Source: CyberGolf, August 2010

Located on approximately 200 acres of the property, nurtured by the El Yunque and blanketed by warm ocean breezes and bright sunshine, Trump International Puerto Rico’s two courses are an integral part of a complete tropical destination.  Playing golf at the Tom Kite-designed Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico is like the island experience in a microcosm; thanks to two courses differentiated by four distinct nine-hole routings; The Lakes, Palms, Mountain and Ocean nines, were combined to form various combinations of 18 holes.

In 2005, a move was made by Sydney Wolf, president of the Puerto Rico Golf Association, to lure the PGA Tour back to the island. As a result, Kite redesigned the courses in 2007 to be defined as two distinct 18-hole tracks, while the Trump branding replaced the original name.

The Lakes and Ocean nines have been combined to form the Championship Course, chosen by the PGA Tour as the site for the 2008-2010 Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular; while the Mountains and Palms nines have been brought together as the International Course.

Trump International Puerto Rico, set some 30 minutes east of the capitol city of San Juan in Rio Grande, originated in 2004 as the Coco Beach Golf & Country Club.  The courses’ unique design is distinguished by the use of a punta extending into the Atlantic Ocean as the course’s backbone.  Trump International was the first design project for Kite outside the mainland United States.  The world-class designer routed the courses around protected wetlands, through the jungle, over foothills of the ever-present El Yunque rain forest and along the beach.

“Quite honestly, I am pleased with the golf courses and how the two have come together,” Kite said. “The four nines each have their own personality, but pairing them as we have doesn’t seem forced. They are all fun to play and, most of all, they are fair but challenging”.  

Nearby Resort:  Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico – Set within Coco Beach Resort in Río Grande, home of the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, the resort’s luxury accommodations span six villas, including a two-bedroom Presidential Villa, and 480 suites in 20 two-story bungalows.