Jackson Reid
Cuba has long been a destination for golfers, with its beautiful Caribbean coastline and golf courses in Varadero and Havana. Before the Cuban Revolution, it was a regular stop on the PGA Tour, but in 1959, Fidel Castro rose to power and closed most of the country's courses. Now, Cuba has limited golf offerings, with only two courses, but there are nearly a dozen projects in the pipeline as international developers seek to take advantage of the country's largely unspoiled coastline. One of the existing courses is the Varadero Golf Club, an 18-hole, 72-par course designed by architect Les Furber, which offers golf packages and lessons. The other is the Habana Golf Club, a 9-hole course designed by golf course architect Bill Amick in 1963, located in the south of the Cuban capital.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Golf courses in Cuba | Varadero Golf Club, Habana Golf Club, Colinas de Villarreal, Havana Country Club |
| Hotels | Paradisus by Meliá hotels, Xanadu Mansion, Dupont Mansion, Meliá Cuba Golf Hotels |
| Golf packages | Golf lessons, golf and beach vacation |
| History | Before the Cuban Revolution, Cuba was a destination for US golfers and part of the PGA Tour. Fidel Castro shut down most of the country's courses in 1959. |
| Current state of golf in Cuba | Limited courses and facilities, scruffy conditions, lack of golf culture among locals |
| Future prospects | Foreign investment in golf course development along the Cuban coastline, despite legal hurdles |
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What You'll Learn
Golf courses in Varadero and Havana
Golfing in Cuba is presently limited to a 9-hole course in Havana and an 18-hole course in Varadero. However, there are plans for expansion, with five new golf projects under evaluation by the Cuban government.
The 18-hole, par 72 course in Varadero was designed by golf architect Les Furber. It covers a narrow 3.5km strip and combines three golfing architectures: Classic design, Challenging or Target Golf design, and Links design. The course is well-suited for intermediate golfers, with no overly difficult holes and fairly flat, open fairways. Hole 18 offers spectacular ocean views. The Xanadu Mansion, a boutique hotel with breathtaking views of the ocean and golf course, serves as the Hotel and Club House for the Varadero Golf Club.
The Habana Golf Club in Havana, located in the south of the Cuban capital, was designed by golf course architect Bill Amick in 1963. His design philosophy was to "see the players smiling when they leave the green". The course plays 3095 yards from the rear tees.
For those interested in golf packages and golf lessons, the Varadero Golf Club and Meliá Cuba Golf Hotels offer these services.
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Golf hotels in Cuba
Cuba is home to several golf resorts, hotels, and clubs that cater to golfers. Here is some information about golf hotels in Cuba:
Meliá Cuba Hotels
Meliá Cuba Hotels offers exclusive golf packages that include guaranteed tee-time reservations, special rates for rounds, tournaments, and classes, as well as exclusive cocktails and breakfast for golfers. Their annual programme of golf tournaments and events caters to their golfing community. The Paradisus by Meliá hotels are known for their exclusivity and natural beauty. Additionally, the Meliá Las Americas hotel in Varadero offers accommodation packages that include participation in Varadero Golf Club tournaments.
Varadero Golf Club
The Varadero Golf Club is the only 18-hole, 72-par golf course in Cuba. It is located between several hotels, including the Melia "Las Americas", "Melia Varadero", and the Xanadu Mansion, which is the Hotel and Club House of the Varadero Golf Club. The Xanadu Mansion, formerly known as the Dupont Mansion, offers stunning ocean and golf course views from its seven balconies. It has been carefully maintained and renovated, preserving its original architecture and beauty.
TripAdvisor Recommendations
TripAdvisor lists several highly-rated golf resorts in Cuba, including the Royalton Hicacos, which offers all-inclusive options and friendly staff. The Valentin resort is also recommended for its food options and friendly staff. Additionally, Memories Jibacoa receives praise for its beautiful setting between the turquoise sea and verdant hills, as well as its excellent staff and dining options.
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Golf course ratings and reviews
Golf in Cuba offers a unique experience, with stunning scenery and a rich cultural backdrop. One of the most renowned golf courses in Cuba is the Varadero Golf Club, which boasts the distinction of being the only 18-hole, par-72 golf course in the country. Designed by renowned architect Les Furber, the course combines classic, challenging, and links golf design elements. It is nestled among a narrow 3.5 km strip, bordered by a selection of hotels.
The Xanadu Mansion, a boutique hotel with a fascinating history, serves as both the Hotel and Club House for the Varadero Golf Club. Guests at the Xanadu Mansion can take advantage of an affordable package that includes unlimited golf at the Varadero Golf Club. The mansion offers breathtaking views of the ocean and the golf course from its seven balconies. The building has been meticulously maintained, preserving its original 1930s architecture and charm.
