Mukul Golf: Tropical Links

After Scotsman David McLay Kidd designed the Bandon Dunes golf course in Oregon in the late 1990s, he became one of the most sought-after architects in the game. Prestigious assignments in Fiji and England quickly followed. But he also started to receive criticism for building layouts that were extraordinarily difficult. Lately, he has reverted to making courses fun again. His new approach can be found at Mukul, only the second 18-hole course in Nicaragua. Laid out along a pristine beach and through wooded hills overlooking the ocean, the course is a sort of tropical links, boasting wide-open fairways and approaches that allow players to run shots onto greens. It has an exotic feel, too, set on the edge of a dry rain forest where howler monkeys hang from the trees. The holes are well-crafted, especially the par-3 15th, where McLay Kidd deftly melded two classic designs — a Redan and a Biarritz — into a real gem. And the 18th features a memorable “infinity green” that backs right up to the beach and the turquoise water beyond. McLay Kidd went back to basics at Mukul, and the finished product is one of his crowning achievements.