Guacalito de la Isla Golf Course: Best Golf Destination of Nicaragua

Guacalito de la isla golf course is the best golf course in Nicaragua. Nicaragua mastered the art of cigars and rum years ago, but didn’t have an elite golf course until recently. In 2013 Mukul Resort’s Guacalito de la Isla golf course opened and completed the rum, cigar and golf trinity.

Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa serves rum that tastes like nectar and they cut the finest cigars in the world. According to Cigar Aficionado, six of the top 10 cigars in 2015 are from Nicaragua; according to me, the Flor de Caña Centenario 25 is what joy tastes like. Rum will appear early and often at Mukul.

“The Macuá is the national drink here in Nicuragua, it’s Flor de Caña white rum, guava and other fresh juices along with some simple syrup. We greet all of our guests with a fresh Macuá at our Palapa Lounge, it’s a great way to set the mood,” Gustavo Betancourt, Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa’s director of golf told us.

Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa was built by Nicaraguan businessman Carlos Pellas, the Pellas family has produced the acclaimed Flor de Caña Nicuragua rum for generations. No surprise, Flor de Caña is the only rum option at Mukul and is offered in 12-year, 18-year, 25-year ages along with other mixables. There’s a Family Reserve too, it was distilled by Nicaraguan rum angels and tastes like heaven. And for a trip to the Flor de Caña factory and other nearby attractions, ask about helicopter transport and sightseeing tours.

Other things to do in guacalito de la isla golf course tour

This region is an ecotourism wonderland with jungle hiking and biking for up-close encounters with iguanas, monkeys, sloths and other wildlife. The resort sits on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast and has one of the best surfing breaks on the planet. Standup paddle-boarding, snorkeling, kayaking and fishing also happen at Mukul. And if all that’s a bit mundane then go for the sledding inside the Cerro Negro dormant volcano, they call it ash boarding.

David McLay Kidd of Bandon Dunes fame was chosen to design the golf course because of his naturalistic approach. Kidd emphasized replanting and reforesting and it worked.

“We hosted a PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event here August 29 thru September 4, the Flor de Caña Open. It’s a reflection of the quality golf we have here and is the culmination of all the hard work that has gone into this resort. We saw a lot of amazing play and surprisingly a lot of good surfing too. People would be amazed to see how good some of the pro golfers are on surfboards,” Betancourt added.

Argentina’s Augusto Nunez shot 67, 63, 64 and a 65 to beat America’s Eric Steger by one shot. Betancourt has seen a lot of good golf; he grew up in Venezuela with two-time PGA Tour player, Jhonattan Vegas.

“Jhonattan’s like a cousin to me, but I realized pretty early that he had a lot more game than I did. My dad was his swing coach; he has so much ability. We were in Houston when the golf coach from University of Texas came to watch him hit balls on the range. Jhonattan could hit it left, he could hit it right and the driver is 300-plus every time. Texas offered him a scholarship there on the range,” Betancourt laughed.

Golf is one is life’s great teachers and Betancourt realized that he should pursue a career on the business side of golf. He’s been at Mukul since it opened and gushes when he talks about the accommodations, food, service, quality of the golf and the relaxed vibe.

He planned the perfect three-day vacation for us, “I would arrive in the afternoon, have a Macuá or two, relax by the pool or beach and enjoy the resort. For dinner I’d have an incredible beach barbecue seafood dinner. The following morning, I would have a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast with eggs, beans and rice, fried plantains and cheese. After breakfast I’d head to the range to warm-up and go off No. 1 around 9:30 a.m. After the round I would have fried snapper and ceviche at La Terraza, enjoy the resort and then have the chef’s tasting menu at La Mesa for dinner, this is a real treat. The third day I would play more golf or go fishing, the fishing is incredible here, we catch a lot of Spanish mackerel, mahi-mahi, red snapper, wahoo, rooster fish, marlin and yellow-fin tuna. Be sure to make an afternoon tee time at some point also, the lighting in the evening is amazing. And the spa too, definitely make a spa reservation.”

Clearly, three days isn’t enough… eight or nine should suffice.