Are You Ready for a Golf Vacation to the Dominican Republic?
By Zeke Quezada
Sunshine, beaches and palm trees swaying in the wind are the stereotypical vacation images but have you ever considered a golf vacation. You can still have plenty of time in the sun and the wine flows freely at dinner so why not mix up your dream vacation with some golf. The Dominican Republic is home to some serious golf courses with plenty of challenging holes and breathtaking scenery.
We played a few just so that you know what to expect.
The Golf Courses of the Dominican Republic
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course
Casa De Campo
La Romana
Dominican Republic
https://www.casadecampo.com.do/golf/golf-courses/teeth-of-the-dog/
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course Overview:
Having a cold Presidente on the 1st tee and basking in the Caribbean sun I thought to myself, “this course is not that tough,” I promptly catapulted my drive and began to harbor thoughts of a course record, knowing full well I have never set any record in my life.
My second shot found the rough, a pitch shot caromed off the back of the green, my wedge into the side of the hill and my great hole was a double bogey. I thought about the beer per hole policy I instituted in college. I asked my caddy if he would take a few shots for me as my playing partner was serious about a low score and I had to make a decision.
Teeth of the Dog is a demanding course that was designed by Pete Dye to allow us, average golfers, a shot at hitting that one great shot that we can tell our friends about. It also does it’s best to separate us from as many balls as we care to lose.
Seven holes are cradled by the ocean and if the views do not distract you the pin placements will make you linger over your ball for longer than usual.
The course is laid out around the Casa de Campo property so if the idea of dropping a ball into the water does not bother you then the idea of retrieving your ball from a multi-million dollar living room might.
Teeth of the Dog Hole Highlights:
- Hole 5 Par 3 176 yards – The wind comes of the ocean and will send your ball left to right. If you play it safe and aim right you will be stuck high up on a hill and faced with a chip that funnels your ball into a sand trap or even worse the jagged coral on the beach. The ideal shot sail partially over the ocean and lands softly on the green. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that shot.
- Hole 6 Par 4 500 yards – If you don’t have a big drive this hole will make you pay. The ocean only comes into play when it helps you forget that bogey is the only real score if you are playing from the back tees.
- Hole 7 Par 3 229 yards – This hole is a bad practical joke by the designer Pete Dye. This is where Teeth of the Dog bites down on you hard. 229 yards from the back with a left to right wind that can shift in an instant and knock your ball down into the blue water. Aim way left and hope that the wind does it’s part to keep you in play.
- Hole 11 Par 5 604 yards – The wide open fairway off the tee lulls you into believing you can reach the green in regulation. You might be able to but the penalties for a bad shot on this hole are trees and plenty of sand.
- Hole 16 Par 3 204 yards – The par 3 at Teeth of the Dog will allow you to play that slice that you are so proud of. If the wind is strong you can hack away and the right to left wind will escort your ball onto the green some 200+ yards away.
Teeth of the Dog Tee Times: By fax at (305) 858-4677 or by e-mail at t.times@ccampo.com.do.
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course Green Fees:
Casa De Campo Guest Rates:
Nov. – Apr. $250
May – Oct. $195
Casa De Campo Non – Guest Rates:
Nov.- Apr. $395
May – Oct. $295
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course Course Specifics –
The numbers for Teeth of the Dog Par 72
Black – 7471 yards
Gold – 7077 yards
Blue – 6845 yards
White – 6015 yards
Red – 4906 yards
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course Hours of Operation –
Tee times offered at Teeth of the Dog from 7:30am to 9:30am; and from 12:00pm to 2:00pm,
Teeth of the Dog Golf Course Insights – Caddies are required on Teeth of the Dog and the cost is $25 per caddie plus tip. You may select one Caddy per foursome but is generally accepted that each twosome will have one caddy. The caddy will help you read the greens as well as assist with yardage and local knowledge. The disparity between knowledge of the individual caddy options can be great so inquire as to the level of caddy you are being assigned. Tip is generally around $10 per player unless the caddy has really impressed you.
Dye Fore Golf Course
Casa De Campo
La Romana
Dominican Republic
https://www.casadecampo.com.do/golf/golf-courses/dye-fore/
Dye Fore Golf Course Overview:
Imagine standing over your ball. Imagine you have a downhill lie. Imagine you have to carry the ball 210 yards. Imagine it’s up hill. Imagine now that the green is very well protected by big beautiful white sand traps. Welcome to Dye Fore.
