Palma Real Club de Golf

Aged Caddy With Tequila Dings Worth A Spin

3.0 of 5 starsReviewed March 9, 2022

Like a third hand Bondo-patched 1996 Cadillac Seville this Robert Trent Jones, Jr. layout has good bones and runs ok, but could really use a restoration.
I played it twice in early March, 2022 and things got loco before I hit the grass. I approached the clerk to pay my $80 green fee.
Clerk: When is your tee time?
Me: 12:50 (I was an hour early) Clerk: You wanna play now?
Me: I want to hit practice balls first.
Clerk: We no have practice balls now.
Me: Ah, ok, then I’ll play now.
Clerk: We no have cart for you.
Me: Hmm…
Clerk: You can talk to starter. He tell you when he get you cart.
Me (thinking): Ay carumba.
The starter wrangled a cart from a player coming off 18. They offered me the back 9 first, which was great until the turn, where I caught a foursome teeing off on #1. No way was I going to get bogged down behind them so I skipped ahead to #5, played through #9, then played 1-4. It worked out and I had fun.
Let’s mention the pros and then get to the cons.
I like that you have to put on your thinking cap at least a few times here. There are thought provoking risk-rewards, thanks to the architect’s skill. There’s the classic moment when you think, “I want to aim away from the water, but that means aiming toward a giant bunker.” Red stakes and o.b. aren’t oppressive here, but both are present.
Scoping my tee shot on #10 I thought, “There’s plenty of room to the right.” Yes, but I ended up behind a massive tree.
The signature hole might be #15 because of its elevated tee box, forced carry, dogleg over a river, and rousing ocean view. It’s a cool sitch. While driving to your amazing tee shot you’ll cross a bridge over the river. If there’s time, stop to look for turtles and crocodiles.
It should be said that the course has a list of maintenance issues.
The layout has at least two species of grass and a fair representation of weeds, all of which play differently. Grass is sparse in many places, especially in the rough.
There are brown areas in numerous places.
Bunker lips aren’t maintained. (I like to putt out of bunkers occasionally, but I doubt that was the architect’s intent.) Also, some bunkers were weedy, debris strewn, homes to fallen coconuts and burrowing iguanas.
Out of 18 holes I saw just one sign indicating the hole number. That was the hand painted sign on the way to 17. Charming, in a way.
A few cart trails have evolved off of the cart paths. A course usually ropes off places like that to prevent such wear and tear to areas near bunkers and greens that are in play.
The cart paths are really beat up.
Getting back to the bright side, there are two putting greens, a practice bunker, a range, and a palapa cafe. She’ll make quesadillas, sandwiches, and hamburgers and sling ya cold beers.

Ya know, it’s not a destination golf course or anything you’ll brag about back home, but it’s mostly playable, affordable, fun, and it’s the only option around. Plus, there are iguanas and crocodiles.