A brand-new Jack Nicklaus Signature course threading Caribbean ocean holes through a protected iguana nature reserve. The Dominican Republic's most anticipated golf opening in decades.
Las Iguanas was first planned in the mid-2000s as part of Cap Cana's grand resort vision. The 2008 financial crisis stopped construction with the land already shaped. For fifteen years, one of the Caribbean's most promising golf layouts sat dormant — until Nicklaus Design resurrected the project in 2023.
Troy Vincent, a senior design associate at Nicklaus Design who had also worked on the neighboring Punta Espada, led the completion. The course opened in November 2025. The wait produced something extraordinary: an 18-hole championship layout that integrates three dramatic oceanside holes with a course that weaves through a protected natural reserve of caves, wetlands, and indigenous vegetation where iguanas live undisturbed.
Golf at Villa Espada →Three ocean holes and a nature reserve setting make Las Iguanas unlike any other course in the Caribbean.
The first of three consecutive holes along the Caribbean shoreline. The rocky coast comes into full view here, and the wind becomes a factor that no yardage book can fully account for.
A par-three playing directly alongside the Caribbean — already drawing comparisons to the great oceanside par-threes of the world. The green is perched above rocky shoreline with the sea as its backdrop. No margin for error.
The tees on 14 play away from the ocean, offering a dramatic visual contrast as the course transitions back inland. The ocean still frames the right side, refusing to fully let go.
The front nine threads through Las Iguanas' protected natural reserve — caves, wetlands, indigenous vegetation, and the native iguanas that gave the course its name. Parkland golf at its most immersive.
Water hazards deployed throughout the layout in true Nicklaus fashion — never punitive without purpose. Each placement forces a decision, rewarding aggressive play that is properly executed.
Las Iguanas closes with the strategic clarity that defines great Nicklaus finishers — multiple routes to the green, risk and reward clearly defined, and a closing moment worthy of the round that preceded it.
Las Iguanas shares Cap Cana with Punta Espada — consistently ranked the #1 resort course in Latin America and among the top ten worldwide. Your villa stay includes member-tier access to both.
Play Punta Espada one day, Las Iguanas the next. Your butler books both, your carts are waiting, and your chef has dinner on the table when you return. This is the complete Cap Cana golf experience.
Book the Villa →Member tee times, private chef, two golf carts — all arranged. You bring your group.