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Home International SportsNotes In order to know more about the first public golf club in Chile, I visited Club de golf Mapocho in Santiago, Chile located on exit 32 Costanera norte Highway near the airport. The club is located on 173 acres with the golf course situated on 99 of those acres. A Chilean building company donated the land for the club. The course was designed by Mike Admunson and was built by the Ignacio Hurtado construction company. In January 2006 the first 9 holes was opened with the remaining 9 holes opening July 2006.

Diego Rubio is the golf course superintendant. He told me that since Club de golf Mapocho is the first public golf club in the country, the goal of the club is to make golf available to all Chileans who were not members at private clubs. The golf course provides subsidies and/or allows many Chileans to play for free depending on their need. Free golf classes are given to people who are interested in learning how to play golf. Mr. Rubio stated that greens fees range, depending on the day, from U$26 to US$44 for the day. According to Diego the peak number of golfers is reached in March (end of summer vacation in the south hemisphere) and September (the beginning of spring).

To play the golf course a "green card" is needed. The green card is a credential awarded by the club to people who do not have a minimum handicap of 30. To receive a green card a potential golfer is given a book containing the principle rules and etiquette of golf. The golfer studies the book and then fills out and returns a questionnaire. The golfer then takes an examination administered by the faculty of the club with the theoretical and practical part conducted on the course during a 3 hole round.

At club de golf Mapocho the greens are Agrostis palustris cultivar SR 1019 and the roughs and fairways are a mix of 80% Lolium perenne (cultivar blend of Essence and Gator II), 10% Festuca rubra (creeping) and 10% Festuca rubra (chewing).

Diego has a 22 person maintenance staff that includes 5 women. He told me that he is very happy with women because he thinks they have a good eye for detail and are not as hard on the equipment. His major agronomic concerns are 1) moss on the greens, which he controls with carfentrazone, and 2) the presence of the famous Poa annua on fairways, which he uses bispyribac-sodium for control.

Posted by Diego Rubio and Alejandra Acuna