Barb and Andy's Golf, Travel, & Life Diary
Inspired by Golf & Life and Sharing Our Experiences, Insights, & Love
Cantegril Country Club in Punta del Este, Uruguay, wow is all I can say…
My host in Uruguay, the eminent golf professional and professional golfer from Uruguay,Mr. Alvaro Canessa!. Thanks fro some great interviews about golf and Mr. Roberto De Vicenzo! Mr. Alvaro Canessa, “Mr. because he is now 50 and heading to Portugal to qualify for the Sr. European Tour. Good luck Alvaro!
Having a swim at the beach, heat of summer and a long day for New Year’s Day!
Happy New Year! Two day trip to Uruguay to celebrate the New Year of 2014 at Punta del Este, Uruguay, what a party! Played the Club de Golf del Uruguay & Cantegril Country Club. Two ferry rides, four bus rides without any reservations during the holiday season and one taxi ride with two other guys a la Trains, Planes & Automobiles movie. Sleeper bus (the bus system in this part of the world is fantastic) to play Córdoba Golf Club Friday & Saturday, where the heart of Argentinean golf lies… I can’t believe I will be stateside in Orlando at the 2014 PGA Show in a little over two weeks time! All the best to you in 2014! (-: (Facebook Post 11 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 1/2/14)
At the office in Punta del Este, Uruguay, the creepy yet beautiful section?
Torch could have easily come along on this part of the trip! Gosh I miss her! (-:
Must have been 19 different bus lines in Montevideo
Cantegril Country Club in Punta del Este, Uruguay, wow is all I can say…
My host in Uruguay, the eminent golf professional and professional golfer from Uruguay,Mr. Alvaro Canessa!. Thanks fro some great interviews about golf and Mr. Roberto De Vicenzo! Mr. Alvaro Canessa, “Mr. because he is now 50 and heading to Portugal to qualify for the Sr. European Tour. Good luck Alvaro!
The ultimate and intimate welcoming gift- a book on the history of the Club de Golf del Uruguay, Thanks Raul Perez!
Parrots galore in this part of the world, doing what I do not know!
Having a swim at the beach, heat of summer and a long day for New Year’s Day!
At the office in Punta del Este, Uruguay, the creepy yet beautiful section?
Bus station in Montevideo, Uruguay, must be 15 different bus companies!
Torch could have easily come along on this part of the trip! Gosh I miss her! (-:
Leave your ATM card in the machine in Buenos Aires, come back three days later and they have it for you!
My office back on the street in Buenos Aires!
The ultimate and intimate welcoming gift- a book on the history of the Club de Golf del Uruguay, Thanks Raul Perez!
Parrots galore in this part of the world, doing what I do not know!
With Carla & Gregor Schmid and their daughter Priscilla.
One of the most delightful days of the “Journey to Olympic Golf” was New Year’s Eve Day, December 31st. It was a day right out of Steve Martin’s 1987 comedy movie “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” My version was more spiritual and would be called “Ferry, Buses & a Taxi.” It started in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ended at the incredible New Year’s Eve celebration in Punta del Estes, Uruguay. The highlight of the highlights of that day (there were many) was meeting the Scmid Golfing Family (most of the family) at the Golf Club of Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. The video interviews speak for themselves and the message is clear that the spirit of family and golf is alive and flourishing in Uruguay!
CLICK here for Video Interview with Carla & Gregor Schmid.
CLICK here for Video Interview with daughter Priscilla, a junior golfer.
The 12th green, note the two approach shots! The picture does not do the view of the water justice. It is spectacular!
A life-changing moment occurred for me during the round of golf that afternoon with a mystic former diplomat. Her name was Rasha and we were walking to the 12th green.
The Golf Club of Uruguay sits on a perched corner of land surrounded by water. One end vista overlooks the steepled 1700s city of Montevideo while the other end is coastline forever with nothing but water in between. Seeing the vast water it occurred to me that this was the first time in nearly three months that I had seen the Atlantic Ocean and felt a twinge of homesickness for Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida far to the north but on the same ocean.
