In my last message, I introduced you to a mountain paradise in South America where I’ve been living and playing golf for the past several months. I told you how close the course was to an airport and even shared some videos of the planes flying so low you feel you could hit them with your golf ball.
If you missed that post, you can read it and see the videos here:
Click Here to read Golf in a South American ParadiseToday I’m going to reveal the location of this mountain paradise and explain why the world’s perception is so far off from the reality I’ve experienced in person. And I’ll share more about the course too.
Last time I teased that this was the home course of a PGA golfer whose name you’d recognize. That golfer is Camillo Villegas (aka Spiderman or Hombre Arana in Spanish). He learned to play golf at El Rodeo Golf Club in Medellin, Colombia.
That’s where I’ve been living for the past few months and I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m seriously considering making this my home base.
It’s near the equator so you’d think it’s hot and humid but it’s not. That’s because Medellin is located in the Andes mountains at an elevation of 5,000 feet. As a result the weather is nearly perfect year round – at least if you like an average temperature of 72 degrees.
And that doesn’t mean the average temperature is 92 some months and 52 other months for an average of 72.
The average temperature is 72 degrees every single month of the year. There are no seasons since Medellin is located so near the equator. That’s why it is known as “The City of the Eternal Spring.”
Frankly, I’m at least a bit reluctant to share my experience because I’d rather this mountain paradise remained under the radar – at least until I invest in some real estate!
Seriously, though the world’s perception of Medellin, Colombia, is almost the polar opposite of what I’ve experienced in person. This is absolutely NOT the violent, drug infested, hellhole you may think it is.
Here’s a newsflash: Pablo Escobar took a bullet to the head over 20 years ago and the city has undergone a massive transformation for the better over the past two decades.
As a matter of fact, just last year Medellin, Colombia beat out New York City and Tel Aviv in being named The Most Innovative City in the World. I bet you didn’t know that! If you don’t believe me look it up on the Interwebs.
In other words, over the past two decades Medellin has transformed itself from a well-deserved reputation as “The World’s Most Dangerous City” during the Pablo Escobar days to now being known as “The World’s Most Innovative City.”
And it’s closer to America than you think. Medellin is actually about as close to Miami as Chicago. There are regular 3.5 hour non-stop flights from south Florida to Medellin on JetBlue and several other airlines. So getting here is easy.
Don’t get me wrong. Medellin is not perfect. No place is. There is crime here. You’re going to find crime in any city with a population of over 3 million. But I can say without hesitation that I feel infinitely safer walking around the streets of Medellin than I ever did when I lived in Baltimore.
OK, enough about Medellin. Like I said, I’d rather this place stayed under the radar for several more years. And this is about golf, right?
So let’s move on to El Rodeo – the golf course I’ve been playing while I’m living here. Unfortunately it’s a private course so you have to know somebody. But I’m pretty good at meeting people so it didn’t take me long to ask around and find a member who invited me to play.
The greens fees are very reasonable at around $40 during the week. They’re a bit higher on the weekends – about $65. There are no golf carts here so you’ll get a good workout walking the course considering it’s in the Andes mountains!
The good news is you’re required to use a caddie who will carry your bag. And the caddies are not expensive. You give them a “propina” or tip after the front nine and again after the back nine.
I always give my caddies 20,000 COP (Colombian Pesos). That’s a little more than $10 with the exchange rate these days at roughly 1,900 COP to one American dollar.
There are 4 tee boxes to choose from and here are the figures straight from the scorecard.
| Teebox | Yards | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 6,808 | 71.1 / 132 |
| Whites | 6,512 | 70.3 / 129 |
| Whites / Red | 6,131 | 73.6 / 131 |
| Red | 5,604 | 70.7 / 124 |
I don’t know the origin of the name Whites/Reds. It must be a Colombian thing!
By the way, the course is marked in yards, not meters so that is quite helpful. After all, golf is hard enough without having to convert meters to yards every shot!
The first hole is a 405-yard par 4 (from the white tees where I teed it up). Here’s the sign:
It’s a bit downhill with a slight dogleg right. You may want to favor the right side since the fairway slopes left.
It was bit hazy on this particular morning but you can still see the incredible view of the city from the first tee:
The last time I played this hole I had a 100-yard approach shot which means I launched a drive of about 305-yards. I’d say I am a bit on the long side when it comes to distance. Still, don’t be too impressed for several reasons.
First, this hole plays a bit downhill. Second, the course was dry that day so the ball was rolling further. And last, but not least, you have to remember this course is at 5,000 feet elevation so the ball is going to fly farther.
And of course I proceeded to waste my great drive with a skulled sand wedge over the green!! Fortunately it was in a good spot with plenty of green to work with. I saw the green sloping from left to right. My caddie told me “derecho” or straight.
I listened to the caddie and hit the chip shot straight at the pin. Then watched as the slope of the green took the ball further and further right – and eventually off the green!! These greens are F-A-S-T!!
At that point I decided I was not listening to my caddie anymore. In fairness, he’s not a regular caddie at El Rodeo. He was in for a tournament that was starting the next day. I two-putted for bogey.
In my next message, I’ll run you through more of El Rodeo Golf Club in Medellin Colombia including more photos. Including my two birdies.
Until then…
Dedicated to Lower Scores and More Fun,
Robert “Mr. International Golfer” Phillips
P.S. I’d be happy to answer questions. So if you have any questions about Medellin or golf at El Rodeo golf club, hit reply and ask away.
