Buenaventura Golf Club

I was very disappointed with my experience at this course. I had a confirmed tee time and arrived expecting a smooth and professionally run operation, but the situation quickly became frustrating due to how it was handled by the pro shop manager, Stevens.

There appeared to be confusion regarding tee time logistics, and instead of resolving it calmly and professionally, the interaction became unnecessarily confrontational and disorganized. The lack of clear communication created stress and delayed our start, which disrupted the overall experience.

What stood out most was the lack of professionalism in the way the situation was handled. Golfers expect courtesy, organization, and respect for their time when booking tee times in advance, and unfortunately that standard was not met.

I do want to note that the rest of the staff were polite, helpful, and professional. This issue was specifically related to the conduct and handling of the situation by the pro shop manager.

I have played many courses throughout Panama and internationally, and this experience fell short of the service and organization golfers typically expect.

The course itself has great potential, but management and customer handling at the pro shop level need improvement to provide the experience golfers are paying for.

I'm still waiting for a call from a professional to settle the dispute I have with GolNOW and the golf club

Buenaventura is not accepting Golf Now reservations, so do NOT book on Golf Now, it is a waste of your money, time and effort. This is a very poor experience, almost fraudulent behavior. I do NOT recommend going there, the staff would not help us as they said that Golf Now had not paid them and so they would not accept any more reservations. When I told them we had already paid for it, showed them the charge on my credit card, showed them my reservation, they said too bad, take it up with Golf Now and try and get a refund. I could not believe they could do this and offer such poor poor poor service. Do not go there.

great course ... but extremely windy the day we played which hindered our enjoyment / experience ... hoping to play again when the wind is down

The course is always in excellent condition (fairways, greens, bunkers). There are also excellent practice facilities. The greens generally have a lot of undulations and are challenging but are in pristine condition so fun to put on. The fairways are wide with the biggest challenge being the course length as drives and woods do not roll far on the soft fairways, although a variety of tees are offered for different skill levels. The course design is a bit boring (particularly the second nine) as it is generally flat and not a lot of uniqueness to the different holes. Normal green fee is $150 (I am member at associated club so get a special rate). The course staff are professional but not overly friendly.

Buenaventura is Panama City's fairy tale land, a beachfront oasis two hours away where city slickers go to escape the traffic and high rises. Life slows down, except for on the golf course.

With so few weekday resort guests, golfers can jet around the course in no time. Pace of play can be an issue when the members and resort guests invade on weekends, but weekdays are a paradise of relaxation and enjoying the course to yourself.

Buenaventura was in prime shape during my visit. It's expertly routed for the resort player with no gut-busting holes if played from the proper tees. It would have been nice if a hole was built on the ocean, but you'll have to settle for a glimpse of the water on a par 3.

A Cobra-Puma indoor hitting bay and club-fitting studio with Gears technology is the only one of its kind in Latin America, according to head pro Heath Henrich, so that's a great amenity for golfers looking to improve.

The resort is beautiful with multiple pools; a soft, sandy beach; an excellent spa and restaurants galore.

If you happen to be staying at the JW Marriott in Beunaventura, Panama, this is a MUST play. If you stay at the resort, it's a $135 weekend rate, $70 for weekday. If you are not staying at the resort, I believe the green fee is $300. The best thing about this course, (both times I played), is the fast play. Virtually nobody plays golf here. And it's an amazing Jack Nicklaus design with 4 tees for variable skill-levels. It's like golf heaven. EVERYTHING is in perfect shape. While you play you will see dozens of greenskeepers, gardeners, workers, etc., maintaining the course. The fairways are pristine. The bunkers are filled with fluffy white sand and fully raked. There is no disease or defects on the greens. The only small issue is the greens are a bit slow. This is because (due to the harsh climate) they use the Platinum Paspalum grass. It's a bit tougher than you may be used to and caused the greens to be just a tad slow. But that was a small price to pay for the immaculate condition of this golf course. If you happen to be in Panama City, it's worth the 2 hour drive to play this track. Trust me.