Robert Trent Jones II Firm to Build New Golf Course at Buenaventura in Panama

The firm of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects has signed on to build a second course at Buenaventura Resort in Panama 90 miles southwest of Panama City.  The new course will top out at 6,810 yards with a par of 72, and it will feature long ribbon tees that allow players to choose their best distances. Instead of heavy earth-moving to build the course, the designers plan to rely on the varied natural topography to create interest and provide long sightlines and ocean views. Fairways will feature generous width, allowing players to choose strategic lines into the greens with an emphasis on fun and playability. “As they play, golfers will journey through a variety of distinct environments,” Bruce Charlton, president of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, said in a media release announcing the plans. “The jungle holes will be surrounded by dense foliage and towering Guanacaste trees, punctuated by a series of running streams and offering an adventurous experience of navigating winding fairways. The meadow holes, with their wide-open spaces, provide expansive scale and invite bold, strategic play. Players will encounter the challenge a breathtaking beach and ocean-view hole, a one-of-a-kind challenge comprised of ocean breezes and sandy shores.” Buenaventura is an 800-acre Central American beach resort and residential community, and its first course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2012.