[Drew Standley]

I wouldn't support a Cuban Golf Resort with their history of civil rights abuses

I'm not sure that Mexico or the Dominican Republic are much better. 

[Cristian]

A couple of photos of that famous match which set back the evolution of golf in Cuba. The first photo shows Guvera putting while the second has Fidel teeing off.

I complement mr Guevarra on his 'avant la lettre' crosshand grip; Or is he just a leftie?

The nine holer in Havana is an old course. I am not sure , but I think that is where the Guevarra-Fidel match took place. Friends of mine played there 6 or 7 years ago with female caddies in short skirts and high heels; great for aeration of greens, but distractive while putting. They claimed no other caddies were available....

[Christoph Meister]

Hello Cristian,
According to my sources the match took place on January 3rd, 1961 at the Donald Ross designed Habana Country Club. This was most probably the last time golf was played on that course, because soon afterwards it was decided in 1961 to build Cuba's National School of Art on what used to be the Cuba's premier Golf & Country Club located in the affluent Garden City suburb of Country Club Park (later changed to the more indigenous Cubanacan) on the outskirts of West Havana.

Construction of the Art School buildings continued until 1965, when, as the economic realities of the socialist economy set in and as Cuba became increasingly under the influence of the Soviet Union, creative individual expression became politically incorrect in favor of a building for the masses. As a result, the art schools fell under an ideological attack that branded them as only another form of bourgeois elitism that was irreconcilable with the emerging Soviet dominated socialist Revolution....
There is only one country where more golf courses were destroyed by communism, that is Germany!

If you type in "National School of Arts, Havana" Google you will find a nice aerial view of the area and what it looks like today. Here is one of the Cuban golf post cards from my collection showing Habana Country Club during the 1950s before destruction. (I can post more pictures im case there is more interest...)

Kind regards,

Christoph Meister

[Richard Hetzel]

That postcard is AWESOME.

I read something a while back that they paid an architect to design some courses and never really paid them, left the architect hanging.

Hey Tom,  be sure and ask one of the Castro boys for CASH ON THE BARRELL in ADVANCE!

[Robert Thompson]

I was there two years ago and the Furber course was the only one there aimed at tourists. I think, in fact, it remains the only course of any note on the island.

Never been there, but I'm told there are already something like 50+ large resorts down there that cater to charter vacations.  I think there's already something like 5 to 10 courses servicing those resorts.

My guess is, during the winter months, there's 1 or 2 flights a day packed with tourits from Toronto alone.

Financing has come from Cuban gov, European & Canadian companies/investors.

[JMEvensky]

Hello Cristian,
According to my sources the match took place on January 3rd, 1961 at the Donald Ross designed Habana Country Club. This was most probably the last time golf was played on that course, because soon afterwards it was decided in 1961 to build Cuba's National School of Art on what used to be the Cuba's premier Golf & Country Club located in the affluent Garden City suburb of Country Club Park (later changed to the more indigenous Cubanacan) on the outskirts of West Havana.

Construction of the Art School buildings continued until 1965, when, as the economic realities of the socialist economy set in and as Cuba became increasingly under the influence of the Soviet Union, creative individual expression became politically incorrect in favor of a building for the masses. As a result, the art schools fell under an ideological attack that branded them as only another form of bourgeois elitism that was irreconcilable with the emerging Soviet dominated socialist Revolution....
There is only one country where more golf courses were destroyed by communism, that is Germany!

If you type in "National School of Arts, Havana" Google you will find a nice aerial view of the area and what it looks like today. Here is one of the Cuban golf post cards from my collection showing Habana Country Club during the 1950s before destruction. (I can post more pictures im case there is more interest...)

Kind regards,

Christoph Meister

I'd really like to see more pictures of Habana CC if you have the time to post them.

[Bill Gayne]

From the Varadero golf club website. A bit schizo.


Three golfing architectures have been combined:

1. Classic design, broad roads bordered by trees, wide and scarcely protected greens.

2. Challenging or Target Golf design, modern style with narrow roads and heavily protected greens surrounded by sand traps and lakes. The Varadero Golf Course has several salt water lakes that connect directly with the sea, a feature that makes it almost unique worldwide.

