Golf Courses: Trump National Golf Club, Puerto Rico

Since the Puerto Rico Open finished a couple of days ago, I thought we'd make this month's Killer Course Trump National Golf Club in Puerto Rico.  That's where they play the Puerto Rico Open.  There are actually two courses (The Championship and The International) on the property, both 18 hole championship courses. Location Location Location Naturally the location of Trump National is 2nd to none.  The island of Puerto Rico is the Atlantic Ocean's version of Hawaii, only without the volcanoes.  Trump National is located in the town of Rio Grande, which sits on the north eastern corner of the island. The courses are tropical in foliage, with palm trees, bermuda grass and tropical vegetation.  The backdrop is the Caribbean National Forest or as the locals call it, the "Rain Forest."  Needless to say, the Rain Forest gets a lot of rain at over 200 inches per year. Design Tom Kite's design winds through isles of palm trees as well as lakes and waterways.  The conditioning of the track is stellar, with many holes lined by beautifully colorful tropical flowers. Terrain The course has many rolling hills and undulating greens, but is generally flat and has little elevation change.  Signature holes feature beautiful mounding, palm trees and primarily ocean side views. Driving the ball in the fairway isn't terribly difficult, unless the ocean winds pick up.  The landing areas are generally wide with some mounding to make approaches a bit more challenging. The greens are large and have some very challenging mounding.  Approach shots are guarded by strategic bunkers with bright white sand. Facilities Trump has a fine clubhouse which is over 46,000 square feet and appointed nicely.  Inside the clubhouse is a nicely stocked pro shop, meeting rooms, men's and women's locker rooms, lounge and restaurant. The practice area features two putting greens, a large driving range and chipping area. PGA Tour Stop As mentioned, the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open stops by in March, dating back to 2008. Big names like John Daly, Stewart Cink and Angel Cabrera play in the tournament. Contact Trump International Golf Club, Puerto Rico 100 Clubhouse Drive Rio Grande, Puerto Rico 00745 787-657-2000 http://www.trumpgolfclubpuertorico.com