The Generalitat de Catalunya has rejected the construction of the third golf course claimed by the organization of the Ryder Cup tournament to bring the 2031 edition to the facilities of the Camiral Golf and Wellness complex, previously known as PGA Catalunya, which leaves in the air the celebration of this sporting event. The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, argued the refusal to build another golf course due to the context of drought and environmental crisis: "We must preserve the territory and water resources more than ever".
Sources close to the project regretted yesterday that, after so many months of work and negotiation, the Generalitat is preventing the construction of this field and endangering the location of the Ryder. The same sources indicated that, next week, representatives of the Ryder Cup organization will visit the facilities and that they will explore all the possibilities in order not to miss what is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of golf, and which pits teams from Europe and the United States against each other every two years. The position of the promoters of the candidacy is to keep open the conversations that are necessary to take the event forward in the two fields that already exist in Caldes de Malavella (Selva).
The refusal of the Generalitat takes place two months after the presentation of the project by its promoters. The document, they explain, provides for the construction of this third field, a Club House and accommodation for the athletes, as claimed by the organizers of the Ryder Cup; no other urbanization.
However, the Government's reason has to do with the conviction that there are already enough golf courses in Catalonia and with the current context of drought. A few months ago, the administration pointed out an alleged urban planning project with a hotel or apartments with 12,000 square meters of roof space, although the spokesperson for the promoters of the candidacy assures that the only plan presented to the Generalitat and entered in the register it does not provide for the construction of any urbanization.
The same sources reiterate that this third field was required by the organization of the tournament in view of the absence in Catalonia of another that fits its technical requirements.
Now, the next step is to wait for the response from those responsible for the Ryder Cup to know if they open the door to the possibility of continuing with the fields that are there, before another location is considered. At the moment they have agreed to meet with the promoters of the competition in Catalonia to explore all possible options.
In any case, the project insists that all investment will be private and adapted to environmental standards. They also remind that the candidacy has "the support of the Government of Spain, the Spanish and Catalan golf federations or the deputations of Barcelona and Girona".
The economic sectors of Girona have expressed themselves since the beginning of the project in its favor and have highlighted the impact in areas such as the hospitality industry or the restoration of an event that attracts thousands of spectators to attend this event international sports
At the beginning of June, around twenty economic, social and sporting entities showed their support for the Costa Brava-Barcelona candidacy in an event at Foment del Treball. In a manifesto they emphasized that the economic impact of this competition amounts to 1,300 million euros. "We demand the support of the Generalitat so that it fulfills its word and closes the candidacy", said the manifesto. Two months later, the refusal to this third golf course is official.
