The event will be sponsored by the Santo Domingo Yacht Club. More information can be found at http://www.iltta.org.

Punta Cana.– For the last few years, Cap Cana has been billed as the Caribbean’s “Next Great Destination.” With each week, it is becoming clear that perhaps it is time to drop the word “Next.”

Cap Cana, which in less than two years has opened a world-ranked golf course, has set global property sales records, and this week is hosting a new addition to the Champions Tour, announced today that it has been selected by Jack Nicklaus as one of up to 25 destinations worldwide to share the unique distinction of being a Jack Nicklaus Golf Club.

The announcement during the opening round of the Cap Cana Championship was made by Jack Nicklaus and Dr. Ricardo Hazoury, President of Cap Cana’s board and Vice President of the Abrisa Group, one of the chief economic groups in the Dominican Republic.

Cap Cana becomes the 10th property to join the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, which was created as an exclusive access and reciprocity program for a limited number of elite Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses located in ideal markets around the world.

Never before has a club been branded with the Jack Nicklaus name, and as part of this unique license, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club of Cap Cana will be able to offer up to 35 Associate Club Members reciprocity at other Jack Nicklaus Golf Clubs, as well as access to a Nicklaus Home established on each property for use by Jack Nicklaus, his family and other JNGC Members worldwide.

In addition to the reciprocity privileges and the use of the Nicklaus Home at each club, there are no membership fees or annual dues, no green fees and benefits include access to club amenities and tee times at all Jack Nicklaus Golf Club locations.

The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club of Cap Cana will be tied to Las Iguanas, the second of three Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses that will eventually play across the property’s 30,000 acres situated along more than five miles of coastline on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic.

But with the availability of the Punta Espada course, one of Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses Outside the United States and site of this week’s Cap Cana Championship, Jack Nicklaus Golf Club members will have immediate playing privileges. JNGC members will have complimentary access to a luxury villa at Cap Cana that will be completed in two months, and then a Nicklaus Home once Las Iguanas is completed.

In addition, Jack Nicklaus Golf Club of Cap Cana members will have access to Jack’s Florida and Ohio home courses, The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla., and Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

“We are delighted to have Cap Cana join the family of Jack Nicklaus Golf Clubs,” said Jack Nicklaus, who visited Cap Cana for the opening round of the Cap Cana Championship and for a site visit to work on his course design for Las Iquanas.

“The addition of Cap Cana gives us an existing facility with a tremendous worldwide reputation as we expand the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. To have immediate access to courses like Punta Espada, The Bear’s Club, Muirfield Village, and Kinloch in New Zealand, gives us a wonderful start and foundation for our initial Club members. Cap Cana is a terrific destination, and I think our other Jack Nicklaus Golf Club members will find that out soon.”

Locations for future Jack Nicklaus Golf Clubs will encompass some of the world’s most sought-after markets and destinations. Current JNGC sites include Tuscany; Scotland; New Zealand; Royal Island (Bahamas); St. Lucia and Anguilla in the Eastern Caribbean; the Patagonia region of Argentina; Vancouver Island in Canada; and Mount Holly, a private ski destination in Utah.

Cap Cana (www.capcana.com) is considered one of the most important tourism and real-estate projects in the Caribbean, with a master plan investment projected at $1.5 billion. The phase of the project will be developed over the next 12 to 15 years, and will comprise 8,680 of the 30,000 available acres and 3.5 miles of beachfront. The initial phase will have three 5-star hotels and five golf courses, three of them being Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses.

Anchoring one end of the property is arguably the Caribbean’s largest, most complete and state-of-the-art marinas, and it is surrounded by shopping, residential, as well as fine and casual dining. Cap Cana’s initial phase will include a total of 5,000 residential units and 500 hotel rooms.

Source: DominicanToday.com

Accompanied by Dr. Ricardo Hazoury, President of Cap Cana’s Board of Directors, and Fernando Hazoury, Vice President of the Cap Cana Board, Trump expressed his passionate belief that “Cap Cana is one of the most wonderful places in the world, known world wide for its highest level of luxury and exclusivity –with beautiful natural surroundings as well as a solid plan for its development.”

Dr. Hazoury expressed his pride in the Dominican Republic and its recognition as a prime destination for luxury real estate tourism development, attracting great brands and foreign investment that make significant contributions to the national economy. “This is the future of our country.”

Trump has invested an important sum into this project which will increase over the maturity of its development. He emphasized the country’s stability and safe climate, as well as Cap Cana’s solid reputation as his main reasons for making this ongoing investment.

“The present real estate crisis in the United States has not affected Cap Cana, as its property owners do not come from one single country, but rather from all over the world. My perception is that within the next 12 months, the situation in the United States will resolve and will stabilize.”

Trump also announced that Hanse Golf Course Design Inc., one of the leading international golf course design companies, will be designing the first of Trump at Cap Cana’s new golf courses, Farallón and Dolinas, perched well above sea level on the project’s stunning bluff.

The team at Hanse Design firmly believes that the world’s best golf courses begin with the quality and foundation of the land. The supervision of this construction process is constant and committed through all its personnel in each international project, as is the case for Trump at Cap Cana.

DominicanToday.com