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The rocks appear to draw the green outlines of the recently-mowed lawn around the holes in the course

A new 18-hole golf course, in Punta Espada, will be ready to roll for golf enthusiasts as part of the tourism development of Cap Cana, the Dominican Republic’s biggest real-estate and tourist compound.

Marta Fernandez, PR manager in Cap Cana, told Caribbean Tourist Excellencies that the grand opening of the brand-new golf course will be attended by Jack Nicklaus, the larger-than-life designer who laid out the Punta Espada facility.

Jack William Nickalus is penciled in as the greatest pro golfer of all time. He was born on January 21, 1940 in Columbus, Ohio and started playing golf when he was just a kid. He won his first tournament –the Ohio Open- when he was only 16 years old. He’s grabbed countless titles and top prizes in his career ever since, a reason why golf fans has nicknamed him the Golden Bear.

When designing the Cap Cana golf course, he has applied the requirements that he has seen in numerous fields in a bid to achieve perfection. For his part, Sam Logan, operations manager for Troon Golf –the company in charge of building and managing the sport facility- says that “by opening the 19 holes we’re simply making good on the promise we’d made of giving customers a spectacular, one-of-a-kind course.”

When referring to the place and its surroundings, this is what Mr. Logan had to say: “The crags are irrisistibly beautiful, and so are the unexplored beaches, the crystal-clear waterfalls, the lush foliage. This combination makes Punta Espada a genuine golf experience in paradise.”

As part of this golf project, a back nine was opened in July, 2006 for a total price tag of $18 million. This will be one of the three courses designed and built by Jack Nicklaus. The rocks appear to draw the green outlines of the recently-mowed lawn around the holes in a course that will be ready for play by the end of this year for both pros and buffs.

Punta Espada incorporates Cap Cana’s paradisiacal features as golfers make the 18-hole tour. Eight of those holes might have special advantages of their own since players have the chance of feasting eyes on huge blue sea that hugs the lavish scenery.

Hole 13 is no doubt the course’s signature hole. It’s a spectacular par-3, 249-yard-long green destined to becoming one of the most photographed fields in the world. The tour includes a thrilling shot over the sea and a breathtaking green edged by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

In addition, Punta Espada is the first golf course in the Dominican Republic made a hundred percent of Paspalum grass –the surface of choice for places under tropical weather conditions given its resistance to saltwater and amazing green hues.

Cap Cana is a tourist and real-estate compound valued at $1.5 billion. It comprises 143 million square yards of unexplored beaches, cliffs and peerless views of the sea. This point has been recognized as an outstanding travel destination and now a must-see for golf lovers from around the world.

Hole-by-hole description of the punta espada golf course Hole 1 – Par 4: The tees are just above a sandtrap, while the slope-down par 4 is formed by a huge bunker that runs on the left side of the fairway and another bunker on the right side of the landing area. This will force players to go through a portion of the bunker and make use of the left side of the fairway in order to get a much better angle of the green.

Hole 2 – Par 5: This is the toughest hole of all. The tees are atop one of the highest grounds in Punta Espada, providing views of a big lake that flows into the Caribbean Sea. This 600-yard right dogleg is the longest par-5 and requires three nice shots to get to the green.

Hole 3 – Par 4: With tees running along the Caribbean Sea’s shoreline, this 424-yard-long, par-4 right dogleg plays with the wind, featuring a natural coral and sandtrap that has to be overcome from the right side.

Hole 4 – Par 3: The first of the par-3 fields is 177 yards long from end to end. The green is not too far, so a long drive over the green will be penalized.

Hole 5 – Par 4: A long par 4 with the wind blowing behind the players will force golfers to thoroughly choose the drive angle. There’s plenty of room to play well on the left side, yet players won’t get hassle-free access to the green. A shot from the right side of the fairway will allow players to charge the pin.

Hole 6 – Par 5: This is the first of three holes atop a 20 to 30 feet sandtrap. This par-5 right dogleg will simply be one for the books. A vast tee-off area gives golfers a nice grip-it-and-rip-it drive. A right-sided shot to the middle of the green is no doubt the right drive to do. The hard thing about it is the execution.

Hole 7 – Par 3: The easiest par 3 is 186 yards long and features a pin to the right and across from it that makes it the most aggressive par 3 players will find around here. With a punch-bowl green, golfers will prefer to leave the edges behind and play from left to right to take on any of the pins all along the right rim.

Hole 8 – Par 4: Even though this is Punta Espada’s shortest par 4, the wind will surely play a role when it comes to picking the iron. The vast and sandy idly area that stretches all along the hole and toward the fairway in the landing area will compel golfers to play safe and choose the left side of the fairway, making it hard anyway to drive the ball toward the greenside bunker.

Hole 9 – Par 4: With all tees perched atop the sandtrap and a virtual 360-degree view of the Punta Espada golf course and the Caribbean Sea, adredaline will pump up its pinnacle as soon as you step into this field. A tee-off shot down the slope must be hefty enough to overcome the wind. This left dogleg should be played with longer drives than expected –regardless of yardage.

Hole 10 – Par 4: Precision, and not distance, is the name of the game when playing this right dogleg. A big idly bunker that kicks off near the rear tee and runs all along the right side of the lake and the green will just torment any golfer.

Hole 11 – Par 4: The longest par 4 (469 yards) can be shortened if the wind blows behind the players. The tee-off is an uphill shot with a trio of bunkers in the fairway that cross the landing area. Long drives will be right as long as golfers hit the backside of the speed slot.

Hole 12 – Par 5: This is a good golf hole that requires good shots –depending on the wind’s strength and the direction it blows- to make it in two.

Hole 13 – Par 3: Welcome to the course’s signature hole. This will surely be one of the most sought-after holes among shutterbugs. It’s a breathtaking 249-yard-long par 3 with no secrets. A shot over the sea –depending on the wind’s direction and picking the right iron- will win half the battle.

Hole 14 – Par 4: This challenging par 4, featuring a narrow landing area’s fairway, forces golfers to use the right side. Penalties for failing to make the shot are severe.

Hole 15 – Par 5: It’s a 541-yard-long par 5 –slightly to the right of the dogleg- that leaves plenty of options. With water on the right and two bunkers on the left, the green is well protected, giving the chip shot a premium.

Hole 16 – Par 3: Water, sand and crossing winds will make this hole a tough challenger. The best shot here is drive the ball toward the wind. Those who play low could hit upon an elaborate bunker system to the right of the green that will make it hard to score. Hole 17 – Par 4: A relatively short par 4 in the direction of the wind allows players to catch as much as they can. The tees lie along the Caribbean Sea, making players hit over the bay and the coastline toward the green. The more ocean the shot covers, the shorter and the better the angle and the second shot for the green will be. Hole 18 – Par 4: This par 4 with the wind in your face puts a premium on a good tee-off. The tee is parallel to the ocean, with a huge sandy idly bunker to the right that separates the Caribbean Sea and the golf course. Any shot that lands ahead of or in the middle of the green will be safe.