Golf in Chile?

[Tim Leahy]

I noticed the kid who won the last PGA tournament  was from Chile and googled golf in the country and to my surprise they have 50 courses. None of the pictures on line make the courses look worthy of a visit. Have any of you played golf in Chile and what courses would you reccomend? I would love to see your pictures if you have any or provide a link to sites that have some.

[Garland Bayley]

I believe there is a new Confidential Guide that covers Chile. Vol. 2?

[Garland Bayley]

Website member mclutterbuck is a Chilean based archie. He would be best source to answer query.

[Tom_Doak]

Website member mclutterbuck is a Chilean based archie. He would be best source to answer query.

Actually it's Randy Thompson, who was my tour guide when I was there a few years back.


mclutterbuck then showed us around several courses in Argentina where he is based.  But he is a developer, not a designer.

[Tim Leahy]

I believe there is a new Confidential Guide that covers Chile. Vol. 2?

OK I just purchased vol 1, 2, & 3 on Amazon. I don't see vol 4 or 5 available. Are they out there somewhere?

[Adam Lawrence]

Website member mclutterbuck is a Chilean based archie. He would be best source to answer query.

I'm pretty sure Marcos is an Argetinian-based developer 

[Garland Bayley]

Website member mclutterbuck is a Chilean based archie. He would be best source to answer query.

I'm pretty sure Marcos is an Argetinian-based developer 

Sometimes us old people get confused.

[Thomas Dai]

There’s a club in Santiago of which I know little except that it has a wonderful name ..... Prince of Wales.
Atb

[Jake Marvin]

Haven't been, but here are some photos from Patagonia Virgin, the only course I can find with what most would consider a big name (Nicklaus) attached: https://www.clubdegolfpvf.com/galeria . I'd agree that nothing else looks that inspiring from pictures.

[Randy Thompson]

Hello,
I have been posting for twelve years and I have been based out of Chile for 23 years and designed or co-designed several courses there and throughout the southern cone of South America. I also have been heavily involved in construction and maintenance consulting for more than 35 years, 28 of those years in South America. If you do some searching on here you will find photos of some different courses. There are some good holes throughout the country but inspiring designs worth going out of your way for, no, as most of you have concluded. There are 82 official courses here but 75 is probably more correct. We are currently one of the few countries in the world that golf is currently growing and I refer this surprising growth as, the Nieman effect! I also posted something about this kids potential about a year ago when he first turned professional. I am currently doing some redesign work here and there and have 144 holes of golf that I provide maintenance administration. I will try to post some pictures but try searching on this site Papudo, Marbella, La Serena and Santa Martina.

[Lou_Duran]

Randy,


To what do you attribute the growth of golf in Chile?


Is the golf climate in Argentina improving?


BTW, a few locals in India tell me that they see golf and golf course development there to have a bright future.  Apparently, with the British colonial influence, there is a small, but ingrained golf culture and the middle and upper-middle classes are growing at good rates.  I wonder if the country's strong cricket participation at all socioeconomic levels has positive implications for the quality of golfers it can produce in the future.

[Randy Thompson]

 Chile has maybe 75 golf courses and the only well known architect to have worked here is Jack Nicklaus and that project has been under development for ten years and is unfinished and only has nine holes open. Fantastic site with lots of potential but no market. They may actually do for the first time 1000 rounds this year. Luther Koontz lived or worked here for a while and was the good doctor´s construction man before going out on his own. Most of the courses are parkland, tree lined 40 to fifty yards wide between trees that get pretty boring. Some great settings but lacking in design expertise.
This is a 36 hole golf course/housing development near Santiago where I consult that just celebrated twenty years that was designed and constructed by another firm based out of the States.



Both eighteens finish by the clubhouse with a lake separating the two greens. How original!



Inspiring, no, but well done yes, if you are into computerized designs. Flat barren site. Typical florida type design. The housing is non aggressive and really well hidden. The greens are highly contoured.



This club has about a 2.5 million inventory of machinery, a 2 million dollar plus operating budget, 58 golf course maintenance employees and is well maintained year around.


 
 Excellent 100% poa greens without seed heads that stemp, 10 to 11.5 year around Wednesday through Sunday, fifty two weeks a year. Cutting height one tenth of an inch spring and fall and 1/8 summer and winter!



We have a serious lack of water problem that has been getting gradually worst over the last ten years. There is approximately 300 acres of grass under intense management that we are reducing and transforming into waste bunkers in out of play areas.