Golf Project in Las Terrenas

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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I noticed a couple of articles on Las Terrenas Live regarding the golf course that developers have been talking about for years. The articles were filled with a lot of speculation but nothing really concrete. Anyone has any info on what is currently happening with the project?
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
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I noticed a couple of articles on Las Terrenas Live regarding the golf course that developers have been talking about for years. The articles were filled with a lot of speculation but nothing really concrete. Anyone has any info on what is currently happening with the project?

I find it hard to believe that absolutely no one in LT has any additonal info on the golf project. Come on people beat the Coconut Telegraph.
 

CG

Bronze
Sep 16, 2004
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Apparently it's ON again, small echos say this time with Greg Norman involved... It's best to not get overly excited as we have been waiting for sooo long.
 

southern

I love Hillary!
Dec 13, 2016
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Looking forward to playing the course, I will ride the light rail down from Cabarete
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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It's been on and off for ever. I will believe when I see it.

It was back on may be last year again if I recall. Apparently, the main investor had everyone wowed in LT and left big tabs everywhere to never be seen again. :)
It s good news for all the people who bought houses/apts around the project and hope that they can finally sell at a profit, lol.
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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Do you think the market is big enough in LT to support a golf course?

The million dollars question.

When the only US airlines,Jetblue, couldn't sustain 2 flights a week in the region, it s counter intuitive (But, I am no expert). May be, they will rely on the domestic market ?
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Do you think the market is big enough in LT to support a golf course?
I understand, based on being involved in discussions of the expansion of the Jarabacoa golf course, that, real estate costs excluded, the cost of building a hole is around $100,000.

Add the cost of roughly 100 acres for a full size par-72 course and the cost of clubhouse facilities, easily $1,000,000+ for land in a decent location and $500,000 for club facilities and the investment is enormous, around $3,000,000+.

I'd be surprised if enough demand can be generated for Samana to make such a huge investment viable. A par 3 would still require a massive investment.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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The million dollars question.

When the only US airlines,Jetblue, couldn't sustain 2 flights a week in the region, it s counter intuitive (But, I am no expert). May be, they will rely on the domestic market ?

That thought crossed my mind Frica. It is not a big market

 
I understand, based on being involved in discussions of the expansion of the Jarabacoa golf course, that, real estate costs excluded, the cost of building a hole is around $100,000.

Add the cost of roughly 100 acres for a full size par-72 course and the cost of clubhouse facilities, easily $1,000,000+ for land in a decent location and $500,000 for club facilities and the investment is enormous, around $3,000,000+.

I'd be surprised if enough demand can be generated for Samana to make such a huge investment viable. A par 3 would still require a massive investment.



That's about right CB...
Playa Grande spent $10M or so redoing irrigation, drainage, grasses , etc....on an existing course.
New ones add up fast.
 

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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That thought crossed my mind Frica. It is not a big market

 



That's about right CB...
Playa Grande spent $10M or so redoing irrigation, drainage, grasses , etc....on an existing course.
New ones add up fast.

Remember Las Terrenas gets many more Europeans as visitors than North Americans. Eventually either Jet Blue or another US carrier will fly into El Catey from NYC. A golf course is expensive to run and maintain but is also a major draw for hotels and condo rental owners. I was just curious if any work had started. It would not surprise me, though, even after all of this talk that the financing was not there to get this off the ground. Many times in the DR there is a lot of talk and no action. Now that I think about it that is what happen to me last night.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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I can agree with that LT but if you re-read your comment it seems necessitates hotels and condos to house those golfers that are attracted to the golf.

So it's the old cart and donkey question - Which comes first??

More rooms will encourage the airlines to return too.

Frica and I said it earlier.....your agreeing , albeit obliquely.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I can agree with that LT but if you re-read your comment it seems necessitates hotels and condos to house those golfers that are attracted to the golf.

So it's the old cart and donkey question - Which comes first??

More rooms will encourage the airlines to return too.

Frica and I said it earlier.....your agreeing , albeit obliquely.
Most golf course developers say that the only way for a golf course to survive is in conjunction with an expansive, high-margin residential/condo complex with members paying stiff monthly fees for course maintenance.

Then course fees are gravy.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Correct, my friend the developer refers to golf courses as loss leaders to sell property.
He has made a lot of money buying struggling courses that have excess land.

The Yale money managers bought into the idea decades ago
 

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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Most golf course developers say that the only way for a golf course to survive is in conjunction with an expansive, high-margin residential/condo complex with members paying stiff monthly fees for course maintenance.

Then course fees are gravy.

The original plan for the Las Terrenas Gold Club included a number of condos on the perimeter of the fairways. Unfortuatley the work of the course started but legal issues with ownership and rights for the land were never ironed out and the project was put on hold. I was hoping that an upscale development, such as, Balcones del Atlantico would get a course built on that side of Las Terrenas. It would be a perfect tie in with their brand. By the way there are plenty of rooms in Las Terrenas to support those coming to play golf. There was talk of development on the land where the old all-inclusive and casino used to be but that has yet to materialize. Without solid financing and planning progress will always seem manana, manana on the Samana Peninsula.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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The original plan for the Las Terrenas Gold Club included a number of condos on the perimeter of the fairways. Unfortuatley the work of the course started but legal issues with ownership and rights for the land were never ironed out and the project was put on hold. I was hoping that an upscale development, such as, Balcones del Atlantico would get a course built on that side of Las Terrenas. It would be a perfect tie in with their brand. By the way there are plenty of rooms in Las Terrenas to support those coming to play golf. There was talk of development on the land where the old all-inclusive and casino used to be but that has yet to materialize. Without solid financing and planning progress will always seem manana, manana on the Samana Peninsula.
If the numbers shook out positively, there'd be a goldrush of developers to do the project.

The airport isn't even self-sustaining.

CB's Law of Rhetorical Economics said:
The reason "talk is cheap" is because the supply outweighs the demand.

I love Samana. I just don't see it as another Punta Cana or even La Romana.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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You need to remember LT's position as Chief Promoter of LT...

Clearly , the infrastructure of hotels , etc cannot support his wishes/dreams....
but that doesn't affect his desire.

It's a looong stretch to see more airplanes in there..... PC has 66% of the country's flights.
Put some numbers to that

Many (incl ME) think LT would go down with too much growth.
I like it the way it is... I could tolerate some growth.... but PC ????

Space might be a problem.............

Don't get me wrong Steve.... I like your enthusiasm.
It needs to be realistic
 
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