Top 100 Clubhouse - Golf Podcast · Top 100 Golf Courses

Episode 91: Rick Holanda - Building & Maintaining Brazil's Best Golf Course

October 5, 2025·1 hr·2 clips

When I set my feet in Brazil at Santa Pantienza, it was magic - love at first sight.

Rick Holanda recounts his unlikely journey from failed New York photographer to world-class tropical golf course superintendent at Santa Pantienza in Brazil. After moving to US in 1987, he pivoted to golf course management, working with legendary mentors at Marion and Philadelphia courses. A move to California's Coachella Valley exposed him to warm-season grass management. Through Tom Fazio, he connected with Brazilian owners of Santa Pantienza in 2013, where he built a crew from scratch, using 35 years of expertise to mentor them in world-class course management. The course now ranks in global top 50.

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