By Evan Schiller
When the call came in to shoot the Ocean Course at Peninsula Papagayo on Costa Rica’s remote north Pacific coast, I didn’t hesitate. Designed by the King Arnold Palmer, the layout featues dramatic elevation changes with cart paths that hug sea cliffs carved by long-ago volcanic activity. Recently renovated by Thad Layton, the course winds through 125 acres of the Nasacola Forest filled with parrots and Howler monkeys who aren’t shy about making their presence known at daybreak.
This 367-yard third – a classic cape – sits at the highest and narrowest part of the peninsula. With 360-degree ocean views, you can’t help but feel a sense of awe when you step up to the tee. And while my drone piqued the curiosity of a few white-faced monkeys who’d been napping in the trees, they seemed just as happy as the golfers to enjoy looking out on Culebra Bay.
Guests of one of the Peninsula’s three hotels – the Andaz, the Four Seasons, and the Nekajui, a Ritz Carlton Reserve Hotel – are welcome to play this private course, which is only about a 45-minute car ride from Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia. Equipment: Sony Airpeak Drone with Sony A7R5 Camera and Sony 35mm GM lens.
Before becoming one of the most sought-after golf photographers, Evan Schiller was a tour pro who competed in the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He lives in Weston, Conn., with his wife, four cats, and parrot.