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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeWorld MapBoliviaGolfing on the Moon: Club de Golf, La Paz

Golfing on the Moon: Club de Golf, La Paz

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Golf La Paz Bolivia is part of the South America & Africa Points Heist Trip Report.


Golfing abroad gets expensive. I don’t always play when I travel unless it is a unique course or locale (see Marrakech and Moorea). When I read that La Paz had a golf course and it was the highest in the world, I was in. I also read that there’s a par three that looks like you’re on the moon. What more could I ask for?

The Price
It was not cheap to play 18 hotels, and there was no discount for playing 9. With clubs, caddie, golf balls, tees, and clothes (I showed up in jeans and a hoodie because I thought it would be cold), the price was $125. That’s not ridiculous had the course been in better shape.

a car parked in front of a building

The C‎lothes
They lent me this stunning outfit. It fit quite well. I was already wearing my versatile golf shoes which double as travel shoes.a man standing on a golf course

The GPS
I had my Garmin watch which registered the course and told me how far from the pin I was.a man standing on a golf course with a golf bag and a man holding a golf club

The Caddie
Nothing better than speaking to a caddie in Spanish while trying to comprehend the best approach to take.

a man walking on a golf course with a golf bag and a man in a green shirt a group of men walking on a golf coursea pond with a fountain in the middle of a golf course two men standing on a golf course

The Beer
Four beers cost $10. That’s a great deal.a man holding a golf club and a bottlea man playing golf on a golf course

Hole 10
I only had time to play 9 and was told the gems of the course started on the back. It was a mistake not going to the range first to hit a few balls. I‎ wish I could blame it on the altitude but I was very nervous on my first shot which was a 200 yard par 3. Bold, I broke out the 5 wood and fired away. It went high and far and then disappeared. The caddie said “abajo” which could only mean something bad. As I walked the edge of the tee box, I realized that there was a sharp drop right into the moon rocks. So long ball one. Taking out my driver, I knew what I had to do. Instead, I shanked another one into the moon. The caddie suggested that I take a drop. Though it’s against the rules, I agreed. Otherwise, I may have been there all day.a sign on a pile of rocks

a man playing golf on a golf course
His face says it all.

a path with trees and grass a tree in front of a mountain

Hole 11
I managed to recover on hole 11 and maintain what was left of my dignity.

a sign on a pile of rocks a man swinging a golf club on a golf course a grassy field with trees and mountains in the background a golf cart in a grassy field a group of men on a golf course a man holding a golf club a man standing on a golf course

The Moon Hole
I’ve never spent so much time taking photos of a hole as I did on, aka the moon hole. The caddie suggested I use my seven. I listened and prepared to fire away. Over compensating, I swung out of my stance. The ball went high and far. I heard the thud of grass and rejoiced. When we walked over, the ball was nowhere to be found. The caddie said “abajo” again and indicated that the ball had rolled backwards into the moon landscape. So close, yet so far.

a tree in a desert a rocky landscape with trees and mountains in the background a landscape with a grassy area and mountains in the backgrounda man standing on a grassy hill with mountains in the background a man playing golf on a golf course

a landscape with a rocky area and mountains in the background a man swinging a golf club in a grassy area with hills in the background a man swinging a golf club on a grassy hill a man on a golf course a man on a golf course

The Views
Each hole was a photo opp and a chance to chat with my caddie. I hit some wonderful drives and many trees along the way.

a person on a golf course a group of people playing golf a pond in a park a person playing golf on a golf course a man swinging a golf club on a golf course a rocky landscape with a fence and a treea man standing on a hill with a rocky landscape a rocky landscape with trees and bushes a man swinging a golf club on a golf course

The Course
The course could be so much better. First, the sprinklers should not be on in the early afternoon. The caddie would yell “agua!”, and then I’d have to get out of the way from the sprinklers. The greens were so wet that the hole was full to the brim with water. Putting was a joke as the ball was submerged on many holes.

a man on a golf coursea man standing on a golf course sprinkler

Not all holes were underwater: a man playing golf on a golf course

a man playing golf on a golf course a man on a golf course

My Score
The manager asked my handicap before we began. Whatever it was then, it is now triple that. I lost so many balls on the moon that I began to wonder if they would charge me more. That anxiety did not help my game and also made me glad that I wasn’t playing the full 18.

Overall
What a great time. I probably played one of my worst rounds but who cares. When else would I be able to say that I played on the moon?

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