By Alex Webbe
Most players wince at the idea of an early morning game, but Culu Culu founder Al Alletzhauser is well into his daily routine by the time a nine or ten o’clock game comes up. Alletzhauser is up every morning by 4:30 AM, and usually has more meetings before breakfast than most CEOs have in a week.
The driving force behind a 1,235-acre polo resort in Los Lobos, Argentina (just twenty minutes south of the Buenos Aires International Airport), Alletzhauser takes his business and his polo seriously.
Sponsor of the Indios Chapaleufu II Culu Culu team in last year’s Argentine Open, Alletzhauser is currently playing polo at Florida’s Gulfstream Polo Club and introducing the polo community in Wellington to his Argentine polo lifestyle resort, Culu Culu. He is competing with his Culu Culu team in Gulfstream’s 12-goal and 8-goal leagues while directing sales and marketing efforts around the world.
“It’s totally invigorating,” he smiles before remounting for the second half of play, “the harder I work on the project the more energized I become,” he adds while adjusting the grip on his mallet. “I’d be happy to talk more about the development, but I’m pressed for time,” he answered before spinning around on his horse and racing to the middle of the field.
I speak with Mariano Etcheverry, Culu Culu’s Director of Polo who explains that the design of the club is to have good, friendly competitive polo in a relaxed and luxurious atmosphere.
When comparisons are made with Palm Beach Polo and Country Club they are quick to explain that it is designed to be family oriented and will have many of the amenities that weren’t available at Palm Beach Polo.
“We believe that there is more to polo than the game,” said Ariel Gruber, Culu Culu’s Special Projects Manager, “there is a lifestyle that will be served by three to five restaurants, a five star hotel, a spa, tennis, swimming, water sports and seven championship polo fields.”
There are three different home designs each sitting on 1.5 acres and featuring a wine cellar (that will be stocked with 1,000 bottles of Argentine wine) and a cigar room.
Their design will take advantage of the light, I am told, and will give the residents a sweeping panorama of the neighboring bird sanctuary, which serves as the home to over 20,000 different varieties of birds.
Culu Culu soars to an easy 13-7 win over Hidden Creek, and the team is on the go again. Meetings and phone calls must be made I am told. If I want to learn more about the property I am directed to culuculu.com.ar. I write it down and wonder if this is destined to be the next international polo mecca.