Poligras Platinum GT at El Retamar Municipal Hockey Facility, Benalmádena, Spain
A striking blue jewel in the Andalusian crown
The southern Spanish coastal town of Benalmádena lies on the western Costa del Sol at the foot of the Sierra de Mijas, right on the Mediterranean. Its many beaches, extensive accommodation options, and varied leisure activities have seen Benalmádena emerge as a real tourist hotspot within the region. The town itself still boasts a historic centre, complete with narrow streets and squares that clearly reflect its Moorish heritage.
Founded in 1985, the Club Hockey Polideportivo Benalmádena is perched high above the town. The men’s team plays in the Men’s Honour Division B of Spanish hockey, while the women compete in the Andalusian league. Both sections have been playing their matches on synthetic turf since the club was established in the mid-1980s. By 2006, the decision was made to upgrade to a more modern synthetic turf at their current facility, Campo de Retamar, which is just adjacent to the largest Buddhist monument in the Western world: Benalmádena Stupa.
In summer 2023, we installed our Poligras Platinum GT surface in bright blue on this site overlooking the Alboran Sea, creating a colourful contrast to the mostly white buildings nearby. Poligras Platinum GT is Polytan’s premier turf for hockey, which we are continuously evolving to make it ever ‘greener’. For our project in Benalmádena, we implemented the Green Technology version of the surface, which includes elements made from organically based polyethylene. This makes Poligras Platinum GT one of the most sustainable synthetic turfs for hockey on the market.
The I’m green™ polyethylene used in Poligras Platinum GT is derived from sustainably grown sugarcane, ensuring no competition with food crops, since we only use elements that are by-products of sugar production. I’m green™ polyethylene also helps to mitigate pressure on the climate. After all, the growth of plants removes significantly more CO2 from the atmosphere than is emitted during the production of the bio-plastic. The turf is also manufactured in Germany using 100% green energy, resulting in a sustainable, attractively priced synthetic hockey turf with a reduced carbon footprint.
The Polytan PreciTex texturing technology ensures permanent crimping. This results in a multidirectional, ultra-closed surface – the perfect conditions for fast, precise play with optimal ball-rolling properties in Andalusia.
