10 Breathtakingly Exotic Golf Courses Around The Globe

While you might think your local country club has the best views, our travel experts at Quinn have scoured the globe to find the most stunning golf views to distract you while indulging in your favorite pastime.

1. Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa – Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Neighboring Puerto Rico’s El Yunque Rainforest, the Ocean Course features Atlantic panoramas, ocean breezes and sand iguanas that keep an eye on golfers during play. Just as mesmerizing, the River Course preserves native foliage and lets the natural terrain determine placement of all holes, framed by vistas of mountains and sea.

2. The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa – Tucson, Arizona

Nature comes to play in the high Sonoran Desert foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at one of the three Jack Nicklaus courses: Hill, Canyon or Ridge. Each offers a distinctive desertscape equipped with flowering cacti, century-old Palo Verde, yucca and agave among other native vegetation.

3. Nirwana Bali Golf Club – Tabanan, Indonesia

nirwanabaligolf.com

Sandwiched between impeccable views of traditional Balinese rice paddies and the glistening Indian Ocean, this 18 hole award-winning golf course designed by the infamous Greg Norman is hands down one of the most exhilarating courses in Asia.

4. Punta Espada Golf Course – Capa Cana, Dominican Republic

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This oceanfront Dominican Republic Jack Nicklaus signature golf course features a hole that requires a 249-yard shot over the water to a green surrounded by the Caribbean Sea.

5. Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort – Herradura, Costa Rica

Via marriott.com

Nestled in a rainforest spanning five microclimates and outfitted with monkeys, macaws and iguanas, La lguana Golf Club offers up panoramic ocean views complete with banana trees and orchids among other lush native plants.

6. Kauri Cliffs – Matauri Bay, New Zealand

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Designed and built by David Harman, this par 72 championship golf course includes five sets of tees, challenging novices and pros alike. Fifteen holes overlook the Pacific Ocean, six of which are played alongside cliffs which plunge to the sea. The picturesque inland holes wind through farmland, marsh and forest landscapes.

7. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico – Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Via stregisbahiabeach.com

Dotted with saltwater lagoons, this Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Course overlooks a former coconut plantation and El Yunque National Rainforest. As a certified Silver Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International, this exclusive stretch of green is truly a declaration of perfection.

8. Himalayan Golf Course – Pokhara, Nepal

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Planted in a spellbinding river canyon amphitheater, this 18-hole golf course is home to stunning panoramic views of the Annapuma Himalayan range with nature-filled canyon walls dotted with eagles nests, waterfalls and the meandering Himalayan snowfed river.

9. Vista Vallarta Golf Club – Jalisco, Mexico

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Located on Vista Vallarta’s highest elevation, the Jack Nicklaus course serves up breathtaking views of Puerto Vallarta, the Marina and Banderas Bay along grassy hillsides, dense forests, natural creeks and arroyos. Alternatively the neighboring Tom Weiskopf course sits on the lower west end where terrain consists of dense jungles, deep ravines and swift creeks.

10. The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa – Hilton Head, South Carolina

Via westinhiltonheadisland.com

Rich in history, the Robber's Row 18-hole golf course is set atop former Civil War grounds on the marsh side of the plantation and has been named one of the "Top 75 U.S. Golf Resorts" by Golf Digest Magazine.