainable Renovations Roadmap’, identifying the main sustainability issues and prioritising what will meet the resort’s needs.
“Then, as always, it’s in the hands of the project team,” said Annan. “In the end, it’s their project and their expertise that makes it happen. For example, redesigning the bunker edges, making them roll more naturally into the dunes land and native habitats wasn’t a priority of this renovation – not at the start. That was something the team came up with after ground was broken.
“Once professionals get their heads around the tenets of sustainable course construction and design, they end up showing us what’s possible. Not just those of us at GEO, but all the superintendents, designers and course builders who are so active in the sustainable golf community. A good idea made real at Tierra del Sol should help inspire and inform colleagues around the world.”