Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate activists have acted in recent hours across several Spanish regions. They targeted up to ten golf courses in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Bizkaia, Navarra, and Ibiza to highlight what they describe as a wasteful use of water during one of the driest periods in memory.
In the early hours, participants sealed course holes with concrete and issued statements underscoring the drought. Messages cited included warnings about water scarcity, the closure of facilities for climate justice, and the idea that water is a shared public good, according to XR sources.
100,000 liters of water per day
Activists pointed to a single hole on each course as a stark example. They argued that one golf hole can require more than 100,000 liters of water daily. They criticized what they call irresponsible water management and the ongoing maintenance of green spaces that serve a small segment of society while the country faces severe drought. Data cited by Ecologistas en Acción underpins their claim about water use for lawn irrigation on golf courses.
An XR spokesperson described the action as a concrete demonstration meant to draw attention to consumption patterns that favor leisure activities for a limited portion of the population while essential water needs go unmet for many others.
XR included a photo caption noting an activist sealing a golf hole in a file image and identified the organization involved. The image served to illustrate the situation rather than provide a full report on any single site.
During the discussion around water use, XR researchers and organizers highlighted that about 437 golf courses receive daily irrigation across Spain. They pointed out that this figure implies a level of water use for entertainment that benefits roughly 0.6% of the population, a share that dwarfs the combined populations of Madrid and Barcelona. The message from the group emphasizes that drinking water, agriculture, and essential consumption must come before luxury sports amenities during a drought.
In their call to action, Extinction Rebellion urged democratic planning for water allocation. They advocate immediate limits on lawn irrigation linked to golf courses and a broader reevaluation of water priorities across local and national planning processes to address ongoing shortages.