Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf

Excellent track. Generous fairways, well maintained. Stay on fairway because there is nothing but desert if you stray. Beautiful views of the Caribbean from many holes. Wind can be a problem. The off course amenities are luxurious and expensive. Overall, well worth the price.

The first couple of holes you'll feel like a god on a tee! Then you turn around into the wind and you wished you were playing from the seniors. On my Approach shot, first hole into the wind, I was a hundred and thirty three yards out. I used a 6-iron which I normally hit 170. The ball actually came backwards and into the center of the green!

The views are outstanding especially if you've never played in Ocean course. The overall conditions of the course are pretty good except the rough was long and I did lose two balls in it. Both were just off the Fairway.

As the only eighteen-hole course in Aruba and after hearing great reviews from other vacationers, I knew I had to play this track. One thing everyone told me was expect to “club up” two or three clubs when hitting in to the wind. This was a valuable tip as Aruba consistently has a 20 to 30 mph wind.

I arrived at Tierra Del Sol which is part of high-end resort with all the amenities you could wish for. I checked in at the club house and was ready to go. Once outside, the bagboy loaded my bag into the cart and directed me to the starter. The cart had a GPS with score keeping which was a nice feature. The starter then directed me to the range and stated he would come get me when I was up. The range here was on a hill facing the Caribbean Ocean and was facing into the wind. Here I learned exactly what to expect when hitting in to the strong wind. A short time later I was up. I grabbed a Bloody Mary from the snack shack before I headed out and was less than impressed. The Bloody Mary was made of a generic mix, a dash of Tabasco and vodka. It was OK but I would not order it again.

The first tee box was elevated and I was hitting downhill with a strong wind behind me. This was excellent as I hit my longest drive of the year by about 20 yards. Several holes were downwind making it extremely challenging when determining the right club to hit. Going in to the wind was also a major challenge as it was in fact necessary to club up 2 or 3 clubs. These challenges were a constant throughout the round, but course designer Robert Trent Jones II did an excellent job designing Tierra Del Sol with the wind in mind, making very playable.

The fairways at Tierra Del Sol were open and very well maintained, as well as the rough and bunkers. There greens here were very soft, almost sponge like. On a few occasions my ball was 2/3rds plugged after hitting a hybrid in to it. Well placed approach shots often stuck as the greens were very receptive.

The views at Tierra Del Sol were spectacular. On the way out, several holes offered views of the California Lighthouse. Views of the spectacular Caribbean ocean and wind surfers also made it hard to concentrate while playing, especially mixed in with the desert layout. Playing an ocean and desert course at the same time is quite the experience. There was also some wildlife on the course including a herd of Billy Goats that came in to play on more than one occasion.

All in all, Tierra Del Sol is a must play if you’re in Aruba. Lots of elevation changes, lots of views, lots of wind on a very playable course and lots of fun. As Tierra Del Sol says, “Where can you play Scotland, Scottsdale and the Caribbean all at the same time!