ARGENTINA
Not yet ready for great golf tourism
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Where
to play
There are more than 400 courses in Argentina. About 300 are concentrated in the Buenos Aires state, in the "pampa" land. There are some courses in Romero's Cordoba province, some in the northern Andes states Jujuy and Cuyo, a few in the winery states. Atlantic courses near Mar del Plata are as overcrowded as the high rise builded city is, as well as are in Patagonia the LLao Llao or Arelauquen mountain courses (see next page : what to see) .
But it is possible to play golf in the two Argentinean major attractions: Buenos Aires, the tango city, and Uschuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, the South end of the world.
• Tierra del Fuego
There is only one course on the mountain land of Tierra del Fuego where wintertime is snowy from May to October and it lies near the capital city of the province. Known as the "southernmost city of the world" Ushuaia is the place where to go and stay in Argentina. And play the Ushuaia Golf Club, the southernmost course in the world where from October to April, days are longer and one can play between 6 AM and 10 PM.
First of all, it is not a championship course. It is different. Created in 1992, the first nine hole of the Ushuaia Golf Course are located in a wild jewel case at the door of the Lapataia National Natural Park nearby the ancient convict train station on the steep hills along a mountain stream, el Rio Pipo. It is an enchantment for those who like melting golf challenge with exceptional natural sites. Here is the place. Between snow-topped mountains and the cold waters of the Beagle Channel. The course gambols from the steep slopes to and over the small tumultuous river and back up hill and down. Here no Floridian style but a touch of wild Scottish Highlands! Short holes but not straight , narrow fairways with bunkers, small greens near the stream and quasi permanent winds. No sophistication, just nature! This is a course and a place one never forget ! And the warm welcome at the club-house is friendly as the famous local fruit crumble cookies they serve at the bar! Like it. or leave it! And buy a cap or two with the logo. Just to make some people envious!
• Buenos Aires
The Great Buenos Aires is a conurbation area of more than 10 M inhabitants and it is said that there are between 30 to 50 golf courses in the vicinity. One says also here that when the British arrived in the early 1900's to build the railway network, they built as many golf courses as train stations in the outskirts of the capital.
The Jockey Club is the most ancient and prestigious, the Buenos Aires Golf Club is the n°1 in Argentina , and in between there are a lot of courses like Olivos which are good championships. But all of them are private and access is limited to visitors introduced by members or by contacts (hotels or TOs but not the Tourism Office nor the Golf Association! Inefficient!). And there is only one public course.
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Ushuaia golf course lies
in a wild environment
along the Rio Pipo
Famous Jockey Club
and Buenos Aires Golf Club
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