Land more popular than water at Rio Mar Country Club's Ocean golf course in Puerto Rico
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico -- The original course at Rio Mar Country Club, the Ocean Course, dates back to 1975.
The course, located on the north shore between Trump International Golf Club and El Conquistador Golf Club, was a collaboration between George Fazio and his nephew Tom Fazio. It winds along small ponds and features the El Yunque Rain Forest as a backdrop. It plays a maximum yardage of 6,782 yards from the championship tees.
The course gets its "ocean" moniker thanks to the par-3 16th hole that is a long, 200-plus-yard hole that plays beside the beach. The remainder of the course plays more inland on gently rolling land that makes for a traditional course design. Unique to the Ocean Course is that there are no sprinkler heads, only natural irrigation.
The country club, which also features the Greg Norman-designed River Course, is part of the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort, which is set on 500 acres and features tennis courts, a spa and casino among many other amenities.