Puerto Rico – Golfers love warm weather, something New England is without for the next 5 months, that allows them to play in sun-kissed comfort in winter. Players also prefer destinations where many fine lodging, restaurants and after-play activities exist.
Puerto Rico is tailor-made to provide traveling golfers with what they want. Here are just two of many stay-&-play packages that are representative of the 18 diverse yet complementary courses and numerous resorts on the island.
Costa Caribe Stay & Play Package:
* Unlimited golf at Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club, home to 27 holes adjacent to the ocean on one side, mountains on the other
* Standard room accommodations with garden or ocean views at the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort
* Breakfast buffet for two at La Terraza Restaurant
* Two DonQ welcome drinks
* Starting at $189 per night, per room
Golf Experience Package at The St. Regis Bahia Beach:
* Choice of 2 rounds of golf at the 18 hole, Robert Trent Jones Jr. award-winning designed golf course or 2 spa treatments at Iridium Spa per stay
* Daily breakfast for two at Seagrapes
* Minimum 3 nights
*20% off additional rounds of golf or additional spa treatments
Not only are the Island’s playing venues fun and scenic, but several are rated among the best in the Caribbean and Mexico. They offer an array of options to suit every player’s tastes, with a range of price points, terrain features and designs from some of the games greatest including Greg Norman, Rees Jones, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Tom Fazio, Tom Kite, Gary Player and RTJ Jr.
Ocean, mountain and rain forest views await from many of Puerto Rico’s courses. The El Yunque Rain Forest is spectacular and can be seen from several of the golf courses, including the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve’s Championship Course where the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open is contested yearly, and from the Ocean and River courses at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Golf & Beach Resort. Unfathomably beautiful ocean views await at Royal Isabela and Punta Borinquen, both perched atop the seaside cliffs on the Island’s northwest coast. Near San Juan and Ponce, the courses in Dorado Beach, Bahia Beach, Costa Caribe and Palmas Athletic Club are adjacent to the ocean, with holes parallel to the sandy beaches and turquoise surf.
Each Puerto Rico visit starts with a warm welcome, Bienvenidos, and continues everywhere you go. The Island is rich in festivals, traditions, art and music, and the people, Boricua, are genuinely gracious and hospitable. There is always an interesting place to discover nearby after golfing.
Play all day and all night. If you are in Puerto Rico you’re already pretty lucky, but if you feel charmed try visiting some of the many casinos throughout the Island. Whether you are a fan of blackjack, poker or the slots, there are plenty of places for players to play their cards right.
Your visit will be enhanced by Puerto Rico’s delicacies. With more than 4,000 restaurants, the choices are tantalizing. Local dishes such as mofongo, made of deep-fried green plantains and Lechon, a slightly spit-roasted pork dish with juicy meat and crispy skin. Be ready to experience the distinctive spice that characterizes Afro-Caribbean cuisine. There are food tours to sample the Island’s flavors.
Puerto Rico is an American territory that does not require a passport for American citizens, is bilingual, uses the U.S. dollar as currency and is the air hub of the Caribbean. United, Jet Blue, Spirit and Frontier have flights to San Juan.
Leave a Reply