Do you know the location of the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System? It’s just a short drive from Grand Reserve Golf Club. El Yunque National Forest’s 28,516 acres feature a year-round tropical climate that includes the often cloud-covered Luquillo Mountains, which stand more than 3,500 feet above sea level and can receive more than 200 inches of rain annually.
Five years after Spain transferred control of Puerto Rico to the U.S in 1898, President Theodore Roosevelt declared more than 5,000 acres of land as the Luquillo Mountain Reserve. Four years later, it became known as the Luquillo National Forest, under the oversight of the U.S. Forest Service. Various roads and facilities were built in the 1940s; it then became known as the Caribbean National Forest until 2007, when it was renamed El Yunque by President George W. Bush.
Many different “residents” call El Yunque home: thousands of native plant varieties; 240 tree species (88 of which are rare, with 23 found only in El Yunque); and 97 bird species. The latter provide a singular soundtrack for a visit as you stroll along the forest’s 24 miles of hiking trails (as seen below).
El Yunque also serves as a memorable backdrop for most of the Grand Reserve course. “Coming in at the ninth hole, you look right at it,” said director of golf Aaron West. “When you tee off on No. 10, you have the same view. It’s a cool setting.” -- Tom Mackin