Golf in Peru has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, driven by strategic efforts from the Peruvian Golf Federation and the R&A. Although golf hasn’t traditionally been a widely popular sport in the country, the increase in the number of golf courses, players with handicaps, and youth and women’s development programs has been significant.
Today, Peru has 13 active golf courses and clubs across the country, located in Lima and other regions. Among the most renowned is the Lima Golf Club, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary as the host of the fourth edition of the Women’s Amateur Latin America.
Other notable courses include the Club de Golf Los Inkas and Club de Golf La Planicie, both of which have been instrumental in the sport’s development in the country and have hosted significant professional tours like the PGA TOUR Americas (formerly PGA TOUR Latinoamérica).
In terms of players, it is estimated that Peru has around 3,000 golfers with handicaps and approximately 9,000 golf enthusiasts, of which about 2,570 are members of the 13 golf clubs. Although still modest compared to other countries in the region, such as Argentina or Chile, what stands out is the steady growth in these numbers, especially among young people who are taking up the sport thanks to specific development programs.
A fundamental pillar of this growth has been the support of the R&A, which has closely collaborated with the Peruvian Golf Federation on various initiatives to improve access to the sport. One of these is the “Golf for All” program, whose standout achievement has been the creation of the public course in San Bartolo, an iconic project designed to make golf accessible to more people, especially those from low-income backgrounds. The course, located about 50 kilometers from Lima, not only provides an accessible space to practice the sport but also includes a golf school for children from low-income families, allowing new generations to enter the world of golf without the financial barriers that have traditionally limited participation.
Beyond infrastructure, the R&A has supported the implementation of youth development and training programs. The San Bartolo school has demonstrated how these initiatives can transform lives by offering children from underprivileged communities the opportunity to learn the sport, and in many cases, receive quality training to compete at the amateur level.
Another significant initiative by the Peruvian Golf Federation, with support from the R&A, has been the formation of the Women’s Golf Commission, which aims to create opportunities for more women to join the sport. From this initiative emerged “Las Chicas del Golf,” who have developed numerous activities to create a platform for practicing golf and fostering greater participation. The results are reflected in the growing number of local tournaments and the international representation Peru has achieved in women’s golf in recent years.
“We realized that if we wanted more women or families to participate, we needed to make women feel welcome in this sport. It was fundamental to create a space where women felt welcomed. We began speaking with club captains, explaining how important it was to support women when they wanted to start playing golf,” said Magdalena Villar, President of the Women’s Golf Commission of the Peruvian Golf Federation, who helped transform women’s golf in Peru.
The Women’s Amateur Latin America 2024, will be held at Lima Golf Club from November 21 to 24, is a clear testament to Peru’s growing prominence in the region. This tournament will not only attract the best female talents from across Latin America and the Caribbean but also establish the country as a key venue for future international events. The WALA champion will play alongside leading figures in women’s professional golf in three Majors next year: The Chevron Championship (The Club at Carlton Woods, USA), The Amundi Evian Championship (Evian Resort Golf Club, France), and the AIG Women’s Open (Royal Porthcawl, Wales).
