A change of leadership at a landmark Uruguayan golf club
On 29 October 2026, members of Club de Golf del Uruguay (CGU) in Montevideo's Punta Carretas district elected Matías de Freitas, the leader of Lista 10, as club president. He received 543 votes, against 388 for Pablo Bonti, the candidate associated with the incumbent leadership. The reported split was 58.3% to 41.7% of valid votes, a margin of 155. Of 938 ballots cast, 931 were valid, five were blank and two were void.
The result ended eight years of control by the previous leadership group. This was a vote within a golf club, not an election for the Asociación Uruguaya de Golf (AUG) or another national governing body.
Who is on the new board?
According to the published election results, Jorge Adum becomes vice-president, Agustín Pereira secretary and Martín Payovich treasurer. The losing slate retains representation through board members Pablo Bonti, Agustín Leindekar and Germán Pereira. The arrangement gives both sides of the election seats in the club's governing structure.
What golfers could see changing
Lista 10 campaigned on restoring golf as the central priority of the multi-sport institution. Its stated goals include improved greens and fairways, irrigation and course maintenance, a better driving range, a stronger year-round event calendar, renewed junior development and support for women's golf competitions.
These are proposals, not completed upgrades. Budgets, technical planning and future board decisions will determine whether and when they take effect. CGU's official institutional information says it has more than 3,900 members and offers other sports and family activities alongside golf.
A contested handover
Uruguayan newspaper El Observador reported that former general manager Martín de Castro resigned after the election. Its account included the departing manager's position as well as de Freitas's rebuttal amid disagreements over the transition. Neither side's disputed assertions should be treated as independently established findings of wrongdoing. The sporting question is how management changes will affect course quality, access to training and competition.
Why it matters
Founded in 1922 in Montevideo's coastal Punta Carretas area, Club de Golf del Uruguay is a longstanding hub for national and club golf. Leadership choices there can influence course standards, young-player development and competitive opportunities. The election is an institutional development rather than a tournament result.
Sources: Buen Golf Tour, 30 October election report; El Observador, reporting on the transition and both parties' positions; Club de Golf del Uruguay, institutional history.
