Nicklaus to Design Course in Nicaragua


The developer of Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort in San Rafael Del Sur, Nicaragua, has announced plans that Jack Nicklaus will design the Seaside Mariana Golf Club. The course will become the first Nicklaus-designed layout in the country.

"I relish every opportunity I have to go into a country in which we have never worked," said Nicklaus. "To be able to design a golf course for Seaside Mariana and introduce and grow the sport in that region by creating a quality facility is very gratifying. Golfers will be able to experience ocean views on both nines. It is a wonderful site on which to create something truly special."

Seaside Mariana Golf Club's 7,200-yard, par-72 course will feature tropical, undulating terrain. Positioned on a natural slope above the Pacific Ocean, Seaside Mariana offers ocean breezes and spectacular views of the water. Fairways and greens will meander through a riverside nature reserve, mangrove forest and Pacific beach.

The development team has hired KemperSports Management to operate the facility. KemperSports is a respected name in the club management industry with a résumé that includes over 75 courses throughout the United States, including Bandon Dunes.

The architectural firm of Earl Swensson Associates will design a limited collection of estate homes, villas and casitas along with the golf clubhouse. International real estate marketing agency, Three Palms International, will handle all sales, marketing and media requests for the development.

"We are marketing a property like no other in Nicaragua," said Mark Peterson, president of Three Palms International. "Seaside Mariana offers a timely opportunity for real estate investment in a country that is appreciating in the same manner that Costa Rica did only 10 years earlier."

Seaside Mariana is one hour from the capital city of Managua. Most major airlines provide daily, non-stop service from Miami, Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles to Managua International Airport.

The 923-acre, private resort community, located on the Southwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua, is being developed by Nicaragua Developments S.A. In addition to the Nicklaus course and residences, the resort will feature Nicaragua's first destination spa, a hotel, private oceanfront beach club, archeological museum, medical facility and a plaza with shops, restaurants, cafes and a cultural and performing arts venue.