by Eric Sabo and Darrell Williams

In a nation starved for golf and with only two recognized courses, things look like they are about to change in a big way, with five new courses in the works including one designed by Jack Nicklaus. At the Hacienda Iguana Golf & Beach Club near San Juan del Sur, the first of these new courses is now open for play.
The nine-hole course was designed by Neal Oldenburg, a champion amateur golfer who is part owner of the surrounding property which consists of several condominium complexes and several more luxurious family homes scattered around the links and nestled alongside some of the country’s best surfing waves. Oldenburg was influenced by British courses and the tropical Iguana one, his first design project, has a similar wide-open look with maturing greens that can only be attacked using the traditional bump-and-run style shot. Oldenburg has created a layout carved from the natural habitat that has a maturity way beyond what one might expect of a course in its infancy.The accessibility of the course is by no means perfect, but for a nation craving  one of the world’s most popular participation sports, it is a small price to pay.
Bringing golf to Nicaragua is fraught with challenges, namely finding enough water to keep the greens and fairways in good shape. The grass they use is imported and specifically designed to grow in close proximity to the ocean. Because of the rugged nature of the grass, up to 30% of the course can be irrigated using salt water. The salt water also acts as a weed killer, dramatically reducing the amount of pesticide needed.
The course measures only 5,822 yards from the white tees, which to most golfers would seem a less than stellar test of their skills. But with the combination of the sea breezes coming in off the Pacific Ocean, many stake-lined fairways, well-placed hazards and greens that are very unforgiving to errant approach shots, Oldenburg has created a fine test that will give many amateurs fits the first time around, especially Americans used to target golf.
For the many amateur golfers that start out with those first-hole nerves, Oldenburg has created a 120-yard par 3 practice/playoff hole which is both interesting and quite demanding, giving golfers their first insight into links-style greens that have very little hold.
With the jitters gone, the golf course starts out innocently enough with a 309-yard par 4 dogleg to the right, the premium being on an accurate placement of the tee shot with a wooded area down the right swallowing up anything other than the most accurate attempt to blast the green in one.
Two is a 155-yard par 3 to a two-tiered green. An invisible water hazard on the right front side puts a premium on the accuracy of the tee shot with the less than receptive green.
Three is a 350-yard par 4 and although it is considered the toughest hole on the course, it has only a large tree in the middle of the fairway to stop you from having a relatively easy approach shot to another two-tiered green.
The 311-yard par 4 fourth is where things really start to get interesting. The fairway is fairly wide but with water to the left, a large tree in the middle, and out of bounds to the right, nothing can be taken for granted. With the fairway negotiated, the second shot is a potential nightmare. The green is a three-tier right-to-left at a high elevation surrounded by scrub. With the flag placement at the back, anything less than a good wedge or a draw from right to left will probably have you reaching into the bag for another ball.
The 471-yard par 5 plays from an elevated tee with a stunning view of the Pacific off in the distance. The fairway is lined with water to the left and stakes to the right, a reminder that Nicaragua can be both beautiful and frustrating at the same time.
Six is a 150-yard par 3 with bunkers at the front and wild brush catching anything long.
Seven is a 335-yard par 4 dogleg to the right. By having only small tee boxes, Oldenburg has forced the golfer to be more accurate off the tee and the wooded area to the right is very much in play for anyone that cannot shape their tee shot from left to right.
The eighth hole is a 490-yard par 5, and one gets the impression of being at the finishing hole with two condominium complexes hugging the back of the green creating an amphitheater type setting. The fairway narrows up dramatically for the second shot and anything off the green will give you fits as the new maturing grass on the edge of the green is like playing out of a sponge.
The closing hole is a relatively straightforward 340-yard par 4, with the only hazard being a large lake protecting the green.
After playing the first nine, we definitely had that beat up feeling about us. But as in every golfer’s handbook, the back nine is a new game and off we went. Unfortunately the course was not about to surrender and the result was just the same. So with our heads held low, we made our way to the comfort of the 19th hole, where Don Eloy’s restaurant  provided us with great food and beverages to complete a fun, if somewhat frustrating day on the links.
For a first effort, Oldenburg has produced a fine course that will only improve with time and off the blue tees measuring 6,748 yards, Hacienda Iguana will prove a good test for any low-handicap golfer.
On December 1, the club hosted its inaugural Hacienda Iguana Pro-Am Golf Tournament with all proceeds going to the Iguana children’s school. With the amount of kids lining the fairways during our game, I’m sure it won’t be long before some fine young golfers emerge from this vicinity.