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<\/a>Punta Espada's opening hole.<\/p><\/div>\n
First of all, there is much more movement and elevation change within the property than I had imagined.\u00a0 Secondly, the conditioning is absolutely superb with the putting surfaces as smooth as any I\u2019ve ever encountered.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t hole putts here, there is no hope for you.\u00a0 Thirdly, Jack Nicklaus\u2019 routing uses the ocean as a hazard on both the left and right sides, and the ebb and flow of the layout is masterful.\u00a0 Next the inland holes are quite interesting in themselves and the building anticipation is fun.\u00a0 Finally, the layout possesses many good and outstanding or memorable individual holes.\u00a0 The first one is a great starter hole with the rock croppings beyond the green and to the left.\u00a0 The second is simply a superb risk and reward par-five.\u00a0 The second, seventeenth, and eighteenth holes have the ocean just steps away to the right while the twelfth and thirteenth enjoy it to the left.\u00a0 And several of the holes are built so close to the ocean that the ocean spray will touch you.<\/p>\n
While there course is heavily bunkered, Nicklaus has built grand fairways so most players will seldom be hunting for balls, and the putting surfaces have no exaggerated contours.\u00a0 In other words, the test is playable and resort-friendly with the distance ranging from under 4,500 yards to about 7,100.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean that it is easily, especially when the breezes pick up.\u00a0 The par-three thirteenth is truly one of the toughest holes I have ever encountered despite the bailout area to the right and the oversized putting surface.\u00a0 From the tips, it may be too severe even for the professionals, especially if it is playing downwind as the green falls away from and is semi-blind from the tee.<\/p>\n