Reviews of the Varadero Golf Club highlight the exceptional views from the top of the oldest functioning elevator in Cuba. The cigar lounge is also a notable feature, providing an authentic Cuban experience with live music and a selection of aged rums. The overall facility is well-maintained and offers a memorable golfing experience.
For those seeking a golf vacation in Cuba, the Varadero Golf Club and Meliá Cuba Golf Hotels offer golf packages that can be customised to include golf lessons and beach access. These packages cater to golfers of all skill levels and provide a unique blend of golf and Cuban culture.
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Golf culture in Cuba
Golf in Cuba has had a tumultuous history, to say the least. Before the Cuban Revolution, the Caribbean island was a popular golfing destination for Americans and a regular fixture on the PGA Tour. However, all of that changed in 1959 when Fidel Castro rose to power and shut down most of the country's golf courses.
The Havana Country Club, where Billy Casper won the 1958 Havana Invitational, was bulldozed and replaced by an art school. The PGA Tour even went as far as to erase the Invitational from its records, along with any recognition of Casper's win. During this time, golf in Cuba soldiered on, mostly in a state of suspended animation, with the odd expat or tourist encountering basic facilities and courses in the loosest sense of the word.
Fast forward to the present day, and golf's fortunes in Cuba might just be about to change. Foreign investors have been working to cut through the red tape and partner with the Cuban government to develop golf courses along the island's untouched coast. There are nearly a dozen projects in the works, but they face significant hurdles, including Cuban law, which forbids land ownership.
Despite these challenges, Cuba currently has two golf courses. The Habana Golf Club, a 9-hole course designed by Bill Amick in 1963, is located in the south of the Cuban capital. The other is the Varadero Golf Club, the only 18-hole, 72-par golf course in Cuba, designed by Les Furber and opened in 1999. The course covers a narrow 3.5 km strip and offers breathtaking ocean views from its club house, the Xanadu Mansion.
So, while golf culture in Cuba may not be what it once was before the revolution, there are promising developments on the horizon, and Cuba could once again become a destination for golfers seeking to combine their passion with the beauty and charm of this Caribbean island.
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Golf course projects in Cuba
Cuba currently has three 18-hole golf courses: the Campo de Golf Capdevila and the Havana Golf Club (both in Havana), and the Varadero Golf Club, located at a popular tourist resort in Matanzas Province. There is also a nine-hole course near Havana, the Habana Golf Club, and a course at Guantanamo, used by the US military.
During the pre-communist years of the 1920s through to the 1950s, the Caribbean country was home to at least seven courses. However, following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Fidel Castro closed all the courses, deeming them to be the epitome of bourgeois excess.
Today, there are plans to build several new courses and luxury resorts as part of a multi-billion-dollar commitment between the Cuban government and foreign investors. The country's rolling topography, abundance of oceanfront, and vibrant culture give Cuba the potential to be a golfing mecca.
One such project is the Carbonera Club, driven by British-based Esencia Hotel & Resorts, which calls for apartments, villas, and a championship golf course just west of Varadero. The club intends to hold its first golf tournaments in 2012. Another project is the Cuba-Kanata Golf Ltd company, a joint venture between the company Standing Feather International (SFI) and the Cuban state-owned company Palmares Grupo. Work on this project was set to begin in September 2012.
Other golf course projects include a $300 million country club on Cuba's most famous beach, sponsored by the executive director of London's Essence Group, and a project for the Guardalavaca Beach area along the island's north-eastern coast, designed by Canadian golf course architect Graham Cooke. The four largest development projects total over $1.5 billion, with profits expected to be around half of that amount.
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Frequently asked questions
Varadero Golf Club is the only 18-hole, 72-par golf course in Cuba. It was designed by golf architect Les Furber and opened in 1999. The course is fairly flat with open fairways, making it well-suited for intermediate golfers.
Varadero Golf Club's Xanadu Mansion is a boutique hotel with breathtaking ocean views and golf course views from its seven balconies. Meliá Cuba Golf Hotels also offers golf packages and organises events for its golfing community.
Before the Cuban Revolution, Cuba was a popular golf destination for Americans and a regular stop on the PGA Tour. However, in 1959, Fidel Castro rose to power and shut down most of the country's golf courses. In recent years, there have been efforts to revive golf in Cuba, with international developers proposing golf course projects along the country's coastline.
Golf culture is limited in Cuba, and the sport caters mostly to elites. The Havana Golf Club, for example, has been described as a "scruffy, forlorn layout from another era".
