Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2021 - 15

nearly fulfilled that vision in March, making a great run and tying
for third. As for the cuisine at Grand Reserve, it offers nice variety,
ranging from Asian fusion (Nori) to a classic steakhouse, 787
Prime, where one enters past a wall of artsy bottles behind a stylish
martini bar.
Campos is a great ambassador for golf on the island, familiar
with all the properties. His family still keeps a condo at Rio Mar,
he has a sponsorship deal with Grand Reserve, and he often practices
and plays at TPC Dorado Beach, only 10 minutes from his
home. Campos is a giver, and he does what he can when home to
get young children on the island interested in the game. He sees
great potential in Puerto Rico as a burgeoning golf destination and
with the generation of players behind him.
" It took us a good year and a half to kind of start coming back
after Maria, " Campos said at this year's Puerto Rico Open, referring
to the devastating 2017 Category 5 hurricane that delivered winds
in excess of 155 mph. " Now it's completely back to normal. You
would never tell we had a huge hurricane come by us only three
years ago. The tournament, for us, is huge. We thrive on tourism,
and the Puerto Rico Open is a time to showcase the island-one of
the biggest opportunities we have. "
The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Golf and Beach Resort, a
36-hole facility where Campos grew up playing, fits the bill as a
well-rounded family destination. (Though we traveled without
children, my wife and I adored the kids' bunk bed nook in our
ocean suite.) Multiple pools, the adjacent beach, Margaritaville just
next door, activities galore, a terrific variety of restaurants and a
full on-site casino...that's just for starters. Golf-wise, there are two
Troon-managed courses, one by Greg Norman (The River), and
OCEAN COURSE AT WYNDHAM GRAND
RIO MAR PUERTO RICO GOLF & BEACH RESORT
one by Tom and George Fazio (The Ocean). The River is so named
because it winds around the Memeyes River. In truth, the Ocean
Course really has only one hole that elbows up against the ocean-
the demanding No. 16, which tips out at 238 yards. When playing
it, director of golf Seth Henrich, PGA, says he has only two things
in his mind: Make sure to walk off with no worse than bogey, and,
with the beach in close proximity to the left, try to keep all sunscreen
off your golf ball.
Richie's, a legendary local bar and restaurant with an awesome
view, is right around the corner, and there are nice dining options
sprinkled through Rio Mar, too. Cuisine on property ranges from
the open-kitchen local fare of Iguanas atop the newly renovated
clubhouse to Roots Coastal Kitchen, where our group shared
everything from grilled swordfish to shrimp and bacon empanadas
to a tasty old vacation standby-crispy fried chicken. As for
atmosphere, the most fun we had all week was teeing off on the
Ocean mid-afternoon with a rowdy, festive group behind the tee at
the Hole-in-One Bar offering some witty, expert swing commentary.
Each airborne tee shot was greeted with great enthusiasm and
raised beer cups.
Henrich, Rio's director of golf, is a fun guy who hails from
Iowa. How did he ever end up in Puerto Rico? You guessed it. Like
Willenberg, his counterpart at TPC Dorado, Henrich left Iowa one
snowy winter to teach for three weeks at TPC Dorado. Twenty
years later, after a couple of other stops, here he is, still on the island
at Rio Mar. What was the lure?
" So many things, " Henrich says. " Mostly it's the pride the residents
here have in their island, in their clubs, in their membership.
It reminds me a lot of my fellow Iowans. Very friendly, very welcoming.
Where I lived in Iowa, we drove 20 miles to the closest
Walmart. So living on an island works fine with me. " Puerto Rico
really knows how to sway a guy.
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2021

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