Though golf courses offer long acres of lush grass, tall trees and rippling ponds, they’re not the most popular venues among environmentalists. Citing their effect on wildlife and the potential impact on a venue’s water table, those worried about conservation and sustainability find much to dislike on any 18-hole tract.
For more than a decade, 1995 U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin has worked to improve golf’s relationships with the world hosting it. Known as one of the more amiable and self-effacing players on the PGA Tour (and, currently, the Champions Tour), the 64-year-old native of Southern California remains one of the leading proponents of sustainability in golf.
During preparations to play the 2024 Senior PGA Championship at Michigan’s Harbor Shores—a course built on a reclaimed industrial dumping ground in Benton Harbor—Pavin explored what brought him into the sustainability movement and why he continues to push more environmentally responsible golf courses.
Penta : You claimed a Major Championship, won 15 times on the PGA Tour and captained a Ryder Cup team during four decades of professional golf. How did you find an interest in sustainability along the way?
Corey Pavin: I grew up in California, so recycling was always a big deal there before the movement expanded across the United States and around the world. So, I came into golf already aware of the need to recycle and look after the environment.
What brought you into a leadership position working toward environmental sustainability in golf?
I do most of this work due to my association with Dow Chemical. I’ve been with them for 15 years now, and they started a big program for sustainability and recycling. They’ve done a lot to make me aware of what needs to be done and helped me to reduce my own carbon footprint. … I also worked with the nonprofit GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, which is dedicated to making golf and the golf community ecologically friendly.
Have you found there to be tension between the sport of golf and the environmentalist movement?
I knew growing up the environmental effects of golf and golf courses was a huge concern and a cause of a lot of conversation. There were debates over the chemicals used on a course and how they can affect groundwater and other elements.
I think a lot of strides are being made with what materials get used on a golf course with an eye toward what effect they could have on the environment. There’s been a lot of work in the last two decades to make courses less harmful.
What advancements have golf operations made in course design, building, and management?
First of all, there’s been a push for years now with course designers to avoid bringing in any outside species such as grass or other plants that could change the ecology of an area. You’re seeing so many more courses now that use only native elements. There’s also been a lot of strides made on how courses are maintained, what grasses they use, and how the greens crews treat the grasses.
Is it difficult to balance environmental factors with efforts to provide a quality golf course?
You want to design and build a quality course and keep it in good shape, but we have the means now to eliminate negative environmental impact from a golf course being built or operating. For example, concepts such as using recycled, non-potable water for the grass or choosing salt-resistant grasses that can be fed with brackish seawater keep fresh water preserved and entirely off the course.
Beyond water usage, what positive effects can a modern golf course have on the environment?
You also have to consider the adjacent land near a course. The presence of golf near a forest or marshland can lead to an effort to preserve that space that wasn’t a priority earlier.
Are you seeing efforts to update or reimagine golf courses built before the environmental movement came to the fore?
Yes, there are so many modification ideas a golf course can use to limit or reduce the amount of grass that needs to be watered. I’m seeing courses add natural waste areas of plants that require very little water or more sandy areas that require no water at all. Over the last decade, I’ve seen courses all around the world shifting to those designs. Beyond saving water, those ideas also reduce the amount of necessary maintenance and save energy.
Way back when, crews used to just bulldoze everything and transform an area into a course without giving thought of what that could do. Once it became clear that we could build golf courses that can involve more of the natural habitat and disturb much less of the natural environment that was already in place, I think it became obvious there was no reason to design or build courses any other way.
As a player, does it just make you happy seeing these sustainable changes?
I love seeing it, not just because I’m aware of how important clean water is, but because I’ve always liked golf courses that have a natural look to them.
The 2024 Senior PGA Championship was at Harbor Shores this year—a course developed on wetlands reclaimed from an industrial waste site. Could we see golf actually restoring the environment in cases like we find in Benton Harbor, Mich.?
I think that’s a great example of responsible course building and management. Initially, [Harbor Shores] was more a case of recycling and reclamation, but it operates now within those wetlands as a sustainable model. We can see more cases of dump sites becoming courses because you’re dealing with land that can’t really be used for much else. Once the ground is cleaned and treated, I can’t think of any better place to build a golf course because just the act of creating the venue cleans that garbage from the land.
