Golf in Rio; Also About Running, Minigolf and Rowing

Golf in Rio hasn´t really caught on, it´s slowly growing though. There are only two real golf courses, they are only open to non-members if you stay at certain hotels or get an invitation from a member. They are:

Gávea Golf Club Estrada da Gávea 800, São Conrado map, tel 3322-4141. 18 holes.

Itanhanga Golf Club Estrada da Barra 2005, Barra de Tijuca map, tel 2494-2507. 27 holes.

There are two open courses a well. You have to know how to play golf, preferrably with a green card, to get access to the courses. They don´t accept t-shirts or tattered clothes. They are:

Golden Green Golf Club Av. Canal de Marapendi 2901, Barra da Tijuca map, tel 2434-0696. Six holes.

Golf in Rio Av. Benvindo de Novaes 1001, Recreio dos Bandeirantes map, tel 3411-9004. A golf school open to the public with a 25 hole course and a driving range. The cheapest option.

Mini Golf in Rio

Minigolfe Casashopping Av. Ayrton Senna 2150, Barra da Tijuca map, tel 2108-8170. Open Mon 12h/22h Tue-Sat 10h/22h Sun 15h/21h.

Running in Rio (by: Matt)
The surrounding scenery combined people watching along the beach make jogging in Rio a delightful experience. You almost forget you’re jogging. The best places are along Copacabana, Ipanema or Barra beaches or around the Lagoa. Chances are you are staying within walking distance of one of these places if you are staying in Zona Sul. From one end of Copacabana Beach to the end in Leme Beach it´s 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). From the Arpoador end of Ipanema Beach to the end of Leblon Beach is also about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). Barra is a 12 kilometer stretch (7.5 miles) of beach so pick your start location and run. For views of the Tijuca Park, Cristo and Calabritas Hill it’s hard to beat a run around the Lagoa. The path surrounding the lagoon is 7.5 kilometers (4 miles).

People say running on the sand is better on the knees and back. There is plenty of space for this on the beaches but it’s advisable, if running barefoot, to keep an eye on where you step in Copacabana and Ipanema. Sometimes those annoying and thin drinking straws that the beach cleaning machines can’t pick up can painfully stick into an unassuming foot.

With a fitness scene like Rio’s you’ll rarely be alone while jogging in Rio. There are joggers from sunrise until late at night. Early in the morning the average age tends to be in the retiree range. As the morning moves on the age level noticeably drops and unfortunately the traffic exhaust increases. Depending on the sea breeze, the air quality isn’t too bad for a big city. But if you are sensitive to exhaust it’s best to run early in morning or later in the evening. If you need to clear your head from the night before I find that an açai juice followed by a jog works wonders.

Be careful of the sun and the hot weather. It can be scorching especially from noon until about 3pm. Its okay to jog along the lit up beach paths until midnight or so. It is not safe to jog on the sand after the sun goes down. Also, leave any valuables at home. Bring a few Reais for a coconut water or an açai.

Rowing in Rio
This sport has a long tradition here, in fact most of the traditional football clubs started as rowing clubs. Even though, just like in England and US, it started out as a sport for the upper classes today it´s nothing like that. It´s cheap and for everyone. There are a few clubs conveniently located around the lake (Lagóa). They are:

Botafogo Futebol e Regatas (Sacopã) Av. Epitácio Pessoa, 1501, Lagóa map, tel 2539-9985. Just like with golf in Rio you have to become a member.

Clube de Regatas Piraque Av. Borges de Medeiros 1424, Lagóa map, tel 2512-0980. This club is in the area of the big rowing stadium at Lagóa.

Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama R. General Tasso Fragosso 65, Lagóa map, tel 2156-3939.

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo Av. Borges de Medeiros 997, Lagóa map, tel 2159-0167.

Clube de Regatas Guanabara Av. Borges de Medeiros 1424 map, tel 2295-2597 or 2295-7798. Also located in the rowing stadium.

Clube Naval Av. Borges de Medeiros 2364, Lagóa map, tel 3077-6000.

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