Fray Bentos at Fray Bentos Golf Club

Fray Bentos Golf Club occupies a distinctive place in South American golf history as one of the few courses on the continent designed by Alister Mackenzie. The Scottish architect visited Uruguay in 1930 during his extended South American journey that also produced his celebrated work in Argentina, most notably at Jockey Club. The course sits in the riverside city of Fray Bentos along the Uruguay River in the Rio Negro department, a region historically known for its meat-packing industry and Anglo-Uruguayan commercial ties that brought British sporting culture to this corner of Uruguay.

The layout reflects Mackenzie's characteristic principles adapted to the relatively flat terrain of the Uruguayan littoral. The routing makes strategic use of the natural contours and vegetation available, with the architect's trademark emphasis on width, strategic bunkering, and greens that reward thoughtful approach play. The course serves the local community in a region where golf remains less common than in Uruguay's capital, Montevo, giving it a quieter, more traditional club atmosphere.

Fray Bentos represents an important piece of golf architecture heritage as part of Mackenzie's limited South American portfolio. While it lacks the international profile of his major championship venues elsewhere, the course preserves the design philosophy of one of golf's most influential architects in a setting far removed from the usual circuits of championship golf.