Reserva Conchal Golf Club: Nature’s Sweet Spot

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Reserva Conchal Golf Club: Nature’s Sweet Spot

Nicole Rangel - APR 01, 2019

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PGA legend Tom Watson summed it up best: “No other game combines the wonder of nature with the discipline of sport in such carefully planned ways. A great golf course both frees and challenges a golfer’s mind.”

Whenever that much precision and protection is put into a sport, you know there will be a sweet spot. In Costa Rica, this sweet spot is Reserva Conchal Golf Club. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the Audubon International-certified course is every golfer’s dream when it comes to a challenging game surrounded by nature.

Part of the reason this course is so special is the attention to details important for human and non-human visitors alike. With over 60 sand traps, significant elevation changes and magnificent views of mangroves, native forests and sweeping ocean overlooks, this course will delight any player’s heart and skill level. The neighbors are quite delightful too: birds, monkeys, deer and coatis are just a few of the animals that call the lands surrounding the 7,021-square-yard golf course their home. And this is due to the continuous protection efforts and oversight of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf.

The Audubon International-certified course
is every golfer’s dream when it
comes to a challenging game
surrounded by nature.

In fact, Reserva Conchal was the first Audubon-certified golf course in Costa Rica. Reserva Conchal not only measures up but exceeds the minimum standards set for each of the requirements. Over the past year, Reserva Conchal invested over $1 million to install a state-of-the-art irrigation system with AI data to prevent leaking and overwatering. This system is tied into the resort property’s on-site treatment plant, where wastewater from the two hotels is recycled to water the greens and garden areas. Reserva Conchal has also reforested over 300 native trees. A large portion of land has been dedicated to the slow-growing, endangered holywood tree (Guaiacum sanctum), gradually making a comeback after nearly a half-century of sweeping deforestation in Costa Rica.

Golf cart tours of the greens are offered daily at 3 p.m. for Reserva Conchal residents and hotel guests, who have a very good chance of seeing monkeys, iguanas and feisty coatis, as well as a wide variety of birds. The newest species to be found here are the double-striped thick-knee and southern lapwing. It’s also the ideal opportunity for visitors to learn about eco-friendly practices they can adopt at home. The same kind of learning experience goes in both directions for students from nearby Earth University. Through an extended education partnership with Reserva Conchal, they can apply their classroom knowledge in a practical real-world environment with social responsibility.

golfing in costa rica

The golf course has hosted two PGA tours and offers an annual week-long PGA Tour academy with PGA pros. Other events have included weekly children’s workshops and golf tournaments for local charities and fundraisers.

Beyond hitting balls at Reserva Conchal, and regardless of golf score, the sublime connection with nature alone is reason enough for anyone to enjoy an incomparable experience on these greens. Even on a subpar day, it’s gratifying to play on a course that is giving so much back to the environment and the community of

Audubon Certification

The prestigious Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf certification requires monitoring of six key performance indicators to “minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations.” Through continuous monitoring of the following areas, courses are supporting sustainable lands, building community and providing a beautiful landscape to play golf.

Environmental planning

Wildlife and habitat management

Chemical usage reduction and safety

Water conservation

Water quality management

Outreach and education

When building and updating these certified golf courses, wildlife corridors are preserved and native plants are used. Minimizing disruption of the natural environment is always a high priority to create a sustainable habitat for the natural birds, flora and fauna surrounding the course.