We can now make golf courses that look like they were always supposed to be there from the beginning.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What a quarter-million dollars gets you in the western capital.
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This peninsular region has beaches, mountains and luxury homes at much lower prices than in the popular Cyclades islands
Three peninsulas make up Halkidiki, an 1,130-square-mile area in Greece’s northern Macedonia region. Like a trident, Athos, Sithonia and Kassandra stretch into the Aegean sea.
Of the three, Kassandra “is the most developed part of Halkidiki,” according to Theodor Nikolaou, an agent with Engel & Völkers Greece in Thérmi. “Activity started in the 1970s and ’80s, and just continued, especially in coastal villages.”
While lower-profile and less touristed than Greek islands like Santorini or Mykonos, Kassandra still boasts sought-after restaurants, nightclubs and shops, said Ioanna Paloka, an agent with Savills Greece in Thessaloniki. “People prefer to buy here because of the amenities, the beautiful beaches, and the mixture of commercial and residential development,” she said. Beaches including Polychrono Beach, Hanioti Beach and Pefkochori Beach boast clear waters, soft sand and postcard-perfect coastal scenery.
Boundaries
Kassandra is the westernmost of Halkidiki’s peninsulas, and the most populated. At about 128 square miles, Kassandra descends from Cassandreia, its northernmost city, to the Aegean Sea. Kassandra is also the nearest peninsula to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, and its international airport. “It’s the most accessible part of Halkidiki,” Paloka said.
Seaside locations are most coveted for luxury property, according to Nikolaou. They include the village of Sani, on the west side of Kassandra; Pefkochori, on the peninsula’s east side; and the area around Glarokavos Harbour, just south of Pefkochori. “The combination of sun, the blue of the sea, and the green of pine draws people from around the world,” he said.
Kassandra’s most exclusive locations are Sani, the east-peninsula village of Paliouri, Possidi in the southwest, and Pefkohori, Pakola said.
Thessaloniki is about 60 miles northwest of central Kassandra. Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia, the regional international airport, is a few miles further west. Athens is about 350 miles south.
Price Range
Beachfront properties in Kassandra command premium prices, Paloka said. “Most people at the high end prefer to buy beachfront.” Prices range from €3,000 (US$3,243) to €6,000 per square meter, she said. “For €6,000 per square meter, you’re buying about 20,000 square meters of land with a 1,000-square-meter house, a swimming pool, very modern, in a new development by the sea and surrounded by forests.”
For €5 million in Sani, Savills has listed a 350-square-meter home with six bedrooms and three bathrooms on about 17,000 square meters of land with sea views. In a new development in the village of Siviri, Savills is offering 350-square-meter beach-adjacent homes with seven bedroom suites, private pools, and garages for €2.05 million. Siviri, on Kassandra’s west side, is popular with tourists for its clusters of bars and cafes.
Prices across Kassandra “depend on the distance from the sea,” said Nikolaou of Engel & Volkers Greece. “The closer you are, and the more private the property, the higher the price.” While prices average €2,500 to €4,000 per square meter across Kassandra, they can soar to €8,000 to €10,000 “for the best beachfront luxury property,” he said.
In Pallini, on Kassandra’s east coast, Engel & Volkers is offering an oceanfront hilltop estate on more than 4,000 square meters of land, with nine bedroom suites and amenities including a wine cellar and full bar. Built in 1991, the property is listed for €4,500,000.
The most expensive Kassandra listing in October was a 10-bedroom, 1000-square-meter Sani villa with sea views and a pool for €17,000,000, offered by the Hellenic Property agency.
Housing Stock
In the coastal parts of Kassandra undergoing rapid development, architecture is almost uniformly modern. “There are three types of homes here. Apartments and villas, which aren’t as hot. Multi-home complexes with sea views, which are better. And private luxury beachfront properties, which are at the top.”
Older and even “ancient” properties are common in Kassandra’s mountainous inland regions, according to Nikolaou. “These traditional stone houses in some of the old villages can qualify as luxury homes once they’re renovated, but many require extensive work,” he said. The village of Agia Paraskevi, in south-central Kassandra, has also become a popular tourist destination for its thermal spas and ancient churches.
