El Conquistador Golf Club

The hotel that accompanies “El Con” is built on stunning oceanfront headlands 200 feet above the Atlantic on the northeastern tip of Puerto Rico—had this land been used for golf, the course might be one of the most dramatic and photographed in the Caribbean. As is, the golf is set away from the cliffs on an interior section of land, but the design provides drama in other ways. The big elevation changes make the course feel like mountain golf, and architect Arthur Hills worried that the terrain might be too severe in some places, and shaping it was a challenge due to the site’s underlying rock. But the holes fit the land and take players on an attractive journey through the hilly rainforests, weaving around ponds toward small greens but allowing plenty of space off the tee.