Golfers gather for a chilly round

By Jane Chambers
BBC News, Santiago

The tournament was won by Puerto Rican Cesar Serrano

Chile has hosted South America's very first Snow Golf Championship.

High up in the Andes mountains, overlooking the capital Santiago, professional and amateur golfers from around the world teed off in the snow.

The winner qualified to take part in next year's Championships in St Moritz in Switzerland.

The Championship is described as golf's "coolest" tournament, and was won by Cesar Serrano, a Puerto Rican, taking part in his first tournament.

'It was amazing'

The event used fluorescent, amber-coloured balls so that players could see them.

Instead of the usual pristine manicured grass the fairways were white and made of heavily compacted snow, which was re-frozen every night to ensure that the ball ran smoothly.

Mr Serrano said: "This is brand new for me I didn't know how to play here. I practised two days in a row, and my first two days they were not that good, and today for some reason everything came together. I hit the ball straight, I putted well, and it was amazing."

But, even for the professional golfers, it is much harder than playing on grass, according to Chile's number one golfer, Marc Tullo.

"It's totally different at first the ball ran, now it's got a little soggy, so it stops more, you miss the ball and it is like throwing it into water cause you lose it. It gets in the powder snow, and just sinks in so it's been a very new experience.

"But, hopefully we will be able to do it again in Chile."

Snow Golf has actually been around since the 17th Century when it was called Kolven.

The championships have been running since 1979 in the Swiss Alps in St Moritz. But this is the first time the series has ever been outside Europe.

The hope is that the Chilean Championship will become a yearly event and there is even talk of trying to have it accepted as an Olympic Sport.