Tee Up at Guacalito de la Isla at Mukul
There’s never been a better time to tee off at David McLay Kidd Golf Course! Located in Guacalito de la Isla, the golf course features the finest greens in all of Nicaragua. Resting adjacent to the lush rainforest and rugged ocean bluffs, the 18-hole course brings world standards to the heart of Nicaragua. As a challenge to players of all skill levels, Guacalito Golf Course seamlessly melds Mother Nature's contours of terrain simultaneously preserving the delicate, breathtaking environment that makes Nicaragua's Emerald Coast special.
Due to these special conditions and with distinct honor, the golf course officially accepted a bid to enter the 2016 PGA Tour Latinoamérica, hosting Nicaragua’s first ever participation in the tournament rotation. As an official host, the Flor de Caña Open is set to take place from August 29th to September 4th.
The Flor de Caña Open officially kicks off on Monday, August 29th with a qualifier round to be played in Managua’s Nejapa Country Club. The top 10 finalists from the qualifier will go on to compete with 144 other participants at Guacalito de la Isla on September 1st.
Nicaragua is just the fourth Central American country to join the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, signifying its steady rise on the world’s map. As the host of Nicaragua’s first event of this kind, Guacalito de la Isla is thrilled for the opportunity. “We feel very honored for this opportunity the PGA Tour has given us to have a PGA Tour Latinoamérica event in Nicaragua. It’s an event that will definitely put our country on the international golf map,” said Gustavo Betancourt, the golf director at Guacalito de la Isla.
The tournament will take place amongst the golf course’s beautiful hardwood bridges, expertly crafted from fallen timber. A special treated-water irrigation system keeps course green all year round, while also honoring the resort's commitment to sustainability. And the course's finishing hole, an unconventional par-3, was designed specifically to save mature trees instead of removing them. The result is a worthy example of golf sustainability at its absolute finest.
At a press conference announcing the tournament in Managua, PGA Tour Latinoamérica president Jack Warfield spoke to the progression of the event coming to fruition. “We started discussions to have this event two years ago and we are very happy we’ve come to this day”, Warfield said. “The golf course at Guacalito de la Isla is on par with the very best golf courses we play on this Tour. We know that our players, who are becoming some of the best emerging players in the world, are going to enjoy it. We are looking forward to a wonderful event to launch the start of what we hope is going to be a long term relationship”.
Guacalito de la Isla, located on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast, is only 75 miles from Nicaragua’s capital city of Managua, making its proximity to international airports an easy jaunt away. As the future host of the first-ever Flor de Caña Open, Nicaragua will become the 14th country in Latin America to host a PGA Tour Latinoamérica event. Over 144 players from nearly 25 countries will compete, with the winner of the tournament taking home over $30,000 US Dollars in prize winnings.
The Flor de Caña Open has already begun to receive great exposure and coverage not only in Nicaraguan media, but also in media outlets in the Latin American region and the US. We look forward to receiving even more as we lead up to the event!
As such, we invite all Nicaraguans to celebrate with us and be a part of making history as we establish a world class event in the country. We’re thrilled to become associated with the highest quality brand in the world of golf: The PGA Tour.