Before the Skyscrapers: El Golf in the 80s
If you walk along 53rd Avenue between 79th and 84th Streets today, what you see are glass towers, shopping malls, and endless lines of cars. But forty years ago, in the 80s, El Golf was something else. It was a neighborhood of low houses with clay tile roofs, ripe mangoes fallen on the sidewalks, and a breeze that smelled of wet earth after a downpour. There were no skyscrapers. There was silence, neighbors who knew each other by name, and a golf course that gave the area its identity. This article is a journey to that El Golf that no longer exists, but that beats in the memory of those who lived it.
Historical or Contextual Introduction
The El Golf neighborhood was born in the 1940s as an upscale residential development, associated with the Country Club of Barranquilla and its golf course. But it was in the 80s when the neighborhood reached its maturity as a quiet, tree-lined, family-friendly area. The streets were cobblestone or simple pavement, without the huge median strips of today. Children played soccer in the street until the sun went down, and the ladies swept the sidewalks with straw brooms. There were no shopping malls like Buenavista; commerce was on the corner: Don Tuto's store, the bakery at 79th with 55th, Mr. Pedro's bicycle repair shop. Everything changed when the first office buildings began to arrive in the late 80s, but the most brutal transformation occurred in the 2000s, when the real estate boom erased almost all traces of that neighborhood life. Today, in May 2026, only a few original houses remain, like ghosts of an era that refuses to disappear completely.
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What to Do: A Walk Down Memory Lane
Visiting El Golf today is not the same as living it in the 80s, but you can still trace the footprints of that past. Here's how to do it, step by step, as if you were an explorer of neighborhood history.
The Corner House at 79th with 55th
At the intersection of 79th Street and 55th Avenue, where a mirrored glass office building now stands, used to be the Mendoza family home. It was a two-story mansion, with a wooden balcony and a mango tree in the backyard that shaded the entire block. Neighbors remember that in the afternoons, Mrs. Elvira would bring a rocking chair out to the sidewalk and read novels while the children played "stop" in the street. The house was demolished in 1998 to build the first office building in the area, a harbinger of what was to come. If you pass by today, look up: the current building has a mural on its facade that tries to replicate the design of the original house, but it's a poor imitation. The true memory lies in the testimonies of those who still live nearby.
Don Tuto's Store (Where Now There's a Gourmet Coffee Shop)
On 53rd Avenue with 80th Street, right where "Café del Golf" now operates, a place with wooden tables and latte art, was Don Tuto's store. Don Tuto was a mustachioed man, always in a white t-shirt and a blue apron, who sold everything from Postobón sodas in glass bottles to free-range eggs and cassava bread. The neighborhood kids would go to buy "chicharrones de pluma" (potato chips) and the adults, a nice cold Águila beer after work. The store closed in 2005 when Don Tuto retired. Today, the gourmet coffee shop that replaced it is popular among executives, but the old neighbors say the smell of roasted coffee doesn't compare to the smell of freshly baked cheese bread that came out of the store on Sundays. A fun fact: Don Tuto never used a calculator; he did the math in his head and always got it right.
The Neighborhood's First Traffic Light (Myth or Reality)
A story that circulates among old residents is that the first traffic light in El Golf was installed in 1983 at the intersection of 79th Street and 53rd Avenue. Some say it was such an important event that the neighbors threw a party with music by Billo's Caracas Boys. Others claim it's a myth: that the first traffic light was at 84th with 53rd, years later. What is certain is that until the mid-80s, traffic in El Golf was so scarce that traffic lights seemed unnecessary. Cars were few: a Renault 4, a Dodge Dart, maybe a Chevrolet pickup truck. Children crossed the street without looking, and drivers honked only to say hello. The arrival of the traffic light marked the beginning of the end of that tranquility. Today, the intersections are clogged with cars, and the traffic light is just a reminder that the neighborhood grew too fast.
Testimony from a 30-Year Resident
Don Alberto Pacheco, 68 years old, has lived in El Golf since 1975. I interviewed him at the door of his house, one of the few originals left, on 82nd Street with 54th Avenue. He told me: "This was paradise. We would go out at 6 in the evening to cool off on the corner, and there was no noise, no motorcycles, no buildings. The golf course was our park, even though we didn't know how to play. On Sundays, after mass, my dad and I would go to Don Tuto's store to buy the newspaper. Now everything is money and rush. But I'm not leaving. I'm staying here until I die, even if they build towers to the sky." His testimony is a mirror of what many feel: progress brought good things, but it also took away the essence.
Where to Eat or Drink: Flavors That Survive
Although El Golf's gastronomic offering today is modern and global, there are still places that preserve the spirit of the 80s, or at least pay homage to that era.
La Panadería El Golf (Original)
On 54th Avenue with 78th Street, a bakery that opened in 1978 is still operating, though with a different owner. Here you can still buy hot cheese bread, almojábanas, and the famous "cassava bread" that Don Tuto used to sell. Prices in May 2026 are modest: a cheese bread costs around $2,000 COP. The place is small, smelling of flour and with a glass counter, and on weekends it fills with families coming from mass. Don't expect a specialty coffee; here the coffee is a simple black coffee in a plastic cup, just like it was drunk in the 80s.
