n celebration of World Environment Day 2025, Quinta do Lago is highlighting an environmental initiative that combines its golf course maintenance with sustainable agriculture.
The initiative underlines the Portuguese sports and lifestyle resort’s commitment to ecological stewardship through the collaboration between its three 18-hole championship golf courses – the North Course, South Course and Laranjal Course – and QFarm, its on-site organic garden.
At the heart of the programme is the removal of invasive acacia species from the golf courses. Though native to Australia, acacias have spread aggressively in Portugal, displacing native vegetation, disrupting biodiversity and altering local ecosystems. In response, Quinta do Lago’s greenkeeping team has taken action to restore ecological balance by conducting targeted removal of these invasive plants.
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Rather than discarding the uprooted plants, the acacia biomass is recycled by QFarm and repurposed through a sustainable mulching process. The shredded plant material is spread across agricultural beds, providing a natural ground cover which enhances soil health and organic matter, conserves moisture and reduces the need for irrigation, regulates soil temperature and suppresses weed growth.
Bean shells and spent coffee grounds from Q Coffee – a new coffee brand launched at the resort this year – are also transformed into compost to fertilise and enrich QFarm.
This circular approach not only reduces environmental waste but transforms a problem into a solution, supporting the growth of fresh, local produce served across Quinta do Lago’s restaurants.
The details
This initiative reflects the resort’s alignment with international environmental best practices, reinforcing its role as a leader in sustainable golf tourism. By integrating landscape management with regenerative agriculture, Quinta do Lago sets a powerful example of how resorts can balance world-class amenities with eco-conscious innovation.
All courses at the resort are GEO Certified having achieved the most widely regarded and credible sustainability distinction in golf. The international certification ensures Quinta do Lago is successfully meeting the industry-standard best practices and demonstrating a commitment to make sustainability of central importance.
QFarm now produces more than 5,500 kilograms of seasonal vegetables each year for use in the resorts restaurants, while other initiatives include the use of electric machinery, recycling programmes, wildlife surveys and protection of species such as owls, and solar water heating programmes.
On this World Environment Day (June 5), Quinta do Lago invites guests and partners to celebrate the possibilities of sustainability - not just as a concept, but as a practice in action.