Las Iguanas Golf Course — Overview

Las Iguanas Golf Course is Cap Cana's most exciting new addition — a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design that opened in November 2025 and immediately established itself as one of the Caribbean's most compelling new courses. The layout sits adjacent to the legendary Punta Espada, sharing the same dramatic Cap Cana coastline but delivering an entirely different challenge.

Lead designer Troy Vincent worked with the Nicklaus design team to create a course that honours the site's extraordinary natural features: a protected iguana nature reserve threading through the interior holes, and three consecutive oceanside holes — numbers 12, 13, and 14 — that rank among the most visually dramatic in Caribbean golf.

For golfers staying at Villa Espada inside Cap Cana, Las Iguanas represents a second world-class course on the doorstep — making a Cap Cana golf trip genuinely unmatched anywhere in the Caribbean.

Course Fast Facts — Las Iguanas

  • Design: Jack Nicklaus Signature Design — lead designer Troy Vincent
  • Opened: November 2025
  • Holes: 18 holes, championship layout
  • Ocean Holes: 3 (holes 12, 13, 14 — the Caribbean stretch)
  • Special Feature: Protected iguana nature reserve on property
  • Location: Cap Cana resort, Dominican Republic — adjacent to Punta Espada
  • Best Time to Play: November through April (dry season, steady trade winds)
  • Green Fees: Available on request via Cap Cana resort — see Rates page

The Ocean Stretch — Holes 12, 13 & 14

The signature sequence at Las Iguanas runs across holes 12, 13, and 14, where the layout hugs the Caribbean Sea. This three-hole stretch is the heart of the course — each hole demands a different approach, with wind and ocean orientation shifting between them.

Hole 12 opens the sequence with a tee shot that frames the Caribbean on the horizon. Hole 13 is the most exposed of the three, with the sea visible on both the approach and from the green. Hole 14 closes the ocean stretch with a memorable mid-length hole where the trade winds become a genuine strategic factor. Players who have played Punta Espada's ocean holes will find Las Iguanas's ocean sequence equally memorable — different in character, equally demanding.

The Iguana Nature Reserve — A Course Like No Other

What truly sets Las Iguanas apart from any other Caribbean golf course is its protected iguana nature reserve. The indigenous rhinoceros iguana population at Cap Cana is preserved by resort policy, and the golf course has been designed to incorporate — rather than disturb — the iguanas' natural habitat.

Several interior holes play alongside and through areas where iguanas are commonly seen basking on rocks, crossing fairways, and occupying the rough. This is not window dressing — it is a genuinely unique playing environment, unlike anything else in Caribbean or world golf. Players are reminded to treat the iguanas with respect and never interfere with them during a round.

Las Iguanas vs Punta Espada

The natural question for any golfer visiting Cap Cana is how Las Iguanas compares to its neighbour, Punta Espada. The honest answer is that they are genuinely complementary — different enough to justify playing both, similar enough in ambition and quality to make a two-course Cap Cana trip extraordinary.

Punta Espada is the headline act: eight ocean holes, a 2006 Nicklaus design that has had 20 years to mature, and Jack Nicklaus's personal designation as his favourite course. Las Iguanas is the newer, fresher design — more wildlife-integrated, with a tighter, more intimate feel through the interior before opening out on the Caribbean stretch. See our full Las Iguanas vs Punta Espada comparison.

Where to Stay — The Best Base for Las Iguanas

The best accommodation for playing Las Iguanas is Villa Espada — a private luxury villa inside Cap Cana's gated resort, steps from both Las Iguanas and Punta Espada. The villa staff arrange all tee times, transport within the resort, and can book rounds at La Cana, Corales, and Teeth of the Dog for multi-course itineraries.

Villa Espada accommodates up to 10 guests across five bedrooms, with a private pool, chef service, and a concierge team that specialises in golf travel logistics. It is the most complete golf villa base in the Dominican Republic.