La Sazón de la Abuela (80th Street with 53rd Avenue)
This typical Caribbean food restaurant opened in 2015, but its menu is a tribute to the cuisine of the 80s: guandú soup, fried mullet rice, corn cake, and fried green plantain with hogao sauce. The owner, Doña Carmen, is the daughter of a neighborhood lady who used to cook for family parties. "My mom has been making these dishes since the 70s," she told me. "People come here to remember the taste of before." Prices are affordable: a lunch special costs between $15,000 and $22,000 COP. It is recommended to check hours before visiting, as they sometimes close early if the food runs out.
The Corner Bar (55th Avenue with 79th Street)
Not to be confused with a modern bar. This is an establishment that has been open since 1982, though with renovations. It's a simple place, with formica tables and a TV always tuned to soccer games. Here, the old-timers of the neighborhood gather to drink beer and reminisce. The owner, Don Jairo, serves "charcoal-grilled pork ribs" on weekends, a recipe he learned from his grandfather. If you want to hear stories of El Golf in the 80s, sit at the bar and order an Águila Light. Prices are as of May 2026: a beer costs about $4,000 COP.
How to Get There and Transportation
Getting to El Golf today is easy, but in the 80s it was a different story. I'll tell you how to get around now, and how people got around back then.
In the 80s: On Foot, by Bike, or by Bus
In the 80s, most El Golf residents got around on foot. Distances were short: the store, the bakery, the church (Parroquia San José, on 79th Street with 54th Avenue) were just a few blocks away. Children walked to school, like Colegio Alemán or Sagrado Corazón. Bicycles were common, and the buses, like the "El Golf – Centro" route, were yellow and beat-up, smelling of gasoline with torn leather seats. There was no Transmetro or app-based taxis; taxis were called by phone or hailed on the corner of 79th with 53rd, where there was an informal stop.
Today: By Car, Transmetro, or Taxi
Modern El Golf is well connected. You can get there by Transmetro ("El Golf" station on 79th Street, two blocks from the Country Club). Taxis and Uber are abundant, but traffic during peak hours is heavy, especially on 53rd Avenue. If you come by car, look for parking in nearby shopping malls (Buenavista, Miramar) because residential streets have had parking meters since 2018. A tip: if you want to feel the breeze of the 80s, walk. The neighborhood is still pedestrian-friendly, with wide sidewalks and shady trees.
Local Tips
Here are some tips so your visit to El Golf is a true trip back in time, without falling into tourist traps.
- Look for the original houses: Fewer than ten houses from the 80s remain in El Golf. They are on 82nd Street between 53rd and 55th Avenues, and on 78th Street with 54th Avenue. They are easy to identify: tile roofs, wooden windows, and front gardens. Take photos, but respectfully: some are still inhabited.
- Talk to the older neighbors: If you see an older man sitting in a rocking chair on the sidewalk, say hello. Ask him about Don Tuto or the traffic light. Older Barranquilleros are friendly and like to tell stories. Don't use a journalistic tone; just chat.
- Visit the Country Club golf course: It's not public, but you can see it from the fence on 53rd Avenue with 82nd Street. In the 80s, neighborhood kids would sneak in to collect lost balls. Today it's an immaculate field, but the view is still the same.
- Avoid peak hours: Between 7:00 and 9:00 am, and 5:00 and 7:00 pm, traffic is hellish. Better to walk between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, when the neighborhood is calmer and you can imagine what it was like before.
- Bring cash: Although many places accept cards, bakeries and small shops prefer cash. In the 80s, everything was cash; Don Tuto didn't accept checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is It Called El Golf?
The name comes from the golf course of the Country Club of Barranquilla, which occupies a large expanse of land in the center of the neighborhood. Urban development began in the 1940s around this course, and the name stuck even as the neighborhood expanded. In the 80s, the course was the heart of the neighborhood, visible from many houses.
What Happened to the Old Houses of El Golf?
Most were demolished between 1995 and 2010 to make way for apartment and office buildings. Real estate pressure, driven by the economic growth of Barranquilla, made the land more valuable than the houses. Today, only a few properties remain, protected by their owners or by cultural heritage declarations (though there is no strong official protection).
Is It Safe to Walk Around El Golf Today?
Yes, it is one of the safest neighborhoods in Barranquilla, with private and police security. In the 80s, security was more informal: neighbors looked out for each other. Today, there are cameras and guards, but it remains a quiet area, especially during the day. It is recommended to avoid lonely streets after 10 pm, as in any city.
Is There Any Event or Celebration That Remembers the 80s in El Golf?
There is no official event, but every December, some neighbors organize a "novena de aguinaldos" (Christmas novena) on 82nd Street, with carols and buñuelos, evoking the gatherings of the 80s. Also, the Country Club holds golf tournaments that attract former residents. If you ask at Parroquia San José, they may give you information about commemorative masses.
The El Golf of the 80s no longer exists on the physical map, but it survives in the stories of those who lived it. Every time an old neighbor points to a building and says "there used to be a mango tree there," they are rebuilding the neighborhood with words. If you have a memory from that time, write it in the comments or send us your photo from the 80s via DM. Neighborhood memory is not built alone: it is shared.