December 2009

Colegio Medico, Santiago, Chile

In 2001, an eminent medical practitioner from Chile, Fernando Morgado, attended the European Team Championship at Lloret Papalus. His mission was to find out more about the fledgling international sport of Pitch and Putt. Dr. Fernando Morgado loves the idea of Pitch and Putt and has devoted lots of his time to it. His enthusiasm, leadership abilities and his connections have been of utmost importance in the development process of Pitch and Putt in Chile. Fernando's home course is Colegio Medico.

The course is located inside the property of the influential Colegio de Medico in Santiago (3,000 doctors plus families and friends are members of this association). It is a nine hole course with double tees and distances from 45 to 120 metres (total length 1,474 metres, reduced to 1,200 for tournaments). A very difficult course, with a number of greenside bunkers, water hazards and small greens.

Colegio Medico is similar to a national trade union. Its objective is to improve, protect, develop and rationalize the professions of doctor and surgeon. It groups approximately 15,000 collegiate doctors, in three different associateships' categories, according to one's qualification.

Dr. Juan Morán Viacava is Club President while Dr. Fernando Martinez acts as Vice President.

A beautiful clubhouse overlooks the course with locker rooms and a terrace, which offers a view over the entire course.

Tournaments are played right around the year, the latest event having been held on 18 October.

Hole 2 is a memorable hole, rendered very testing by two strips of water that guard the front of the green.

In 2002, the Federacion Chilena De Pitch and Putt organised a first Chile Pitch and Putt Open as a part of the IV Inter- Regional Medical Games, together with football, tennis, athletics and other sports. The Colegio Medico course hosted the event. More than 100 players participated in the Pitch and Putt Open, of which five were from Catalonia. The one day open ended in a win for local David Valenzuela with gross of 56 and the subsequent team event was won by Catalonia.

The Santiago area (and the Colegio Medico course) features extremes of weather as this photo from July 2007 demonstrates.