Golf courses account for 6.77% of Paphos’ total water irrigation needs, Phileleftheros reported on Monday.
It said that in 2018, Paphos needed around 12 million cubic metres of water to cover its irrigation needs of which 1,770.500 were for golf courses.
The water needed for the district’s golf courses is almost the same as the capacity of Mavrokolymbos dam, Paphos’ third largest dam, Phileleftheros writes.
Currently there are four golf courses in Paphos: Secret Valley uses 570,000 cubic metres of water, Aphrodite Hills uses 515,000 cubic metres, Elea Estate uses 300,000 cubic metres and Minthis Hills uses 385,000. An additional 157,500 cubic metres go towards the green spaces of the courses.
Paphos is the only district with golf courses in the country.
However, according to Phileleftheros, the government has decided to support the construction of 14 additional golf courses all over Cyprus.
After abundant rains this winter, with a number of dams overflowing, the Agriculture Ministry has decided to satisfy farmers’ demands for irrigation, the newspaper said.
It said that dams are well-stocked and even if there is no rain this winter, there is enough water in the dams until next summer.
Last summer, with water in the dams at dangerously low levels, the government slashed irrigation water supply by 30%. Golf courses were also supplied with less water.
