There are dozens of great golf destinations and picking the right one is never an easy decision. While many destinations have much to offer, few can match Costa Rica for overall quality, cost, and safety. The Costa Rica experience combines great golf, new and exciting non-golfing adventures, and the chance to meet and interact with the warm and friendly people of this charming country. What is truly remarkable is that all of this is set in one of the world’s most beautiful and ecologically diverse locations. The following is a brief description of the most popular 18-hole courses in Costa Rica. The courses offer all types of terrain and playing conditions but all are a fair test of golf.

La Iguana is a 6,700-yard Ted Robinson Jr. design with a unique and dramatic setting at the Los Sueños Marriott. The front nine plunges into the shadow of the rainforest along a narrow river valley. From the hills there is an occasional chorus of howler monkeys and mature trees near the stream are perversely placed. For instance, the second hole requires a long iron shot either over or under two trees guarding the green.

“It makes you think, it makes you play, it makes you drive the ball, it makes you position the ball. It's a shot makers test of golf. It's a beautiful site and the type of course I'd enjoy experiencing every day of my life,” said Philip Krick,Jr. PGA and Director of Golf at La Iguana.

Helpful Hint - The saying “trees are 90% air” does not apply to dense tropical rainforest trees. The “woods” here take the expression tree lined fairways to another level. Keeping it in play and in the fairway will certainly reward your score and lost ball percentage.

In 1994 parque Valle del Sol brought in golf course architect Tracy May to re-design and build a new course. The results achieved by May are an outstanding 18-hole championship golf course. May, with the assistance of the on-site construction supervisor Mark Dinan, has designed the layout to be challenging and fair under most conditions, and downright tough when the winds come swirling down from the surrounding mountains. The layout is diverse and requires the use of all the clubs in your bag. The rolling hills, mature trees that were part of the original course and the surrounding mountains create a great setting for golf.

Don’t miss the opportunity to discover golf in Costa Rica before the rest of the golfing world finds out. When you do decide to visit Costa Rica, take advantage of a local golf tour operator who is familiar with local tournaments and course conditions.