The higher end of the market consists almost exclusively of detached, modern homes, said Paloka. “Condominiums make up the lower end of the market here,” she said. “And there are almost no historical buildings in the most sought-after coastal areas.”
Luxury Amenities
Greek and international buyers are discovering Kassandra as an alternative to tourist hubs like Mykonos and Santorini. “The fact that Kassandra is not the islands is an amenity in itself,” Paloka said. “It’s very private, relaxed and peaceful, without that madness. Most of the infrastructure here only appeared over the last 10 years.” For golf and tennis, most locals frequent the seaside Sani Resort, which operates private athletic clubs along with its five high-end hotels. Most complexes also have private pools, according to Nikolaou of Engel & Volkers.
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As Kassandra’s profile has risen, its restaurant scene has flourished, with high-end eateries including Metoxi, in a temple-like stone building with sunset views; “creative Greek” spot Giria Elia in Pefkohori’s Hotel Anna Maria; and Kriopigi’s Fiki Fiki, the first Asian-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Halkidiki. Several private medical clinics operate on the peninsula, including the 24-hour Kassandria’s Health Center and Primary Medical Care of Pefkochori.
What Makes It Unique
“Kassandra is a picturesque environment, surrounded by forest, with clean, beautiful, crystal-clear seas,” said Paloka. “The proximity to Thessaloniki also makes it unique. You’re just an hour from the city centre, but you can enjoy all Kassandra has to offer.”
Kassandra’s annual Sani Festival brings A-list musical talent to the peninsula every year; the 2024 edition saw stars including Placido Domingo, Madeleine Peyroux, Tom Jones, and Emeli Sande on the roster.
Who Lives There
Nearly 40% of buyers in Kassandra are “from central Europe, especially German-speaking countries,” Nikolaou said. “They see the Mediterranean, and this part of Greece, as the Florida of Europe. They want a home in the region to use in retirement.” Another 25% of buyers come from the Balkans, including Bulgaria and Romania, “and other countries without direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the first possible access for them,” he said. An additional 15% of buyers hail from Israel and the Middle East. “Thessaloniki once had a significant Jewish population, and Israelis love it. They want to invest here,” Nikolaou said. Just a handful of buyers come from North America, he added.
Kassandra’s largest, most extravagant villas belong to Greeks, according to Paloka of Savills. But those owners are starting to take their profits. “Those properties had been second homes, and the Greek owners are now selling to mostly European buyers,” she said.
Greece’s golden visa program, which grants a five-year residency permit in exchange for a minimum real-estate purchase, has attracted “a huge number of foreigners, but to less expensive properties,” Paloka said. In October, however, the Greek government raised the minimum investment for a golden visa to €800,000 from €250,000 in sought-after destinations including Halkidiki, the region where Kassandra is located.
Notable Residents
Swiss-based Greek billionaire Aristotеlis Mistakidis “has bought a lot of property in Halkidiki, including a villa in Glarokavos,” Nikolaou said. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie vacationed in Kassandra when they were an item, and John Travolta and Robert De Niro “spend summers in Kassandra with their families,” Nikolaou said.
Outlook
“Consistency” is the hallmark of the market in Kassandra, said Paloka of Savills.
“Prices may have gone up on lower-end properties, but prime estates have stayed the same or maybe dropped just a bit. What’s key is that it’s more affordable than the islands, and a better value for your money.” Kassandra’s rental market is also “extremely strong, year-round,” meaning owners can generate revenue from their properties, she said. “Even at Christmas, people love coming here. The islands are great, but you can’t get flights there all year―you have to take a ferry off-season.”
Nikolaou, however, said that “the demand for second homes means prices will continue to increase.” He also noted that property prices per square meter “are much more of a value for the money, especially for beachfront properties.”
Investors “are now looking to Kassandra and Halkidiki to develop new tourist areas,” Nikolaou said. “They don’t want to go to the islands. If you count the kilometres of seashore here, it’s like you have 100 islands. And it’s sunny the whole year.”