(OT) Golfing in Peru

Since it was brought up in the Myths dispelled thread...

The Blue Goose Open, run by the Southern Peru Copper Corporation, is held mid-July every year.

1 hole, par 80.  It runs across 2 mesas, three gulleys, and then heads 15KM accross the Atacoma desert.

You carry an iron (usually 4-5), a wood (3 or 5), and 1x2 ft astroturf mat.

Walk to the ball, place it on the mat, and give it a whack.  Repeat 80-90 times.  Aim for the billowing smoke in the distance (they light a huge bonfire as a target).  Enjoy the beer trucks driving through.

The "green" is a 30-ft diameter patch of sand mixed with oil.  Rolls pretty true (moderate break), but slow.  They have to sweep after each golfer (which is ok, since they straggle in about 1 every 5 minutes).

I spent a summer on an archeological dig in Peru, also sponsored by the SPCC.  We academics were invited to participate.  I shot an 83, and came in third.  I'm pretty sure the "winner" was full of it, though, since he was 7 shots behind me coming out of the cabradas, and claimed to shoot a 77.  (2nd place was legit, though, so no complaints).

Remeber, there are fewer metaphors than people think.