Goin’ Back to Cali was a rap hit by Notorious B.I.G in the late 90’s. He was rapping about returning to southern California. Today I’m talking about returning to Cali, Colombia.
Having lived in Medellin for the past year and played golf at Club El Rodeo, I decided it was time to take advantage of some affiliations my club has at dozens of courses throughout Colombia.
Some friends invited me on a road trip to play golf in Cali and I didn’t hesitate to accept the offer. Cali in general did not disappoint and neither did the two courses I played:
Club Campestre and Club Farallones
Like Medellin and Colombia in general, Cali has a horrible reputation. It’s better known for murder and drug cartels than anything else.
Having lived in Medellin for over a year now, I can tell you from personal experience that while this reputation was certainly well-deserved during the hey day of Pablo Escobar, that perception is far removed from reality today.
Even ex-pat friends from Medellin warned me when they heard I was going to Cali. “Don’t put your drink down or you may be drugged,” they told me.
Well, I’m fairly certain there was ample opportunity to spike my drink and yet it never happened. To be fair, three days in Cali hardly qualifies me as an expert but I found Calinos (people who live in Cali) to be friendly and courteous.
And I found the Calinas (women from Cali) to be just as beautiful as Paisas (women from Medellin). In fact I asked at least a dozen males which women were better and all of them said either “ambos (both)” or “igualmente (equal)” so even Colombians have a hard time choosing.
But enough about the people and the women, this is about golf. Over the next few days, I’ll tell you about my experiences at both Club Campestre and Club Farallones.
I’ll show you how the greens at Club Campestre are so FAST the club pro putted his birdie putt off the green and into a bunker. And I’ll show you the longest hole in South America – a 710-yard par 6!
Until then…
Dedicated to Lower Scores and More Fun on the Course,
Robert Phillips
co-Author “How to Break 90”
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