Mar del Plata is famous for its beaches, restaurants and vibrant summer atmosphere, but there is another side of the city that deserves attention: golf.
With more than a century of golfing tradition, Mar del Plata has developed into one of Argentina’s most interesting destinations for players looking to combine sport, nature and the Atlantic coast.
A Tradition That Began on the Dunes
Golf arrived in Mar del Plata around 1890, when British railway executives began playing on the dunes of Playa Grande. The Mar del Plata Golf Club was officially founded on January 17, 1900, making it one of the oldest golf institutions in Argentina.
The club’s historic Cancha Vieja, located at Playa Grande, is a genuine seaside links course. Its sandy base, narrow fairways, natural undulations and changing coastal winds create a challenging experience even though the course is relatively short.
The setting is extraordinary: golfers play only minutes from the Atlantic, with the landscape of Playa Grande providing a backdrop that is distinctly Mar del Plata.
La Catedral del Golf
The Mar del Plata Golf Club is known as “La Catedral del Golf”, a name that reflects both its history and its importance in Argentine golf.
Its Tudor-style Club House, inaugurated in 1926, is itself an architectural landmark. Designed by Calvo, Jacobs and Giménez, the building has become an integral part of the city’s cultural and architectural heritage.
The club also hosts the historic Campeonato Abierto del Sur de la República Argentina, one of the country’s traditional golf tournaments, with a history going back to the early 20th century.
Two Courses, Two Experiences
The club offers two very different golfing environments.
Cancha Vieja, at Playa Grande, is the classic seaside experience: an 18-hole links course of approximately 6,052 yards for men, characterized by sandy terrain, narrow fairways, slopes and coastal winds.
Cancha Nueva, located on Mario Bravo Avenue, is an 18-hole, par-71 parkland course surrounded by mature vegetation. Opened in 1956, it occupies a 50-hectare property and provides a completely different atmosphere from the historic links.
Beyond the Mar del Plata Golf Club, golfers can also explore courses around the city and its surrounding areas, including Golf Los Acantilados, Sierra de los Padres Golf Club and Marayui Country Club.
Golf Los Acantilados and Sierra de los Padres Golf Club offer alternatives for visitors who want to extend their golfing experience beyond Playa Grande.
Golf as a Tourism Experience
For international visitors, golf offers an interesting way to experience a different Mar del Plata.
A morning round can be followed by lunch overlooking the ocean, an afternoon on the beach or a dinner in the city’s celebrated gastronomic scene. The combination of golf, Atlantic landscapes, architecture and gastronomy makes the city particularly attractive for travelers who want more than a traditional beach holiday.
And perhaps that is what makes golf in Mar del Plata so special.
Here, the fairway does not exist separately from the destination.
The ocean is part of the experience, the wind is part of the challenge, and more than a century of history is present in every round.
For MDQTimes readers discovering the city, Mar del Plata is not only a place to play golf — it is a place to experience golf by the sea.
