A Golf Tour To Argentina: The Good, The Unusual & The Delightful

“Argentina is well known for its rich culture, ancient cities and towns and its near dominance in Soccer with Diego Maradona as its most recognizable face. In a soccer –crazy country how does any one expect another sport like golf to be of any prominence? Ask thousands of golfers who plan golf vacations to the turkey-leg shaped country nestled comfortably between Chile and Uruguay.

They’ll tell you stories from their golf travels about Argentina’s courses set in stunning terrains as diverse as the pampas to the Andes mountain range and from plains to sea –front tracks on the South Atlantic Ocean coastline. They’ll also tell you about the hospitality of the warm and friendly Argentine people and the country’s world class resorts.

None of these stories would be tall claims because Argentina truly is one of the most golf –friendly countries in South America. Golf travel to Argentina is filled with affordable rounds in almost all the regions of the country right from Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata and courses range from the best to the most unusual like the Ushuaia.

One golf tour may not be enough and you would want to keep coming back for more, but there are a lot of courses in Argentina that have to be played as soon as you touch down in the capital city of Buenos Aires. Spend the first day of your golf vacation at the famed Jockey Club located in San Isidro just outside Buenos Aires. The club features two courses designed by the renowned architect Arthur McKenzie. The Red Course at 6635 yards par 72 and The Blue Course at 6229 yards par 72 are twin troubles with massive greens, large bunkers and pine-tree lined fairways that demand a skillful player (€99)

Buenos Aires is a culturally rich and charismatic city that offers more golf than just the Jockey Club. Fluff up your golf package with other notable courses like The Olivos Golf Club (€45), Buenos Aires Golf Club in Bella Vista (€99), Martindale Country Club (€65), The Pilar Golf Club (€43) and The Highland Park Country Club in Del Viso (€35).

Make the next stop on your Argentina golf tour at the town of Bariloche in the Patagonia Lake Region. Bariloche is located right next to Nahuel Huapi National Park and offers several captivating courses. Add the most famous track in this region to your golf package: The Llao-Llao Hotel & Resort course which at 5856 yards par 71 is a short but deceptively tricky course ($15). Another course to make your golf holiday satisfying is Arelauquen Golf & Country Club designed by Vicente Fernandez and Carlos Ordoné. Snaking parallel to the Lake Gutierrez this 6693 yard par 72 track is thought provoking and very affordable ($50).

Your golf vacation cannot be complete without a round at the Mar del Plata Golf Club (€35) in its namesake city located on the Atlantic Coast. The oldest golf course in the region, Mar del Plata opened its first 18 holes to public in 1900. A delightful links style course, it runs to 6000 yards par 70 and features severely sloped fairways trimmed by dangerous rough. The well kept, undulating greens feature bunkers and doglegs to make play interesting and head-scratching.

Off the beaten path and famed as the southernmost course in the world is Ushuaia in Tierra del Feugo. With 20 hours of daylight, Ushuaia is available for a great round of post-dinner golf, which is just as challenging as the post-lunch round and costs you as little as $20.