The most recent residential resort within the Caribbean Basin isn’t fairly like all of the others. It begins with the brand new St. Regis itself, a improvement with 143 residences starting from two to 5 bedrooms, facilities like a seashore membership and grill, a St Regis bar, a spa and a personal homeowners’ membership.
It’s immediately essentially the most luxurious resort challenge in Costa Rica, set on the nation’s beautiful Papagayo peninsula, on the reducing fringe of what luxurious vacationers are on the lookout for within the wider area proper now.
That features the golf providing, anchored by a course that’s in contrast to another within the Caribbean Basin. It’s designed by by one of many largest names in course structure proper now: Agustin Piza, who’s creating one thing somewhat particular certainly.
Piza is the pioneer of what’s known as “Wellness Golf,” a brand new strategy to the sport he created again in 2017, and now he’s bringing it to Costa Rica.
The thought, Piza says, is to “take your footwear off, join with nature, go searching and benefit from the 360 levels that nature has to supply. It’s the cease and scent the espresso idea.”
“Wellness golf is all about connecting with nature,” he informed Caribbean Journal. “We’re too busy on a regular basis with know-how and common golf. We’re busy taking a look at our rating, taking a look at our handicaps. So it was time to unlearn golf as we all know it.”
The system is comparatively easy: a 500-yard-long, nine-hole quick course that you would be able to play both in a linear 9, or a circuit of six after which three, or three circuits of three. It’s informal and accessible, equally pleasing for the avid golfer and the novice on the lookout for a enjoyable afternoon with the household.
“There’s not essentially a rule e book to this,” he says.
There’s additionally the idea of “The Pit,” which is a big placing inexperienced accompanied by fireplace pits, the place you possibly can “hearken to music and have drinks and meals.”
Golf has been exploding in recognition for the reason that pandemic, and whereas that’s included scorching demand for conventional 18-hole golf, it’s additionally prolonged to extra accessible, family-friendly ideas like Prime Golf and Popstroke (and even TGL), which might take the pure ideas of golf and make it entertaining for an even bigger viewers.
“That’s the purpose of wellness golf,” Piza says. “It’s the well-being of every part, the earth, ourselves, the land, the expertise. You don’t need to spend greater than 90 minutes right here. So your’e on the market having fun with a household trip, or a pair’s retreat, and also you’re not going to be on the market six hours on a golf course.
However the course, which is focusing on a late 2026 opening, can be extraordinarily sustainable, with a smaller footprint and a deal with reaching extra with much less area.. In reality, whereas it’s set on 9 acres, it has solely 4 acres of grass, which means much less water consumption, much less grass general and fewer grassing upkeep.
That’s one thing that may very well be a mannequin for future golf course improvement within the Caribbean, aware of the area’s useful resource challenges and pristine pure landscapes.
“We’re very fortunate that we’ve got our shopper at St. Regis Papagayo the place they look after nature, they look after the setting,” he says. “Wellness golf is a replicable idea, and I do know that the St. Regis Papagayo goes to be an ideal instance for different developments sooner or later.”
The St. Regis Papagayo, which is being represented by Waypoint Actual Property, is anticipating a December 2026 launch.
For extra, contact Michael Kalb at michaelk@wptrealestate.com.
