82 When Bobby Cupp first visited the golf course in Caguas, in the central eastern region of Puerto Rico, he found a layout that was far from its best. In 2017 the course had been severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, and subsequently had endured years of decline amid the challenge of maintaining a golf course in one of the island’s wettest regions. Caguas Real Golf & Country Club had opened in 2002, with an 18-hole course by John Sanford that winds from relatively gentle terrain on the front nine into the hills of the back. Now under the ownership of Nelson Menda, the club is undergoing a $20 million redevelopment. “From the outset, our team saw a chance to build something beyond a traditional club,” says Menda. “Our vision for Caguas is to become a premier destination for sports, recreation and entertainment in Puerto Rico.” For the golf course, Menda brought in architect Bobby Cupp and development firm Southworth Golf, represented by Greg Sherwood as project executive and Roberto Correa as construction manager. Cupp is now in the process of reinventing the course within the playing corridors of Sanford’s original design. He is adding length to what was a 6,379-yard course, while ensuring the course remains playable, maintainable and sustainable for decades to come. “The front nine included one par five, two par threes and six par fours,” he says. “The back nine originally had three of each; however, two of its par fives were short, so we converted hole sixteen into a long par four. The property is quite interesting in that the front nine is mostly on a floodplain and has gentle elevation, while the back nine moves into the foothills and has some big elevation changes. Holes ten to fourteen have long-range views of the Cordillera Central mountains, which are quite captivating.” Additional distance has been found at the par-three eighth, which has been extended to become a 232-yarder, and the fifteenth, where a new back tee makes it the longest hole on the course at 577 yards. Cupp has also adjusted the tee-shot angle at the eighteenth, PROFILED Caguas Golf Club prepares to reopen in December 2026 following $20 million of investment from an owner aiming to turn the Puerto Rico club into a world-class facility. Turning the tide CAGUAS GC, PUERTO RICO
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