Golf in Santiago
Chile's capital plays golf in the shadow of the Andes, with century old members clubs in the leafy eastern suburbs, modern courses in the foothills and the wine country and coast a short drive away. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Marbella Country Club, via Google.
Why golf in Santiago
Santiago is one of the most spectacular settings for golf in South America, a modern, sophisticated city laid out on a wide plain with the snow capped Andes rising right behind it. The golf has deep British and European roots, founded by the merchant and mining communities of the early twentieth century, and the best clubs sit among the jacaranda lined streets of Las Condes, Vitacura and Lo Barnechea, with the mountains as a constant backdrop. For a visiting golfer it pairs genuinely good courses with great wine, fine dining and easy side trips to the vineyards and the Pacific coast.
The historic headline is Club de Golf Los Leones, founded in 1910 in the heart of Las Condes and one of the most exclusive clubs in the country. Around it, the British rooted Prince of Wales, the Andean foothill courses at La Dehesa and Valle Escondido, and the Chicureo clubs to the north, including the only thirty six hole facility in Chile at Las Brisas, give the capital real depth. Add the resort golf at Marbella on the coast and the wine country courses, and Santiago makes a fine, uncrowded base for a golf and wine escape.
The regions
The eastern suburbs
Las Condes, Vitacura and La Reina, where the historic clubs Los Leones, Sport Frances and Prince of Wales sit among the smartest neighbourhoods, the most convenient golf for a city stay.
The Andean foothills
Lo Barnechea and the pre cordillera, home to La Dehesa and Valle Escondido, where the courses climb into the foothills with dramatic mountain views and cooler, cleaner air.
Chicureo and the coast
The newer Chicureo clubs north of the city, including the thirty six holes of Las Brisas, plus the coastal resort golf at Marbella toward the Pacific, the wider day trips of a Santiago trip.
The courses that matter
Club de Golf Los Leones
The historic heart of Chilean golf, an exclusive par 72 founded in 1910 in the heart of Las Condes, with mature trees, classic parkland holes and the Andes behind. Private and prestigious, it is the round most visitors hope to play and the benchmark for the city.
Prince of Wales Country Club
One of the oldest clubs in the country, founded by Santiago's British community and still rich in that heritage, set in La Reina at the foot of the cordillera. A traditional, well kept members course with a strong sporting club around it and lovely mountain views.
Club de Golf Las Brisas de Chicureo
The only thirty six hole facility in Chile, around thirty kilometres north of the city, where the premier Valle course was laid out by Stuart Moore of Gage Davis Associates in 1997. Modern, spacious and well conditioned, the deepest single golf address near the capital.
Valle Escondido Golf Club
A scenic foothill course in Lo Barnechea, built in 2000 to a Gage Davis and Stuart Moore design, tucked into a hidden valley below the Andes with dramatic elevation and mountain backdrops throughout, one of the prettiest rounds around Santiago.
Club de Golf La Dehesa
An eighteen hole championship course set in the pre Andean foothills of Lo Barnechea, a long established club with rolling, tree lined holes and superb views of the mountains, a fine and characterful members course on the eastern edge of the city.
Club de Golf Sport Frances
A historic eighteen hole club in Vitacura with French sporting roots, a mature, leafy parkland course in one of the smartest parts of the city, convenient, traditional and very much part of Santiago's golf establishment.
Hacienda Chicureo Club de Golf
A modern eighteen hole club in the growing Chicureo valley north of Santiago, an open, well conditioned course with mountain views and good practice facilities, part of the newer wave of golf development outside the historic centre.
Club de Polo y Golf San Cristobal
A storied sporting club combining golf with polo and tennis, set on the northern side of the city, a green, traditional course and clubhouse that capture the social, members club character of golf in Santiago.
Marbella Country Club
The leading resort golf within reach of the capital, on the Pacific coast toward Maitencillo around ninety minutes northwest, with a hotel, spa and ocean air. The most accessible stay and play option for a visitor and a fine pairing with a few days in the city.
Mapocho and the wine country
Beyond the city, courses scatter through the Maipo and Casablanca wine valleys toward the coast, where a round can be paired with vineyard tours and tastings, the natural way to widen a Santiago golf trip into a golf and wine escape.
Lomas de La Dehesa
A foothill course in the La Dehesa area on the eastern edge of the city, with rolling terrain and mountain views, one of several pleasant members courses clustered in the smart pre Andean suburbs.
The vineyard day trips
Not golf, but the perfect counterpoint, the Casablanca and Maipo valleys put some of Chile's great wineries within an hour of the courses, an easy half day for the non golfers or a celebration round's reward.
Clubs, founding years and designers verified June 2026 from the Chilean Golf Federation and recognized golf databases. Los Leones was founded in 1910; Las Brisas de Chicureo's Valle course is by Stuart Moore of Gage Davis Associates; Valle Escondido is a Gage Davis and Stuart Moore design. Many leading clubs are private. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
See the best Chile courses ranked Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| September to November, March to May | Warm, dry, settled spring and fall | Prime golf, the most comfortable windows |
| December to February | Hot and dry summer | Very playable, start early to beat the afternoon heat |
| June to August | Cool winter with occasional rain | Quieter and good value, layer up for the mornings |
Santiago sits in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are reversed from Europe and North America. The Mediterranean climate gives long, dry summers and mild, mostly dry winters.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resort and semi private green fee | Around US$60 to US$130 | Marbella and the more accessible courses |
| Private members clubs | Reciprocal or member host only | Los Leones, Prince of Wales, Sport Frances |
| Caddie or cart | Around US$20 to US$40 | Where available, varies by club |
| A short trip, all in | Around US$1,500 to US$3,500 per person | Several rounds, hotels, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez International airport is the main gateway to Chile, with long haul links across the Americas, Europe and Oceania, around thirty minutes from the smart eastern suburbs where most of the golf sits. The leading clubs are spread across Las Condes, Vitacura, La Reina and Lo Barnechea, with the Chicureo courses to the north and Marbella on the coast, so a private driver or hire car is the simplest way to move a group between courses, the city and the wine valleys.
Where to stay
Most visitors base themselves in the modern eastern districts of Las Condes and Vitacura, where the international hotels, the best restaurants and the golf clubs are all close together and the city feels safe and easy. For a golf focused break, the Marbella resort on the coast offers stay and play with a hotel and spa. Many groups combine a few nights in the city with a wine country stay or a coastal night at Marbella. Let one planner balance the golf, the city and the vineyards.
Plan your Santiago golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Santiago golf questions
What is the best golf course in Santiago?
Club de Golf Los Leones in Las Condes, founded in 1910 and one of Chile's most exclusive clubs, is the historic headline course, a mature par 72 in the heart of the city. Las Brisas de Chicureo, the only 36 hole facility in the country, and the Andean foothill courses at La Dehesa and Valle Escondido complete the strongest cluster around the capital.
When is the best time to play golf in Santiago?
The seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere. Spring, from September to November, and fall, from March to May, are the prime windows, with warm, dry, settled weather. Summer, from December to February, is hot and dry and very playable early, while winter, from June to August, is cool with the occasional rain but still good for golf.
How much does golf cost in Santiago in 2026?
Many of Santiago's leading clubs are private members clubs that visitors play through reciprocal arrangements or with a member, while resort and semi private courses run indicative green fees of roughly US$60 to US$130. A short golf trip with hotels and transfers typically lands between US$1,500 and US$3,500 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
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The Tee Sheet
New course openings, tee time windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.