3. Links design, with holes located alongside the sea following the shoreline, introducing the ocean as another obstacle in the game.

[Robert Thompson]

Having played it, I'd say that is largely true. There are a couple of good holes -- a par-3 that plays to a green at the base of a hill with the ocean in the background, and the 18th, a par-4 with a green perched overlooking the ocean. The rest is fine -- not good nor really bad, just average.

From the Varadero golf club website. A bit schizo.


Three golfing architectures have been combined:

1. Classic design, broad roads bordered by trees, wide and scarcely protected greens.

2. Challenging or Target Golf design, modern style with narrow roads and heavily protected greens surrounded by sand traps and lakes. The Varadero Golf Course has several salt water lakes that connect directly with the sea, a feature that makes it almost unique worldwide.

3. Links design, with holes located alongside the sea following the shoreline, introducing the ocean as another obstacle in the game.

[Jeremy Rivando]

A couple of my highlights from Varadero include standing on the 8th tee, a medium length par 3, just metres from the ocean.  I'm not sure how many tees are situated any closer to the ocean side cliffs (maybe Pebble Beach and certainly some others).

I love the tee shot on the Par 4 13th, with a split fairway, the low left fairway is divided by the old oceanside rock wall separating it from the high right fairway.

I'd like to hear that some Canadian investors are considering a new project in Cuba.  It would be a great place to work on the construction of a new course as long as the financing is secure.

[Eric Smith]

Jeremy:

Did you touch the on-course God of Life statue for good luck?

[Jeremy Rivando]

I did, and I still couldn't birdie the 18th over 3 rounds.

[Gary Slatter]

Two years ago there were only two courses, Les Furber's fun course on Varadero Beach and a nine holer in Havana that seemed to be supported by various embassy people. My son played it I only played the Varadero one and it was good, fast and firm, new rentals, great smiles.
I would consider Cuba ahead of Dominican Republic (no slavery in Cuba) and much much safer than any other country south of Canada.   Lots of island people go to Cuba for Doctors and dentist work, and the odd senorita of course.

Americans often fly to Cuba from Jamaica or other islands.  BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU DO THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU RE-ENTER THE US AND THEY NOTICE TOW ENTRIES INTO JAMAICA IN YOUR PASSPORT IT TURNS ON ALARM BELLS.  A RITZ CARLTON GM AND HER HUSBAND SPENT A FEW DAYS THERE AND PAID $50,000 AND $30,000 FINES BECAUSE THEY SPENT US $.
I think Americans can visit but you have to have a prepaid package.

It's a huge country with wonderful people.  They also have oil reserves, right now it's cheaper to us Venezuela's and save theirs.  Can't wait to go back!

[Chris Kane]

I wouldn't support a Cuban Golf Resort with their history of civil rights abuses

There are some who could legitimately say the same thing about America or Australia.

[Christoph Meister]

I'd really like to see more pictures of Habana CC if you have the time to post them.
[/quote]

Hello Jeff,

and here we go with some more picture showing what was destroyed and needs to built up again....
(all postcards and photos are from my own archive/collection)

[Eric Smith]

Christopher those are some great pictures, thanks for sharing those.

Look at that first picture and the back stop feature built behind the entire (sand) green. 

That is quite unusual wouldn't you say?  It looks like a baseball diamond.

I visited your site and will mail you some cards I think you'll enjoy.

Eric

[Christoph Meister]

It really looks like a baseball diamond! - here are some more pictures also from defunct Santiago de Cuba CC and Almendares Hotel & CC at Habana. I hope you also like those....

[Christoph Meister]

For once it is good to be a German and not an American, at least we can go to Cuba and spend our money there legally!

Here is the current scorecard of Club de Golf Habana which is not the Donald Ross designed facility, but a the former British founded Rover Athletic Club founded around 1947:

[JMEvensky]

Christoph,great pictures.Thanks again.

[Christoph Meister]

Here is another photo from Country Club de Habana, during the 1950s.....

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