Royal Isabela's natural rises and falls accentuate the dramatic setting, as wide fairways stretch over various undulations, hugging the edges of the Caribbean.
Conceived by Puerto Rico natives Stanley and Charlie Pasarell, the brothers teamed up with architect David Pfaff to bring their 426-acre vision to breathtaking reality. With its oceanfront location, the team says they "found" holes more than designing them on paper, resulting in a course that appears very natural and wild in parts. The landscape's native grasses, natural sand dunes and deep canyons are integral to the layout, while sod-faced bunkers add a Scottish flair to this island gem.
There are six sets of tees at Royal Isabela, with the tips stretched to a maximum of 7,667 yards as a par 73. This breathtaking championship layout is not limited to one or two highlights, however the course's 17th is arguably the showstopper. The par 3, which plays over the seaside bluffs, can play up to 200 yards. The green is guarded on the right-hand side by a "chicken tree" that lies beside the green. The 18th hole then plays back uphill toward the clubhouse to a green surrounded by mounding.
