Fidel Castro removed golf from Cuba but new courses show signs of revival
Rare pictures of the two most iconic Marxist leaders, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, were presented for the auction in the United Kingdom last year. One picture showed Guevara lining up a putt and the other picture showed Castro watching the progress of his
shot down the fairway. Both the pictures were taken by Guevara’s personal photographer, the late Alberto Korda. They were presented against a fixed price between US $600-920. Instead, they were sold at 500 percent of their original cost. The picture showing
Che Guevara was sold at US $4,340 and that of Castro was sold at US $3,040.
The pictures sparked speculation about the significance of the match. For some, Latin America’s most recognized communist leaders were making fun of the then U.S. president, Dwight D. Eisenhower who was a die-hard fan of golf, as they wore military uniforms
and boots while playing the match. Some took it as an effort of peace. Reportedly, Castro lost the match that took place in 1962. Guevara served as a caddie at a golf course in Argentina during his childhood. On the other hand, Castro knew nothing about the
sport. Guevara won the match by 127 as Castro carded 78 over par 72 in the single round played on the 18-hole Havana Golf Club.
The results proved devastating for the game of Golf in Cuba. Most of the golf clubs were bulldozed, a golf course in Havana was turned into a military school and another into an art school. By the time Castro stepped down as the President of the country,
there remained only two golf courses in Cuba, offering just 27 holes for the golfers. The Havana Golf Club survived the Castro regime due to foreign diplomats and ambassadors but shrunk to nine holes. The other golf club to survive in that repressive half
century was the Varadero Golf Club. Castro took every possible step to get rid of Golf in his country because he saw it as a ‘Bourgeois” sport.
However, circumstances have improved for Golf with the change of regime which is hungrier to develop Cuba into the favorite destination of the Western tourists. The new government aims to bring the game back to the country ousted by its legendary leader.
The Cuban government is trying to build at least 15 new courses in the country in the next five to seven years. Many architects, designers and developers have confirmed that they are working on golf courses in Cuba. A $300 million luxury Carbonera Country
Club, Leisure Canada’s three planned golf courses in Pinar del Rio province and a Spanish company are in the final stages to develop three courses, are just a few examples of the growing popularity of Golf in Cuba.
Moreover, the Montecristo Cup is set to take place in the Varadero Golf Club in April, later this year. Four times European Tour winner, Spanish Alvaro Quiros, has confirmed his presence in the event. He is keen to play his role in bringing the golfing revolution
to Cuba. "It is important that support is given to many people in Cuba to play, practice and participate in golf," Quiros said, "Golf will be an Olympic event in 2016. Cuba should seriously look at and prepare for golf as they have done with other sports --
baseball, boxing, track and field."
Many remain doubtful about the developments, including Golf Club’s resident professional Johan Vega, "When the new ones open show them to me. Then I will know it is true," he told the Golf.com website, "In Cuba golf culture simply doesn't exist. If you talk
to people here about birdies and bogeys they have no idea what you mean."
It can be safely said that Golf has become a reality in Cuba and that the government is playing its part in the process.
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