We all have those special spots we remember forever: The field you scored the game-winning goal on. The tree you had your first kiss under. The location of your wedding, and the building that holds your first college dorm room. So many spots that tug at your heart.
I have a new one: the spot I fell in love with golf. I remember it completely. I was on the green of a long par 4. Just beyond us, the Caribbean sea was sparkling. Above us, palm trees were waving in the perfect breeze. I’d just sunk a hero putt after a decent fairway performance and, as I heard that “plink!’ sound of my ball dropping into the hole, I thought: “I think I’m meant to be a golfer.”
Puerto Rico was the spot, and forever, it will be special to me in my golf life.
Be you a low handicapper, mid-level golfer or like me that day, a bit of a wanna-be, Puerto Rico (www.discoverpuertorico.com) and its golf scene is ripe for your own “aha moment,” and promises not just great days of golf and more, but rich memories like mine. Want to play your game and soak in dramatic beauty too? Choose a Puerto Rico golf trip.
Golf is newer to Puerto Rico than the rest of America (yes, it is an American territory; a nice bonus since the American dollar is its official currency, English is spoken by just about all and you don’t even need your passport).
Their first course debuted in 1930 and featured sand and coconut oil created “greens” and attracted a decent amount of players. In World War II many military folk who came through helped golf grow. Today, Puerto Rico is home to about 30 courses, hosts the PGA’s Puerto Rico Open each spring and is a top Caribbean destination for golf lovers.
I can see why. Gone are the sand greens (though wouldn’t it be fun to try one?) and in their place are impeccably manicured greens and fairways, world-class designed courses and most of all incredible views wherever you are.
Oh, and there’s the food and drink, a massive rainforest to explore, sea sports and tip-top lodging. It helps, too, that they have one of the most temperate and steady climates out there: year round average temperatures range from 75-85, and truly rainswept days are a rarity (August tends to be their wettest month).
I was nervous when I headed there to play golf. I’d warned a friend that I was a hack, but he told me not to worry; that it would all make sense when I got there.
He was right. While PR absolutely is home to some challenging and creative courses and holes, I found the remarkable shape of their courses, easier to maintain than other spots in the world thanks to that great weather, made it all more forgiving.
At the famed TPC Dorado Beach East Course (https://tpc.com/doradobeach/east-course), where long ago Laurence S. Rockefeller eyed the land and convinced the then owners, who were growing and exporting coconuts while maintaining the natural setting they loved, to let him build a course, I loved the high holes that looked out over the sea, the lower ones that hugged the sandy shore, and the Chamber of Commerce clouds that dotted the sky.
The course’s dedication to nature is remarkable, and the East Course redesign by Robert Trent Jones Jr. (his dad was the original designer) is sublime.
While staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve, where I could walk a few steps and be beachside or a few more steps (or grab one of the ubiquitous golf cart shuttle rides) on the course, I grew my love/addiction a bit more playing the Grand Reserve (https://www.grandreservegolfclub.com), home to the PGA Puerto Rico Open.
With a backdrop of the El Yunque rainforest and a course that’s never more than a squint of your eye away from the sea, I found myself relaxing in the vibe, and yes: playing halfway decently.
Caddies and instructors are available at most courses, and I found them to be friendly and patient – but most of all helpful.
Apres golf meant some beach or pool time each day, great meals and evenings sipping cocktails, often made with local rhum. Divine.
As I sat on the balcony of my room late one night, tired from golf and buzzing with the beat of this newfound love, the sounds of that rainforest were like a symphony by nature. I breathed deep the night air and realized something about golf and me:
We will always have Puerto Rico.