Satellite view of Rio de la Plata, courtesy of Wikipedia. To the lower right of the brown river is Buenos Ares, Argentina.Tthe white star upper right is Montevideo, Uruguay.
I looked for the late afternoon sun in the southwest sky and pointed with authority over the vast waterness confidently towards where I knew Buenos Aires to be. After all I had woke up there and it was simple geography and geometry. Then Rasha said something that I will forever remember and let it impact me for the rest of my life.
“No,” my sincere host said, “the sun is in the north.”
She was right, I was wrong.
The wise and articulate Rasha corrected me stating that what laid before us was the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver). It is the widest river in the world at 140 miles wide at its mouth with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Uruguay from Argentina. Punta del Estes (Point of the East) was another 83 miles to the north along the forever coastline and that is where one finds the Atlantic Ocean.
The Monserrate Sanctuary high above Bogota, Colombia.
Then she pointed ninety degrees to the left of where I had pointed and though I could not see it I knew that was the correct direction of Buenos Aires. I realized at that moment for the first time in my life that things I take for granted and to be fundamental to my way of life could be askew, even possibly the exact opposite of what I know to be true. At the same moment I was driving up the mountain at night to Reunion in Guatemala and experiencing the fiery red lava flow of a volcano. I was at the Monserrate Sanctuary high above Bogota, Colombia. The location of the sun, so simple a thing, so prominent a thing in my life wasn’t were I thought it could be.
What else may I have miscalculated in my life? Assumptions of childhood, relationships and pursuits of my life? Why did this brief interchange, something so easy to discount, laugh about and forget stay so central to my thoughts ever since that final afternoon of the old year? I guess we don’t really need to factor in the exact location of the sun as we go about our daily proceedings but maybe the sun is a good place to start when we look within to our attitudes, perspectives and view of life. For one it is always shining down somewhere in the world. Secondly even if it is a dark and raining day it is still shining above the clouds. There is always hope for later today and tomorrow and I hope I never forget that sunny afternoon revelation so graciously given to me by Rasha of Uruguay.
Brazil visa in hand, now planning to make Uruguay the 15th country visited on the “Journey to Olympic Golf,” then visit Cordoba before heading to Rio de Janeiro on the 7th! I could not have asked (definitely I could not have planned) to have things work out the way they have on this odyssey! Thinking my Portuguese is better than my Spanish but that is like thinking my golf game is better than Frosty’s aka Jeffrey Rothstein… neither of us is going to win The Masters and I am not going to be able to speak the native tongue in Rio… have a TROML day! I am taking a bus to play the public muni golf course in Buenos Aires which I think is very significant and symbolic for the “Journey to Olympic Golf”!!! (-: ps “Don’t Cry for Me United States,” I think the two stiffs I had lunch with at La Bieba’s have something to do with auto racing but Bill Hughes would know that! (-: (Facebook Post 4 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 12/30/13)
A full and fun day exploring Buenos Aires and visiting the Eva Peron Museum! Join me in these 62 selected pics of the day!
