A collection of celebrity athletes have put their names on sports attractions at what’s being called “the first world-class real estate development in Argentina.”
Estancia Villa Maria Equestrian & Golf Estates Resort will feature a tennis club led by Guillermo Vilas, a winner of four Grand Slam tennis titles; a polo club led by Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras, an Argentine star (and model) who’s been called “the David Beckham” of polo; and an equestrian center managed by an internationally known American rider, teacher, and author, George Morris.
And yes, Estancia Villa Maria will also have a golf course – an 18-hole, 7,250-yard “signature” track that’s been designed by two Argentines: Eduardo “El Gato” Romero, who’s claimed 74 victories on various professional tours, and Andres Romero, the PGA Tour’s rookie of the year in 2008. The architectural nuts-and-bolts will be provided by Randy Thompson, a designer with offices in Chile and Argentina.
The community will take shape on 1,560 acres in Maximo Paz, a southwestern suburb of Buenos Aires. The property is already home to a 15-suite country hotel, built in the late 19th century, that’s been praised by such publications as Travel + Leisure and Forbes Traveler. Still to come are 805 single-family houses, a 20-room boutique hotel, a spa, a wellness center, and a clubhouse for each of the aforementioned sports.
Estancia Villa Maria is being developed by Fiducia Capital Group, a Buenos Aires-based developer. Fiducia owns the Moreno Hotel in Buenos Aires, and it’s developed Santa Maria de Lobos, a polo-centric resort community in Lobos. Fiducia also co-owns the lease on Cerro Bayo Mountain Resort, a four-season vacation destination in the Patagonia region of Argentina.
The company plans to enlarge the resort’s ski area, overhaul its existing facilities, and build some ski-in, ski-out villas and condos, three hotels, a spa, a shopping area, and other attractions. In addition, in the fall of 2011 Fiducia and its partners plan to break ground on an 18-hole, Thompson-designed golf course at Cerro Bayo.
By the way, Eduardo Romero is also lending his name to the planned golf course at Valle de Uco Golf & Country Club in Vista Flores, Argentina.
This story originally appeared in the World Edition of the Golf Course Report, in a slightly different form. For a sample copy of the World Edition, call 301/680-9460 or write to WorldEdition@aol.com.