Aspiraciones al golf en Biarritz y San Sebastián, 1900-1936

Abstract

Golf, insofar as it is played by the Spanish, was one of the sports which had its debut at the beginning of the twentieth century, when sports clubs were created with golf courses similar to British and French ones. Golf in Spain took root above all in Biarritz and its golf course became a model to imitate. The early golf courses were venues for leisure pursuits and also to do sport. In Biarritz as well as San Sebastián, golf courses were considered an essential facility to lure tourists both by local town councils and infrastructure institutions and as such they were concerned about their survival to attract foreigners and as something which local residents could be proud of.; El golf, en cuanto practicado por españoles, fue uno de los deportes estrenados en España al comienzo del siglo XX, cuando se crearon clubs deportivos con campos similares a los británicos o franceses. El golf español se inoculó sobre todo en Biarritz, y su campo fue modelo a imitar. Los primeros campos fueron sitios de ocio intenso, y de deporte. Tanto en Biarritz, como después en San Sebastián, el campo de golf se consideró, desde los ayuntamientos y las instituciones de fomento, un equipamiento imprescindible para fijar al turista, y como tal se preocuparon de la supervivencia del nuevo reclamo del forastero, y motivo de orgullo para los locales.