Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Jim Plunkett

Tiger Woods would undoubtedly prefer playing the British Open in St. Andrews over our local golf courses, but then again, Peru holds a rather unique experience for those that  relish chasing a little white ball around an enclosed park at the foot of the Andes.

Peru boasts a lot of firsts, and golf is no exception. Machu Picchu is the No. 1 Wonder of the World in the western hemisphere. Peru is the original home of the potato, the tomato; is first in the export of fish, fresh and frozen asparagus; it hosts 84 of the known 104 ecosystems in the world; has the largest mine in the world (Antamina); and has more varieties of hummingbirds just in the Machu Picchu reserve than the entire United States.

The highest 18 hole golf course in the world is in Peru.  It is situated in La Oroya, 12,375 ft. a.s.l. (3,750m.) three hours east of Lima in the central Andes.  Originally built by the Cerro de Pasco Corporation to entertain its foreign mining engineers and visitors back in the 1940's, it continues as an active course and is open to the public. With the thin air at this altitude, even you would exceed Tiger Woods' best drives, for sure. They originally named it Club El Soroche, which means, “high altitude sickness”.

In January, a new 9 hole course was inaugurated in the heart of the Amazon outside of the port city of Iquitos. A snake pit had to be removed from the fairway on the fourth hole to make way for the new golfers.  It is open to the public, and boasts young, attractive female caddies.

Near the southern coast, the mega copper mine of Toquepala, originally a U.S. operation now run by a Mexican conglomerate, also brags about its unique 9 hole course. This one has no grass, since it lies in the barren hills near the copper ore deposits. They even play at night using luminous balls that bounce off the hills. A false step can mean more than “out of bounds”. They have an excellent hospital at the site.

Lima is rather sedate after all the aforementioned courses have been exhausted by the avid golfer looking for something he can’t get back in Palm Springs or Pebble Beach. There are four 18 hole courses in the area including Lima Golf Club, Los Inkas Golf, La Planicie Country Club, and Club Villa on the Pacific ocean.   Lima Golf is the oldest club and was founded in the 1920's. Its first president was manager of the central railway. Rather impatient with the tardiness of a contractor hired to build the first clubhouse, he ordered a copy of blueprints of one of his railway stations, and a faithful replica was soon erected, which served as Lima Golf's first clubhouse.

Los Inkas Golf Club is just outside the city in the foothills of the Andes and was built just after World War II. It features pre-Inca ruins on the course, and after rare squirrels broke out of the cages belonging to the defunct president of the World Wildlife Fund who resided at the foot of the course, the area is now populated with squirrels, many of them albinos. Membership fees are in the range of $30,000 dollars, and dues run about $120 a month. Considering the quality and services available, this is a pittance compared to U.S. private clubs. Caddies are common in all clubs and most are excellent players. Green fees for guests range between $60 and $100 dollars per round, according to the day. Caddies receive an average of $12 dollars for their services.

There are no public courses in Peru due to the reduced demand for the sport. Between Lima Golf, Los Inkas, and the other Lima clubs, there are not more than 600 active golfers. If you are just a visitor, you must get a member to invite you, which is always possible in a “small town”.  South of the city in an old beach resort called San Bartolo, there is a 9 hole course played practically on desert soil. The players are given a small patch of artificial turf which one is permitted to place their ball on at each new position in order to facilitate the next stroke. Talk about fanatics!

Up until ten or fifteen years ago, women usually played amongst themselves and were not allowed to play Saturday mornings, the most popular period for the men. Children were not to be seen nor heard. Nowadays, there is no sexual nor age distinction and training programs for children starting at a very early five years of age are producing some amazing talents that are competing internationally. In the Americas, Argentina takes the lead in golf development and participation, followed by Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, and down on down the line. 

Peru is a golfer's paradise. If you are fortunate enough to be a member or a guest, you very seldom have to request a tee time and can usually go off immediately. It never rains in Lima, and the weather is always perfect for golf with no wind. Classes are readily available with professional instructors that normally charge $15 the half hour.  As long as Tiger, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus don’t find out our secret, we should be able to enjoy our golfer's paradise for some time.