The best golf courses in South America

We have five continents represented on our ranking of the World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. The only two missing? South America and Antarctica. There are are no golf courses on Antarctica, but it’s not an indictment on the quality of golf in South America. Almost 100 years ago, when Alister MacKenzie designed two courses for The Jockey Club, it’s likely the Red course would’ve competed for entry on a top-100 list at that time. The Great Doctor had just wrapped up the design at Augusta National when he was commissioned for work in Argentina, a country booming in wealth at that time, and Venezuela, where he designed the No. 1 course in Uruguay, the Golf Club of Uruguay.

Though other classic architects didn’t flock to South America like areas of Europe, some did, such as Stanley Thompson, who did a ton of work in Brazil during the 1930s; Robert Trent Jones, who designed El Rincón in Colombia and Dick Wilson, who worked in Venezuela. That predated more modern designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye’s son, Perry, among others, and Gil Hanse, with his Rio Olympic Course in Brazil, where Hanse also did some redesign work, like at Gávea, the No. 1 course in Brazil.

Below you’ll find a ranking of the Best Courses in South America, including a full feature of the Best Courses in Argentina with full write-ups and reviews. The reviews are a product of our course-ranking panelists and our new world panel of golfers across the globe.

We urge you to click through to each individual course page for bonus photography, drone footage and expanded reviews. Plus, you can now leave your own ratings on the courses you’ve played … to make your case why your favorite should be ranked higher.

Argentina

10. Argentino Golf Club, Buenos Aires
9. Club de Campo Mendoza
8. El Desafio Mountain Resort

VIEW THE FULL RANKINGS IN ARGENTINA HERE

Bolivia

1. La Paz G.C., Aranjuez

Brazil

1. Gávea G. & C.C., Rio de Janeiro
2. Rio Olympics G. Cse. (pictured above), Rio de Janeiro
3. Terravista G. Cse., Trancoso, Bahia
4. São Paulo G.C., São Paulo
5. Santapazienza G.C., Itatiba

Chile

1. Los Leones G.C., Santiago
2. Patagonia Virgin Golf Club (main photo)
3. Prince of Wales C.C., Santiago
4. La Serena Golf Club
5. Rocas de Santo Domingo G.C. (Red/Blue), Santo Domingo

Colombia

1. TPC Cartagena at Karibana, Cartagena
2. El Rincón G.C., Bogotá
3. C.C. of Bogatá (Founders), Bogatá
4. Santa Marta Golf Club
5. Ruitoque Golf and Country Club

Ecuador

1. Quito Tennis & G.C., Quito

Falkland Islands

1. Stanley G.C., Stanley

French Guiana

1. Anse G.C., Kourou

Guyana

1. Lusignan G.C., Georgetown

Paraguay

1. Resort Yacht & G.C., Paraguayo, Ascuncíon

Peru

1. Los Inkas G.C., Lima

Suriname

1. Paramaribo G.C., Paramaribo

Uruguay

1. Golf Club of Uruguay (above)
2. Carmelo Golf Club
3. Cantegril C.C., Punta del Este
4. Club del Lago, Punta Ballena

Venezuela

1. Caracas C.C., Caracas, Distrito Federal

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Explore our brand-new course reviews experience with individual course pages for bonus photography, drone footage and expanded reviews of top international courses and all 17,000-plus courses in the United States. Post your own ratings for courses you’ve played … and tell us where it should be ranked.