Royal Isabela sits on 426 acres of clifftop above the Atlantic near Isabela, on Puerto Rico’s north-west coast, a part of the island better known for surfing than golf. It is the project of Stanley and Charlie Pasarell, Puerto Rican brothers who played professional tennis before taking up golf. The course opened in 2011, and the resort, with 20 casitas, had its official opening in 2012. Its kitchen cooks from on-site gardens, and the golf is the reason most people make the drive west.
Royal Isabela green fees and tee times.
Tee times can be booked online through the Chronogolf link on Royal Isabela’s golf page, or by calling the pro shop on +1 787 609 5888, extension 4, or emailing golf@royalisabela.com. The course takes tee times seven days a week from 8am, with the last tee time at 2pm, but it closes on Mondays from mid-April to mid-November. Play ends at 5pm. Royal Isabela does not publish green fees; the Chronogolf page asks you to call the pro shop for rates and advertises reserve-now, pay-later booking. GolfPass still labels the course private, but its reviewers describe booking rounds as visitors, including through GolfNow deals, and the club’s own page links to the public booking engine.
The round, in perspective.
David Pfaff designed the course for the Pasarells, and Golf Course Architecture puts the cliffs at 150 to 350 feet above the sea. Chronogolf lists ten sets of tees. The longest measures 7,667 yards to a par of 73; the next, 7,538 yards to par 72, carries a course rating of 77.1 and a slope of 144, so pick your tee with care. The shortest is 5,063 yards with a slope of 110. Chronogolf describes trade winds that help on one hole and hurt on the next, and with the course on open clifftop there is little shelter from them.
Know before you go.
Tee times
Daily from 8am; last tee time 2pm
Monday
Closed mid-April to mid-November
Pro shop
+1 787 609 5888 ext. 4; golf@royalisabela.com
Booking
Online through Chronogolf
Rates
On request from the pro shop
Make the trip work.
The Grill sits under a vaulted wooden canopy looking over the course and serves breakfast, lunch, smoothies and poke bowls, many made with produce from the on-site farm. The pro shop is the first door on the right as you enter the clubhouse. Lessons are by appointment through golf@royalisabela.com. A GolfPass reviewer reports buying a US$40 day pass so a non-golfing partner could use a pool by the casitas. Puerto Rico uses the US dollar, and US visitors need no passport. Because the last tee time is 2pm, anyone driving from San Juan should leave early.
Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) at Aguadilla is the closest airport, a short drive west of Isabela, with some direct flights from the US mainland. Most visitors fly into San Juan (SJU) instead and drive west on PR-22 and PR-2, roughly 120 kilometres; allow two hours or more in traffic. The club is at 396 Avenida Noel Estrada, Isabela.
Royal Isabela’s casitas are the obvious base: 20 private units, each with its own secluded terrace and plunge pool, and options such as a one-king Nature View casita. Bookings run through the resort’s own reservations site, so ask about tee times when you reserve the room. For a cheaper stay, Isabela and nearby Aguadilla and Rincón have guesthouses and surf hotels along the coast road.
Make a trip of it.
TPC Dorado Beach, Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s 1958 East Course west of San Juan, pairs well at the start or end of a trip that flies through SJU. Locally, Jobos Beach in Isabela is a well-known surf break, Rincón further down the coast is famous for winter waves and sunsets, and the Arecibo area inland has caves and karst country. The resort itself runs guided nature safaris, e-bike rides and eFoil outings.
Find your season.
December to April is the best time, with drier weather and outside hurricane season, which runs from June to November. Winter also brings big Atlantic swells, which makes the coast lively and the cliff holes windy. From mid-April to mid-November the course closes on Mondays, so build that into a shoulder-season trip.
Yes. The club’s golf page links to a public Chronogolf booking page for 18-hole tee times, and GolfPass reviewers describe playing as visitors. GolfPass still labels it private, so if you are not staying in a casita, book ahead and confirm with the pro shop that the time is held.
How much does it cost to play Royal Isabela?
Rates are not published. Chronogolf’s listing asks you to call the pro shop on +1 787 609 5888, extension 4, for current prices. Reviewers on GolfPass mention paying between about US$250 and US$400, which gives a rough idea but is not an official rate.
What is the nearest airport to Royal Isabela?
Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) at Aguadilla, a short drive from Isabela. San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU) has many more flights but is about two hours away by road, so plan to arrive the day before your tee time.
Is Royal Isabela open on Mondays?
From mid-November to mid-April it is open seven days a week. From mid-April to mid-November it closes on Mondays. The course is open from 8am to 5pm, with the first tee time at 8am and the last at 2pm.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
