Experiencing Costa Rica through golf is an excellent choice. Swinging your club at world-class courses in this exotic Central American country allows you to simultaneously spot rare birds, three-toed sloths, monkeys, and other wildlife. The globe-trotting couple Suna and Rusi will share their experiences with us.
Basking year-round in sunshine that spills over the golf courses, Costa Rica’s appeal for a high-quality lifestyle, coupled with an affordable cost of living, makes it indeed a happy nation. According to a report by the UK's New Economics Foundation (July 2009), Costa Rica topped the Happy Planet Index rankings, demonstrating how the environment impacts human happiness. "The Costa Ricans are the most satisfied with life..." the report showed. This Central American country, renowned for its vast rainforests, volcanoes, and beaches, is just a 3-hour flight from Miami. Another option is taking a cruise from Panama City, as we did, aboard the small ship Pacific Explorer by Cruise West on a ten-day coastal journey.
From our observations, one of the first places that caught our interest was a golf resort located near the Pacific port of Los Suenos. After four days, we met Johnny Viquez in the capital San Jose — someone who knows Costa Rican golf very well. Not only does he have a passion for the sport, but also, like many others who love this tourism-driven country, he introduces this beautiful land to golfers. "Costa Rica not only offers golfers several excellent courses designed by renowned architects but also provides participants with the opportunity to experience stunning scenery," said this expert who arranges golfing experiences for the website CostaRicaGolf4U.
There are few regions in the world that can offer such breathtaking natural beauty. Continuously washed by the waters of the Pacific and Caribbean, this Spanish-speaking country free from hurricanes and military influence boasts 5% of the world's biodiversity, yet only 0.1% of it is visible to the public. Nestled between Panama to the south and Nicaragua to the north, Costa Rica is divided by a string of volcanoes, enriching the land. Among the ocean and central valley's volcanic mountains, there are many rare birds and other exotic or wild animals alongside coffee, banana, and pineapple plantations, along with several world-class golf courses.
Swinging clubs at the La Iguana Golf Course
La Iguana Golf Course is only two hours away from San Jose, near the Los Suenos port, nestled between the ocean and 1,100 acres of tropical rainforest. Located within a luxury resort developed by the American developer William Royster, who fell in love with the neighboring Herradura Bay, Travel & Leisure magazine readers once rated Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort as one of the best resorts in the world.
Designed by Ted Robinson Junior II, La Iguana is an 18-hole, par-72 championship course measuring 6,707 yards from the gold tees. What makes it stand out? The perfect golfing experience: playing here challenges you with lush vegetation and wild environments. Despite wide fairways and large greens, they are fast and heavily guarded by bunkers and water hazards. The scenery includes picturesque native plants, banana trees, and orchids, providing habitats for 150 species of birds, friendly monkeys (they rarely steal your belongings, though there's no local guarantee), and other wildlife.
For safety, caddies are trained to point out toucans, three-toed sloths, monkeys, and other wildlife during games. Of course, this can also be considered part of the sightseeing! The La Iguana Golf Academy, run by PGA professionals, offers golf lessons for men, women, and children, costing $20 per lesson.
This course is managed by the Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, which also manages a hotel with 201 elegant rooms and the Stellaris Casino. The complex includes apartment buildings, private residences, a marina, shopping facilities, and restaurants. Before the economic recession, residential sales were robust, with plans for 500 properties to be completed by 2013. Recreational facilities include an irregularly shaped pool and a canopy tour. The canopy tour allows you to glide freely among the trees, a popular activity in Costa Rica. Another option is a short hiking trip to Villas Lapas Sky Way, where ancient thousand-year-old trees, trails, slopes, and hanging bridges in the magical tropical rainforest will captivate you.
Valle Del Sol Golf Course
Located within the Santa Ana residential complex, Valle Del Sol Golf Course was designed by the famous American designer Tracy May. The undulating hills of the Central Valley, surrounded by mountains covered in old trees, provide a magnificent setting for this 7,011-yard, par-72 course. This course is internationally known for fair competition. The fairways seem narrow but are actually wide, with trees surrounding the obstacles, large and fast greens guarded by bunkers and hazards.
This 18-hole professional championship course offers modern specifications for high-quality matches. In summary, this Central Valley course peacefully integrates into the natural landscape, harmoniously blending streams, fairways, and meticulously designed grounds. Other facilities include a golf academy, driving range, equipment rental, and a professional equipment store.
Here, you can see the Irazu, Brava, and Poas volcanoes to the north, while enjoying panoramic views of San Jose surrounded by rugged mountains to the west.
Reserva Conchal Golf Course
Located within the Conchal Beach Resort in Guanacaste, Reserva Conchal Golf Course adjoins a 1.6-mile stretch of white sand beaches along the North Pacific coast. The par-71, 7,080-yard course includes two distinct nine-hole layouts, surrounded by native rainforest and lagoons. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, this course offers golfers an extraordinary ecological golf experience. A spacious 320-yard tee shot opens up without any obstacles, vividly alive with exotic wildlife, animal life, and ocean vistas. Large greens are guarded by flat bunkers, and golf carts are available for use, requiring a valid driver's license. The all-inclusive resort also offers accommodation services.
Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course
Also in Guanacaste, Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course spans 6,800 yards and is the masterpiece of designer Mike Young, who has created multiple outstanding courses in South America. Focused on expansive coastal layouts, the course features broad fairways and numerous links-style bunkers, creating attractive challenges. Each hole follows the natural contours and slope variations, with fast and challenging greens made of eagle grass, ensuring every putt finds the center of the cup. Steep bunkers present common risks and opportunities, testing players' skills. Exotic trees weave through the course, forming natural obstacles. This picturesque championship course is truly eco-friendly, cherishing nature, offering flawless environmental conditions and chances to observe wildlife.
Hacienda Pinilla is a luxurious beach resort and residential community spread across 4,500 acres, set amidst a large wildlife habitat, offering activities like stables, diving, and surfing.
Cariari Country Club
The 18-hole Cariari Golf Country Club in San Jose is regarded as one of the finest courses in Central America. This beautiful place is undoubtedly the starting point and endpoint for a golf vacation in Costa Rica. When George Fazio arrived here, it was still a coffee plantation. Measuring 6,590 yards from the tees, it feels slightly longer when playing. Tree-lined fairways are narrow, occasionally interrupted by bunkers. Bermuda grass greens, combined with sand traps, create faster ball speeds over expansive areas.
Seasons Golf Club
Located on the northwest Pacific peninsula, this five-year-old Arnold Palmer signature course at Peninsula Papagayo offers new and challenging tests for golfers. Gently caressed by sea breezes, the course offers ocean views, especially surprising at holes 14 and 18. Rolling fairways end with large greens testing players' skills and judgment. Playing on this 6,788-yard, par-72 course provides an alternative golf experience, enjoyable for both beginners and experienced players alike.
The resort offers golf lessons, twilight games, and natural landscape tours. However, since the course is members-only, evening meals, although appealing, tend to be pricey but can be seen as part of the memorable journey.
Costa Rica's enchanting eco-golf journey offers various options for golf enthusiasts. With ideal climate conditions year-round (averaging 72°F in highlands, 70-90°F in lowlands and coastal areas), the thriving hotel-resort industry creates enticing vacation concepts for this land. As one of the first countries globally to implement environmental protection, Costa Rica aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2021. No wonder Costa Rica ranks high in the happiness index.
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