Indura Beach

A multi-million-dollar project funded by the Honduran government and private equity partners, the development is set out within a massive 1,800-acre site, encompassing an 18-hole Gary Player-designed golf course, 83 residential homes, a 60-unit beachfront hotel and a spa.

Managed by Troon Golf, the course hosted the Honduras Open on the PGA Tour Latino America circuit the year after it opened for play in 2015. Felipe Valazquez won the inaugural event with an aggregate score of 21 under par then Sam Fidone became the 2016 champion a year later, winning by one stroke from his nearest rival.

The course extends to 7,331 yards from the back tees, configured as two returning nines. Water comes into play at half the holes on the card, predominantly on the front nine, where only three holes are free from aquatic challenge. The inward half lies closest to the shoreline, with four of those holes occupying prime coastal locations.

Large sandy waste areas have been incorporated into the design alongside the fairways at holes 11 to 13, emphasizing their proximity to the beach. The middle hole of this trio, the short par three 12th, is regarded as the signature hole on the property, with golfers enjoying majestic views along the strand.

The last word on the Indura Beach layout belongs to architect Gary Player: “we sought to create a scenic, championship-level golf course that would allow guests to experience the best of Honduras – the beaches, the jungle, and the lagoons. Most importantly, we wanted to design a course that will be a joy for any level golfer to play.”

Jeff Lawrence, senior designer at Gary Player Design, kindly supplied the following information:

A simplistic approach to the grassing selection was taken to provide sustainable turf conditions within the technical parameters of the soils and water so 75 acres of playing surfaces are carpeted in paspalum.

Around 1.2 million cubic yards of material was moved during construction as more than half the site was originally below water level so we filled most of the golf course to make it hydraulically sound.

The entire site was sand based so we created new lagoons to produce the fill to raise fairways. All the cut/fill material was balanced and logistically managed to maximize cost efficiencies.

We utilized all the natural elements of the site (beach/dune, jungle & lagoon) to provide variety and show how golf and the environment can interact together in a positive way to improve the overall eco-system.

Key design features include generous fairways with receptive contours, large bunkers to define, frame and contrast, enlarged lagoons promoting wildlife and wide buffer margins between golf and jungle that respect wildlife.