ORBIT TRAVEL NETWORK COSTA RICA - Key Persons
Costa Rica for some people may be the only paradise left in the world. Without getting into politics it is the only true democracy left in the world and is almost completely separate than the conflicts of the rest of the world. It has no military since 1948 and has a government that is less instrusive into the ordinary affairs of its residents than any other country. Property tax is extremely low and Costa Rica does not tax any income from outside the country or interest on dollar denomiated accounts in the state banks which pay higher interest rates than the banks in the U. S. and are guaranteed for unlimited amounts by the government.
AN IMPORTANT GEOGRAPHICAL FACT IS THE COUNTRY IS NOT IN THE PATH OF HURRICANES since the northern part of South America is quite far north of Costa Rica. Costa Rica does have earthquakes but they are of minor force and the ground here is very different than California and mostly granite so the effect is minor. The building codes are very strict and the country is considered more advanced in sesmic expertise than almost anywhere. A point of note is that the experts in Costa Rica where asked to come to Kobe in Japan to advise on rebuilding there after the big quake there.
Cost of living here is quite inexpensive but not dirt cheap. Outside of Escazu, which now looks like Beverly Hills in many places, housing is very inexpensive. Many areas offer brand new houses on small lots of 2500 sq ft with new stylish concrete stucco construction of 1200 sq. ft. for around $30,000. Even in Escazu you can still buy a nice condo for $100,000. Beach property has gone up quite a lot especially since the rich and famous like Michael Jordan, Danny DeVito, and Madona have moved in. If you stay away from beach front you can still find condos from $50,000 and up.
Food is much less expensive than the states and medical care is considered first rate and about 20% of the cost of the states. One brand new hospital here is affilated with Baylor University and looks like a 5 star hotel rather than a hospital. Doctors still make house calls and usually spend about 4 times as much time with patients as the states. Medical insurance is also very low compared to the states.
The Cariari, long considered to be the best course in Central America, is a natural to play when arriving in Costa Rica. Situated on land that was once a coffee plantation, the Cariari was designed by golf course architect George Fazio and built by his now famous nephew, Tom Fazio. This par 71 course measures 6,590 yards from the Championship tees, but plays much longer. The course is heavily wooded, the fairways are narrow with few fairway bunkers, and the greens tend to be on the large side with sand traps throughout. The greens are Bermuda and roll fast and true. The course record is held jointly by Raymond Floyd and Costa Ricans Álvaro Ortiz and Mario Pérez. The Cariari was the site of the Friendship Cup in 1979 & 1980. These PGA sponsored events were won by Larry Zeigler (2 under) and Raymond Floyd (9 under).
This Robert Trent Jones, II golf course at the Meliá Playa Conchal Beach & Golf Resort was built over a period of four years and was well worth the wait. What I truly admire about this project is the attention to detail. Although newly opened, Garra de León Golf Course feels as though it has been here for years. When I mentioned to a friend of mine what a tremendous course it will be once it has matured, he reminded me that in Costa Rica's tropical climate, things mature over a long weekend.
The new golf course in Costa Rica, Los Sueños, is all that we had expected from a Ted Robinson Jr. designed course. Having designed over a hundred courses around the world including Shiloe, the site of the 1998 PGA Championship, Ted has given us a course that few in the world can match for natural beauty and challenging golf. It is not uncommon for the guests of the Los Sueños Marriott to wrest their eyes away from the challenge of the golf course and just gaze up at one of the most picturesque settings on earth, a dense canopy of exotic plants, trees, and wildlife. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on one side and rainforest on the other makes it a difficult task to concentrate on your golf game. If that isn't enough to distract you then there are a number of old magnificent trees that always seem to be between you and the area of the golf course you'd like to get to.