The Chan do Fento Sports Association celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It was on October 19, 1988, when Antonio Grande Santos, as President of the club, Enrique Acuña Rodríguez, Martin Arce Rodríguez, Jaime J. Díaz Vidal and José Manuel Coego Buján, signed the founding charter.

Since that date, Antonio Grande Santos, surrounded by an enthusiastic group of collaborators, with high doses of enthusiasm, have begun a long journey so that today, more than a thousand members enjoy a golf course considered as the flagship of golf courses in Galicia.

The club's first Board of Directors was made up of: President: Antonio Grande Santos; Secretary: José A. Grande Santos; Treasurer: Xose Luis Santiago Pereira; Vocal 1: Anxo Santos Alfonso; Vocal 2: Rafael Rodríguez Rouco; Vocal 3: Francisco JL Braga Ferrer.

The Chan do Fento Sports Association was the starting point for arriving at the current Meis golf course, whose final location, on Monte Chan da Fonte, had other previous candidates, such as Monte de Arcela, in the Parish of Carballedo, or Monte Chan da Cruz, in San Andrés de Figueirido.

It was on July 8, 1994, that the Silvanteira de Meis Residents Association, with the approval of the Salnés Community of Woods and the favorable report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Woods of the Xunta de Galicia, approved the transfer of the land (53.24 hectares) for the creation of a sports complex, where the golf course is currently located, for a period of 30 years, renewable.

Another necessary step to start this ambitious project to build a golf course was the creation of a Public Foundation for the promotion and management of sports, tourism and cultural activities, the so-called Monte Castrove Public Sports Foundation, made up of the municipalities of Pontevedra, Meis, Cambados, Meaño, Ribadumia, Sanxenxo, Vilanova de Arousa and Villagarcía – years later the municipality of Barro joined – under a Board of Trustees that is the superior body of management and direction of said Foundation.

In addition to the financial contribution from the municipalities that make up the Foundation, the help of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra was necessary, providing the machinery needed for the clearing, grubbing and stump removal of the land where the golf course is located.

On October 5, 2000, the Meis golf course, its headquarters and cafeteria were inaugurated by the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Manuel Fraga Iribarne, the Minister of Tourism, the President of the Provincial Council, the mayors of the municipalities that make up the Foundation and other authorities, thus opening a door to enjoy a sport such as golf and its surroundings full of great scenic richness.

This is how a great team of people, led by Antonio Grande and Rafael Sáenz-Díaz Malvar, better known as Falín, saw their dreams become a reality, reaping the rewards of a great effort full of enthusiasm, not without difficulties and far removed from the speculation that surrounds an initiative of this nature.

As a result of this initiative, projects are currently being developed whose recipients belong to very different social layers, bringing the practice of this sport closer to those who seek integral development or enjoyment of nature, turning its facilities into a meeting point to carry out hiking routes, horse riding routes or cycling routes or simply enjoy a space away from noise or environmental pollution.

Another point of interest is the Spiritual Route of the Camino de Santiago, which passes near the golf course.

Some of the programs being implemented are:

. Golf in schools, in collaboration with the General Secretariat for Sport

. Adapted Golf, in collaboration with the Alba Association

. Golf and Women, in collaboration with the Cambados City Council

. Golf and Family, in collaboration with FANPA

. Social Golf, in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (Friends Cup)

. Golf and Business, pending management with BNI

. Golf and Tourism, in collaboration with the Wineries

. Golf and Youth, in collaboration with the University of Vigo

. Golf and Health, in collaboration with Quirón Salud

. Children's Golf, through the Children's School and Summer Camps

In addition to recognizing the promoters of this initiative, a very special mention is also due to the club presidents who have continued the project.

These are the club presidents who succeeded its founder:

. Antonio Grande Santos

. David Janeiro Pan

. Dositeo Quintas Pérez

. José Luis Ferrín González

. Miguel Garriga Villanueva

. José Carlos Otero López

Now, as we approach 2019, it is a good time to explicitly acknowledge the work done by Antonio Grande, Rafael Sáenz-Diez (Falín), José Manuel Coego, Angel Santos, León Braga, Fernando Lafuente, Eugenio Giráldez, Ramón Viqueira and many others, as well as the successive presidents who have continued the project, because as a result of their management and good work, a thousand season ticket holders and nearly 4,000 annual visitors enjoy a course considered by experts to be one of the best in Galicia and a landscape that offers a wide range of possibilities to enjoy nature.

The current club management would like to thank those who have made this initiative possible and those who have collaborated to give it continuity, working to guarantee its future within the Monte-Castrove Foundation itself and under the management and direction of the Board of Trustees.

In the section on acknowledgments and thanks, special mention must be made of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, which supported the golf course project in Meis from the very beginning, as well as the Galician Golf Federation, always willing to collaborate in all the initiatives promoted by the Chan do Fento Club.

Thanks to their financial and logistical support, important programs such as Golf in Schools, Adapted Golf, Golf and Women, Children's School, etc. are being implemented today, great allies of a club to promote innovative initiatives that contribute to the promotion of this sport, making it accessible to all social classes.

Some of the actions carried out to commemorate the 30th Anniversary are:

. Preparation of a brochure explicitly recognizing those who have participated in this ambitious project.

. Public presentation of a plaque to the founder and first President of the club and to the successive presidents.

. Creation of a “collage” with some of the photographs and press clippings of the project.

. Organization of a golf tournament on December 30th: “30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLUB”

SOURCE: Chan do Fento Golf Club – José Carlos Otero López