FIlenews 8 November 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Twenty years after the decision of the Council of Ministers (2005) to create 14 golf courses in Cyprus, with the aim of boosting the tourism product and transforming the country into a high-quality destination, the reality looks very different. Only four golf courses are currently in operation, one is under construction and four others remain licensed but have not been built.
At the same time, while government policy explicitly stipulated that "no amount of water shall be provided by government water projects or sewerage systems for the development of golf courses", in practice the vast majority of facilities are irrigated and supplied by government networks and dams.
Despite the drought, in 2024 the Water Development Department (WDD) allocated 400,000 cubic meters of recycled water for the irrigation needs of the five golf courses. This water, according to the Department, is filtered through the aquifer of Ezoussa before being used in Paphos, while in Limassol by the Sewerage Board of Limassol Amathus.
With water scarcity putting pressure on reserves and agricultural production being affected, the continued supply of water to luxury golf facilities raises reasonable questions about the management of water resources, something that is of great concern to the Water Development Department.
The Water Development Department is evaluating the operation of golf courses, in the context of prolonged water scarcity and pressure on water resources. In fact, the possibility of not providing water to golf courses is now being discussed, due to the prevailing situation.
According to WDD data, the five existing or under construction plots (Aphrodite Hills, Secret Valley, Minthis Hills, Elea Estate and Limassol Greens) occupy a total area of 3,133 decares.
Water consumption from 2019 to 2022 amounted to 3.3 million. cubic meters, while in 2023 it decreased to 1.1 million, in 2024 it increased slightly to 1.3 million, and by August 2025 816,000 cubic meters had already been consumed. In total, from 2019 until this year, 6,679,273 cubic meters of water (6,679,273 tons) were consumed for the five golf courses.
The policy adopted in 2005 stipulated that any development could only use reclaimed water from the development itself's tertiary wastewater treatment. However, today most golf courses in Paphos draw water from the Asprokremmos Dam, through the Paphos Great Irrigation Project (MAEP).
Specifically, Aphrodite Hills and Secret Valley are temporarily pumping irrigation water from MAEP, while for water supply they are using water from the Paphos Wider Area KYE in the community of Kouklia. The WDD has granted a temporary supply, until the owners complete projects to upgrade and instal a reclaimed water network.
According to the Water Development Department for Aphrodite Hills and Secret Valley, the existing irrigation water supply from MAEP is done on a temporary basis, until the upgrading works of the plots are completed (for this purpose an extension was given to comply with the Decision of the Y.S. 28/08/13. Also for Secret Valley the ownership and management regime had changed. The owners are expected to install a reclaimed water transport network. In case of interruption of the supply water from MAEP, the reclaimed water transport projects should be completed (installation of a 6 km long pipeline from the Paphos SEL). Alternatively, a borehole could be drilled in the Ezousa aquifer and a 3 km long water pipeline could be installed.
Minthis Hills receives water from the aquifer of Ezousa through MAEP, although the initial license provided for autonomous pumping from a privately owned project. The WDD notes that according to the licensing terms of the project, the irrigation needs would be covered by the owner's projects to pump water from the Ezousa aquifer. However, due to technical difficulties, water is provided by the MAEP pumped from the Ezousa aquifer. Essentially, the water source remains the same, but the way it is transported to the golf course is different.
Elea Estate uses a private borehole within the Ezousa aquifer for irrigation, while for water supply it is supplied by the Asprokremmos refinery.
Limassol Greens, the only one under construction, complies with the licensing terms, using reclaimed water from the Limassol – Amathus SA.
According to data, the four golf courses in Paphos (Aphrodite Hills, Secret Valley, Minthis, Elea), as well as the Limassol Greens course in Limassol had a total irrigation needs of 1.4 million cubic meters of water.
In Aphrodite Hills, for the needs of 533 decares of golf course, 148,893 cubic meters were granted in the period 2019-2022, in 2023 372,840, in 2024 358,904 and until 8/2025 218,425. Secret Valley was granted for 600 decares in the period 2019-2022, 514,520 cubic meters, in 2023 225,600, in 2024 280,400 and until 8/2025 87,880. In Minthis Hills for 300 decares, 741,500 cubic meters were granted in the period 2019-2022, in 2023 175,400, in 2024 181,700 and until 8/2025 109,700. In the period 2019-2022, 1,945,750 cubic meters were granted to Elea Estates for 300 decares, in 2023 376,520, in 2024 396,910 and until 8/2025 195,840. Limassol Greens for 1,400 decares were granted in 2024 144,100 and until 8/2025 204,390.
Compensatory fees and idle permits
In December 2024, the Council of Ministers decided to revoke licenses for golf courses that do not pay the compensation amount of €5 million, as provided for by law. Investors have twelve months to pay off their debts in two instalments, otherwise the planning permits will be cancelled.
The government finds that several investors are holding the licenses with no intention of implementing, while others are waiting for possible changes in policy (such as reducing or abolishing the offsetting amount) before proceeding.
The most substantial decision on the policy of encouraging investment in golf courses was taken on 16/2/2005, with the aim of making Cyprus a high-quality tourist destination. This policy determined the desired number at 14 golf courses, including the existing ones.
With the same decision, incentives for residential or tourist development were granted to support the creation and operation of golf courses, and criteria and conditions were defined, as well as the process of evaluating applications for their creation, such as the possibility of water supply, suitability for the location of the development and course design, urban, spatial and quality criteria, data and documents to be submitted with the application, application study process, measures to ensure the continuous and satisfactory operation of the plots and deadlines for the implementation of the project.
