Golf & Tourism Magazine July - September 2014 | Page 10

Golf Course Showcase

OVERVIEW

East Course

The tradition of golf at Dorado Beach is as rich as the property’s history. Beginning in 1955, renowned golf architect Robert
Trent Jones, Sr. set out to create the finest golf resort in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, culminating in four spectacular, 18hole layouts that have played host to celebrities, world leaders, golf legends and PGA tournaments. Today, Dorado Beach is
still the only golf venue in the Caribbean offering 72 holes.

EAST COURSE

WEST COURSE

SUGARCANE COURSE

PINEAPPLE COURSE

The Re-Opening of Dorado
Beach’s East Course is the first
in a series of events signifying its resurgence as one of
the premier golf, leisure and
private resort membership experiences in the world. Robert
Trent Jones Jr.’s restoration of
the historic East Course to the
original vision put forth by his
father brings this classic seaside
course into the 21st century
with a subtle rebirth as a modern masterpiece.

On the West Course, opened
in 1958, Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
designed holes running in different directions, making the everpresent breezes off the ocean a
challenge to negotiate.

The Sugarcane course, also built
in 1972, is the more challenging
of the two Plantation courses although it boasts larger fairways
and greens. The course demands you to negotiate forced
carries and deep bunkers. The
back nine is surrounded by newly created rivers and lakes and
offers a much different look.

The Pineapple Course, built in
1972, was designed to be the
more-friendly course for golfers.
It has fewer forced carries. The
bunkers are not as deep and the
greens are slightly larger.

Original panoramic site lines to
the ocean have been restored
on 15 of 18 holes. Native sand
harvested from surrounding
beaches highlights the contoured bunker complexes. New
ultra-dwarf Champion Bermuda
greens support double-digit
speeds with a number of hole
locations on every green. And
now, playing over 7,200 yards,
Dorado Beach East is as formidable from the championship
tee as it is forgiving from the
forward tee.

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The four par-3 holes are considered the toughest of Dorado
Beach’s four courses. Ranging
from 150 to 200 yards, these
four holes feature sloping
greens and plenty of bunkers.
The 175-yard 13th hole is lined
with palm trees and the green
is in an oasis of rolling sand that
seems to run directly into the
ocean.
The Raymond Floyd Group
renovated this course in 2002
keeping the original layout and
vision of Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
Today, the West Beach course is
temporarily closed for renovations.

Players have an opportunity for
birdies early in the round, but by
the 8th hole the course begins
to show its teeth. Par is a great
score on most every hole on the
back nine, with a few birdie opportunities mixed in!
Good thing the new Plantation
clubhouse awaits golfers after
their round, whether it’s for a
cold beverage, a magnificent
meal cooked to order, or to just
relax on our deck that provides
great views of the course.

The back nine of The Pineapple
Course consists of four holes
with ocean views, followed
by a tough five-hole stretch
culminating with a fantastic parfour 18th that finishes up on a
green just below the clubhouse
terrace.
For those seeking a challenge,
this course will provide all you
can handle from the back tees.

Dorado Beach Resort & Club
500 Plantation Drive, Suite 1
Dorado, PR 00646
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.doradobeachclubs.com
JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014