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OWGR: Part VI of obscure nations’ top ranked golfer

By Mike Randleman

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - OCTOBER 23: Jose Toledo of Guatemala tees off on the first hole during the first round of America's Golf Cup as part of PGA Latinoamerica tour at Olivos Golf Club on October 23, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Gabriel Rossi/LatinContent via Getty Images)
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - OCTOBER 23: Jose Toledo of Guatemala tees off on the first hole during the first round of America's Golf Cup as part of PGA Latinoamerica tour at Olivos Golf Club on October 23, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Gabriel Rossi/LatinContent via Getty Images) /
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IVANHOE, IL – JUNE 08: Jose Toledo of Guatemala hits his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Rust-Oleum Championship at the Ivanhoe Club on June 8, 2018 in Ivanhoe, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
IVANHOE, IL – JUNE 08: Jose Toledo of Guatemala hits his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Rust-Oleum Championship at the Ivanhoe Club on June 8, 2018 in Ivanhoe, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Guatemala’s top golfer displays a giving spirit

He’s not from Toledo, Ohio, nor is he related to former PGA Tour player, Esteban Toledo. Jose Toledo can, however, claim this: He’s the top golfer from Guatemala.

The 34-year-old from the nation’s capital of Guatemala City has been a pro for a decade. He sits at at No. 1,252 in the world and is one of three golfers from this Central American country in the OWGR. Toledo has never quite make it to the PGA Tour as the Korn Ferry Tour has been his apex. He peaked at No. 576 in the world in 2017. That year, he picked up a win and a runner-up finish on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he’s spent the bulk of his days as a pro.

In 2018, the Volcano of Fire erupted in Guatemala. It was a devastating event that affected nearly 2 million people and killed close to 200.

PGATour.com granted Toledo the chance to reflect on this event, and specifically how it destroyed La Reunión Golf Resort. La Reunión hosted the PGA Tour LA’s Guatemala Stella Artois Open from 2014-2018.

Toledo grew up just over 30 miles away. He helped raise $30,000 for disaster relief for his country in the coming weeks.

Toledo’s always had a big heart. He annually hosts a fundraiser to help children. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, he and his wife, Laura, a former Miss Guatemala, delivered groceries to people in his residence of Houston per a story from the Houston Chronicle.

Toledo made just one OWGR-counting start in 2020, a T-17 at theEstrella Del Mar Open in March on the PGA Tour LA.

Here’s to hoping Toledo can resume his pro career while representing a nation underrepresented in the game of golf.

GOLF IN GUATEMALA

The climate for golf in Guatemala is pretty good. North American and European winter vacationers can capitalize on the dry season from November to April.

The downside is there aren’t many options to choose from. That’s a combination of disinterest in the sport and usable land for golf in this region filled with volcanoes, forests and jungles.

There are six courses in Guatemala after the volcanic eruption destroyed La Reunión, which was arguably the best of the bunch. Its Fuego Maya course was designed by Pete and Perry Dye.

Golfers can still check out Hacienda Nueva Country Club, a 1996 Larry Packard design, or Mayan, which dates all the way back to 1918.

The Guatemala Golf Association was founded in 1964 and currently boasts 620 registered members.

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