Final Report on My Puerto Rico Golf Trip

Eileen Earley (Ogilvy), Chi Chi Rodriguez and yours truly at a reception
at the Gran Melia Golf Resort (photo courtesy of Rob Hayashida)

IT HAS BEEN ABOUT a month since I traveled to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Open as a member of a press tour hosted by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Golf travel and destinations are not my normal beat, but I was grateful for the opportunity to slip away for a PGA Tour event in the Caribbean, especially after such a long stretch of cold, snow and ice in the Mid Atlantic. As a huge bonus, my wife came along while our two school-age daughters stayed with friends, a rare weeklong getaway.

We stayed at the Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto Rico in Rio Grande, which is just a John Daly 5-iron from the Trump International Golf Club where the tournament was played. I read some reviews on Trip Advisor before we left and was a bit concerned due to comments about the service and food. However, I thought the service was consistently good and at times excellent. For the most part, the staff was genuinely friendly. There are five restaurants on the property, a combination of cuisine options in casual or more formal settings. My favorite was Pasion−I dined there two nights in a row. I tried mofongo, a native dish featuring mashed plantains, and ordered the fresh grouper on my second visit. I also consumed massive quantities of decadent chocolate desserts on both evenings. Life was good. And very fattening.

The property has nearly 500 suites and a handful of villas, including the presidential villa where I believe The Donald was staying (he was on hand for tournament festivities), although it was hush-hush with the resort staff. The suites are spread out and connected by a large loop of sidewalks. Unless you really enjoy walking (I did), getting around is by golf cart. (The staff is always driving the loop and eager to pick up people as they drift out of their suites.) Our suite was large and comfortable. My only problem in the room was wireless reception, which was spotty.

The resort is on the ocean and has a beach area that I was told will be overhauled with new sand. We didn’t swim in the gigantic lagoon-style pool because the water was a little chilly. I liked seeing the iguanas everywhere. They seem to be as common on the island as squirrels are in the States. Some are larger than cats. Really. Other resort amenities include a casino, small store, bars and live entertainment.

Tours and Stuff

While I did my golf thing, which included press conferences, presentations, the tournament and various tours of local golf courses such as Rio Mar, my wife took tours to Old San Juan and the nearby El Yunque rainforest. My one regret was not getting to Old San Juan. Maybe next time.

Don’t leave San Juan on a Sunday unless you have no other choice. Apparently, all the cruise ships return and tourists flood the airport to fly home. I’ve never seen a more crowded airport in my life. It was overwhelming, and some of my fellow stand-in-liners were not dealing well with travel adversity. But my wife and I made are flights.

I also should mention that I enjoyed the company of Eileen Earley (Ogilvy), Marta (Puerto Rico tourism rep), Rob Hayashida (Sandbox8), Stacy and Barry Solomon (Golf for Beginners), Steve Ellis (The Golfer), Art Stricklin (Sports Illustrated) and Tony Korologos (The Golf Space and Hooked on Golf Blog).

It was my first trip to Puerto Rico and I’d definitely go back. Maybe I’ll be there next year for the 2011 Puerto Rico Open.

−The Armchair Golfer

Read more about my Puerto Rico trip:
Gusty Breezes and Missed Putts at the Puerto Rico Open
Skip Kendall Is the Early Leader in Puerto Rico
How to Blow Dry Trump International with a Helicopter
It’s Raining Cats, Dogs and Iguanas at the Puerto Rico Open
Opening Media Conference and More Chi Chi Rodriguez
Chi Chi Rodriguez: Puerto Rico’s Golf Ambassador

Skip Kendall Is the Early Leader in Puerto Rico

ARMCHAIR GOLF is in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, for the Puerto Rico Open.

SKIP KENDALL IS A SHORT hitter on a long, waterlogged golf course, but it didn’t hinder him in the first round of the Puerto Rico Open. Kendall posted a 65 in a round that took 48 hours to complete due to weather delays caused by more than six inches of rain at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Kendall’s round began at 7:06 a.m. on Thursday. He played one hole, the 10th, holing a 7-iron from 159 yards for an eagle before the downpour halted play. About 24 hours later, Kendall played one more hole and made birdie. Again, play was suspended. At that rate, it would take more than two weeks to complete 18 holes. Skip took the weather delay in stride.

“We’ve been through this drill enough to realize you can’t control the weather,” Kendall said on Friday. “So you just have to deal with it the best you can here.”

Ranked 121st in driving distance on the PGA Tour, Kendall faced a wet Trump International layout that at over 7,500 yards is one of the longest tracks on tour. So far, the veteran has been able to keep up and was pleasantly surprised by the course setup and conditions when play resumed at 4:35 p.m. on Friday.

“Some of the tees were put forward a little bit, so that obviously helps someone like me. And it really wasn’t overly long at all.”

Kendall’s best finish this season is a tie for fourth at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico. He has won three times on the Nationwide Tour.

With the first round still in progress on Saturday, a Monday or Tuesday tournament finish is probable. The Trump International course record in tournament play is 64, which could fall this week since tournament officials have allowed preferred lies due to the soggy conditions.

–The Armchair Golfer

Related:
How to Blow Dry Trump International with a Helicopter
It’s Raining Cats, Dogs and Iguanas at the Puerto Rico Open
Opening Media Conference and More Chi Chi Rodriguez
Chi Chi Rodriguez: Puerto Rico’s Golf Ambassador

How to Blow Dry Trump International with a Helicopter

(Photos courtesy of Rob Hayashida of Golf Views)

ARMCHAIR GOLF is in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, for the Puerto Rico Open.

I’VE SEEN A LOT of things on a golf course. Today I saw something new: a helicopter used as a giant blow dryer on a rain-deluged championship layout.

Desperate measures were in order for the Trump International Golf Club at the 2010 Puerto Rico Open. The championship layout had taken on more than six inches of rain in the last 24 hours, and a tournament that was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. on Thursday was still delayed at noon on Friday. A grounds crew armed with squeegees and pumps and working through the night could only do so much.

The loud whirr of the propellers signaled that the operation was underway. The helicopter started on the 1st hole, just as a golfer would. After flying a short distance along the fairway, it dropped down to just a few feet above the surface, hovering in place with its propellers rotating at high speed. Occasionally, men who dared to get close seemed to be directing the pilot as nearby palm trees swayed in the helicopter’s wake. It was a strange sight.

No word on the model of the helicopter, which belongs to Jorge Diaz, owner of the property. (Is there a preferred fairway-drying model?) I expect it worked fine, an important piece of equipment during this very soggy week at the Puerto Rico Open.

Players Emerge

Professional golfers are a bit like reptiles. However, instead of sunning themselves on rocks after torrential rain, they emerge from their hotel rooms and the players’ dining room to sun themselves on the practice tee and putting green, working out the kinks after a long weather delay. First-round play will resume at 4:35 p.m. on Friday.

–The Armchair Golfer

Related:
It’s Raining Cats, Dogs and Iguanas at the Puerto Rico Open
Opening Media Conference and More Chi Chi Rodriguez
Chi Chi Rodriguez: Puerto Rico’s Golf Ambassador