Good tip, ferry over to Montevideo and play la Club de Golf del Uruguay which dates back to 1922… would become the 14th country on the “Journey to Olympic Golf.” Hopefully I make the right connection! (-: (Facebook Post Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/28/13)
Flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina this morning… Noon appointment for Brazil visa… thinking to hang near Buenos Aires for New Years then rent a car and go see the Cordoba area. Flexible, leave on the 7th for Rio de Janeiro, please let me know of any golfing, sightseeing, Olympic or lodging opportunities… the “Journey to Olympic Golf” continues… (Facebook Post 1 Pic, Andy Reistetter, 12/26/13)
Made it to Buenos Aires, Argentina… Andy flying over the Andes… Beautiful city… “Journey to Olympic Golf” continues… 80th day… 13th country… Jan 7th to Rio de Janeiro… Jan 17th to Orlando for the PGA Show… week there then back home in PVB! Happy New Year of 2014!!! (-: (Facebook Post 8 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 12/29/13)
This “Journey to Olympic Golf” has been a spirited personal journey too! I have been in several high, close to Heaven sort of places, the last few weeks… I have met so many warm and giving people these last 75 days beginning at home in Ponte Vedra Beach… these last three pictures I believe tell the eternal story well… when it is hard to light a candle or even say a prayer… there is always HOPE, find that wishing well and may that HOPE be with you this Christmas Day and throughout the New Year of 2014… thanks for being along on this journey with me! Andy (-: (Facebook Post 15 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 12/25/13)
Confirmed Thurs Dec 26th Buenos Airies, Mon Jan 6th Rio de Janeiro, Fri Jan 17th Orlando… 11 nights in BA, 11 nights in Rio and I am home to the PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions, aka the PGA Show, in Orlando! Hope to see you there… are you coming??? The “Journey to Olympic Golf” is just beginning! (-: (Facebook Post Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/25/13)
A fun Christmas with New Yorkers in Santiago, Chile! (Facebook Shared Toni Day Post 1 Pic, Andy Reistetter, 12/25/13)
Merry Christmas from Santiago, Chile!
I hope this finds you happy, healthy and with loved ones during the holidays!
Please make a last minute donation to The First Tee if you haven’t already. We are blessed in the United States to have such a great program to help young people gain the skills and confidence to make a positive difference in the world. I have met many people along the way throughout Latin America working on similar initiatives. Give what you can as every dollar will make a difference!
As for me, I am doing fine. Though alone this Christmas and far from home, I am not lonely. This “Journey to Olympic Golf” has truly been a lifetime experience meeting wonderful people along the way.
My latest handle has been “golf voyager and documentarian.” I have been doing a lot more voyaging than documenting. The website has the latest material.
Here is a quick update. Panama was awesome- came across an ex-Pat bar in Coronado and found a home in Panama City playing the Golf Club of Panama and Santa Maria. Tough decision but left Torch with the Infiniti dealer who is planning to auction her off for junior golf at the Panama Open. The decision was the right one since I don’t think I ever realized how big South America is!
I flew to Cartagena, Colombia and played Karibana, an awesome resort you will likely hear more about soon. Then to Bogota to play Los Legartos. Interviewing German Calle, the golf columnist and broadcaster in Colombia was a thrill and visiting Monserrate truly inspirational. From Bogota I went to Medellin to play Camilo Villegas’ home course. Colombia is a golfing country like no other and I loved meeting the people and visiting the places I did.
On to Lima, Peru to play Los Inkas and Lima Golf Club and, see La Planicie in La Molina. Then on to Santiago, Chile where I played the Los Leones GC this morning with two golfing brothers and had a blast! So much material to process and document, my head is spinning a bit for sure!
On Thursday I fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina and have a Brazil VISA appointment there at noon. The last three plus weeks will be spent in Argentina and Brazil which is where I need to be when it comes to golf history and the Olympics. I will be excited to return home for the PGA Show in Orlando on or around the weekend of January 18th.
I feel like I have experienced Christmas each day of this “Journey to Olympic Golf.” This being the 75th day I am like the kid on Christmas morning every morning. Golf uniquely brings people together in so many positive ways. It seems to me if you are a golfer you are automatically friends with everyone, especially in new places, whether they are golfers or not. One thing this trip has reaffirmed for me is that first we are all citizens of this world and secondly of our country, family, religion, sport and on and on. Yes we are all truly unique and uniquely make up this world… for only a very short period of time.
So in the Christmas spirit, I wish you all good health, joy and happiness! I remember my recently departed “kindred spirited” friend Harry Horton and realize all the good things in life are there for us to enjoy. So celebrate life today and enjoy!
(Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 12/24/13)
