Las Iguanas — The Headline Opening of 2025
No Caribbean golf course opening in 2025 comes close to Las Iguanas in terms of pedigree and significance. A Jack Nicklaus Signature Design at Cap Cana — one of the Caribbean's most exclusive resort communities — Las Iguanas represents the first major Nicklaus opening in the Dominican Republic since the original Punta Espada in 2006.
The November 2025 opening marks nearly two decades of planning, routing, and construction to deliver a course that lives up to its extraordinary setting. The result is a course that should be on every serious Caribbean golfer's radar immediately: a new Nicklaus Signature before it becomes fully discovered.
Why Play New Courses — The Early-Mover Advantage
There is a singular pleasure in playing a great course in its opening years — before tee times become impossible to book, before the story has been told thousands of times, before the course has matured to its full difficulty. Punta Espada in its first few years attracted a fraction of its current demand; players who experienced it early had access that is now restricted to resort guests and villa owners.
Las Iguanas in 2026 represents exactly this opportunity. A Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Cap Cana, adjacent to Punta Espada, with a protected iguana nature reserve and three Caribbean oceanside holes — and still accessible without booking months ahead. This window will close.
Planning Your Las Iguanas Trip
The practical base for playing Las Iguanas is Villa Espada inside Cap Cana. The villa is steps from both Las Iguanas and Punta Espada, giving you direct resort access to both Nicklaus courses plus concierge tee time booking for any additional rounds at La Cana, Corales, or Teeth of the Dog.
A four-night stay at Villa Espada accommodates a comfortable two-course itinerary: Las Iguanas on day two, Punta Espada on day three, with arrival and departure days on either side. See our full rates page for current availability.
FAQ — New Caribbean Courses
What new golf courses opened in the Caribbean in 2025?
The headline opening was Las Iguanas at Cap Cana — a Jack Nicklaus Signature course and the first major Nicklaus opening in the Dominican Republic since 2006.
When did Las Iguanas open?
November 2025.
Who designed the new Cap Cana course?
Las Iguanas is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design, joining Punta Espada (2006) to give Cap Cana two Nicklaus courses on-site.
Why play a new course early?
Tee times and access are easiest in a course's opening seasons, before demand builds — exactly the window Las Iguanas is in now.