To many executives who arrive in Colombia on business, numbers and figures are present not only in their business transactions, but also in other activities.
To them, par 3, par 4, and par 5 are so usual and necessary that a trip without practicing golf at least once is incomplete, especially considering that Colombia is third in South America, after Argentina and Brazil, in number of golf courses and a true Latin American power in terms of results.
Colombia is the third country in South America in number of golf courses.
At present, the Colombian Golf Federation (Fedegolf, by its Spanish acronym) has 49 certified golf courses in an equal number of clubs across the country. Twenty six of them are in Bogotá, an attractive fact for visitors who love the sport and practice it competitively or as a relaxing, recreational activity.
In view of the recent golf boom in Colombia and with future champions in mind, Fedegolf has been encouraging the mass practice of the sport to attract youngsters and children to create a seedbed for future champions. Clubs are interested in promoting their courses and tournaments, which is why they have been establishing alliances with airlines, hotels and travel agencies with a view to the inclusion of golf in their tourist and business offer.
Practicing Golf in Colombia
Access to the golf courses in private clubs depends on being a member or being invited by one. However, this is no obstacle for travelers from abroad thanks to agreements for strengthening cities as tourist destinations, satisfying the needs of golf-playing executives, and facilitating access to the best courses.
Depending on the duration of the tourist plan and the expectations of foreign tourists, travel agencies include one, two, or more practice sessions. In the cases of more than one practice session, travelers may play on different courses with different levels of difficulty.
What is Practicing Golf about?
Bogotá has 26 golf courses.
Playing golf is an enjoyable and, above all, relaxing activity for people who by reason of their work spend a lot of their time on an airplane. This sport, of Scottish origins, is perhaps the main entertainment for many executives. Aside from representing the possibility of doing business, Colombia is a destination that includes golf in many tourism plans and attractions.
Contrary to other sports disciplines, golf involves confrontation between the sportsman and the course. Despite competition among golfers, challenging the course’s obstacles and scoring below par is important for each of them. This is a constant among visitors – after achieving their business objectives, they wish to achieve other goals by hitting a golf ball.
Golf Centers in Colombia
Golfers know that a good session lasts between four and five hours and make plans their accordingly. Travel agencies support them by coordinating and facilitating transportation when a traveler wishes to visit one or more cities. Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Medellín, and Cali are preferred destinations for their tourism and business infrastructure and the quality of their courses.
When golf sessions are over, the agencies make transportation available for celebrating in bars and exquisite restaurants while touring interesting sites along the way.
The Best Environment
In addition to the satisfaction obtained for good scores, golf means breathing the pure air of lovely Colombian courses and enjoying magnificent, diverse panoramic landscapes. Both are possible at La Cima Club in the mountains of municipality of La Calera, near Bogotá; the Ruitoque Club in Bucaramanga, framed by the Chicamocha Canyon; the Country Club and the Lagos de Caujaral Club in Barranquilla, with the Caribbean Sea in the background; or in the pleasant atmosphere of El Rodeo and Campestre clubs, in Medellín.
Amid the growing architectural, business, and financial infrastructure of the country’s main cities, there is a lot of green, and much of that green belongs to clubs certified by the Golf Federation. After “mission accomplished” in the fields of business, world executives take off to these other well-cared fields in an attempt to top their own winning scores. Just eighteen holes, slightly over six kilometers, between four and five hours are sufficient time and space to understand that just as a hole in one is the maximum for a golfer, Colombia is the maximum in terms of having it all.