Pete Dye designed this Course at Casa De Campo and included so many elements to deceive your eyes that it is simply described as “tough.” The views of the Chavon River are fabulous but not as your ball is sailing down the 400 feet to the bottom of the valley. The Caribbean Sea is also within eyesight, although it never comes into play, as are the mountains of the Dominican Republic and the Casa De Campo Marina.
Long holes, uneven terrain and wind make Dye Fore a challenge for even the best golfers.
Dye Fore Hole Highlights:
- Hole 5 Par 4 495 yards – Looking down the course this hole is magnificent, you get a great view of the Marina and the Chavon River spilling into the Caribbean sea. Don’t get me wrong if you go left you’re done, if you find a fairway bunker you’re posting a big number, but it looks stunning.
- Hole 12 Par 3 235 yards – Playing this hole from the back is a challenge but if you are able to get it there and make the putt you’ll be proud of yourself forever. Look around from this vantage point and take in the natural beauty that the Dominican Republic has to offer.
- Hole 18 Par 5 600 yards – You love the game, you have a decent swing and your feel for the wedges allows you to talk trash at the company tournaments. Too bad you will decide to play number 18 at Dye Fore. If your drive does not stay right, it will break you. It will crush your soul and turn you into a bowler. The ball will be above your feet, you will be forced to aim toward the nice homes being built along the fairways and your ball might end up in a pool. It’s so tough you’ll want to play it twice.
Dye Fore Tee Times: By fax at (305) 858-4677 or by e-mail at t.times@ccampo.com.do.
Dye Fore Course Green Fees:
Casa De Campo Guest Rates:
Nov.-Apr. $236
May – Oct. $185
Casa De Campo Non – Guest Rates:
Nov.-Apr. $295
May – Oct. $250
Dye Fore Golf Course Course Specifics:
The numbers for Teeth of the Dog Par 72
Black – 7714 yards
Gold – 6951 yards
Blue – 6520 yards
White – 6070 yards
Red – 5225 yards
Dye Fore Golf Course Hours of Operation:
8:00am to 4:00pm
Dye Fore Golf Course Insights – This course is tough and it’s fun but it is not as scenic as Teeth of the Dog, the other course at Casa de Campo. It does give you a different look at the scenery in the Dominican Republic. Holes along side the river and views of Altos de Chavon make for a lovely round of gut wrenching, difficult golf. Dye Fore is so much fun and a nasty challenge.
The Links at Casa De Campo Golf Course
Casa De Campo
La Romana
Dominican Republic
https://www.casadecampo.com.do/golf/golf-courses/the-links/
The Links at Casa De Campo Golf Course Overview:
After coming off of a round at Teeth of the Dog the Links looks like the cow pasture that you often get on for a quick twilight round back home. It is actually a pretty good course. Same designer, different style and different scenery but much of what you would expect from a resort that is trying to provide a fabulous golf experience while on vacation.
The links at Casa De Campo is not as long as Teeth of the Dog or Dye Fore but it does pack a bit of a punch. The reality, however, is that this is essentially a nice resort course and if you consider the cost of a round of golf you would expect to be getting a bit more from the golf course. You get some scenic water holes and some eye catching landscape but for the most part you get a decent golf course.
For the cost of a round at the Links at Casa De Campo I am going to need a little more than average. If you are on a golf package that includes multiple days of golf, all you pay is for the cart if this is your afternoon round. This course, while nice, should be considered an after thought when placed alongside Casa De Campos other two courses.
The Links at Casa De Campo Hole Highlights:
- Hole 10 Par 4 392 yards – While walking up the fairway from the tee box take a look at the green and notice that the bunkers and the small mounds look a lot like the waves of the ocean. That is as close as you’ll come to seeing the water on this inland course. This par four is a birdie hole.
- Hole 7 Par 5 551 yards – This is a nice long par 5 that can be attacked. Obviously, if you wander off the tee you will find yourself in someone’s yard, so be careful.
- Hole 16 Par 3 160 yards – This should be an easy hole but somehow I managed to put a ball in the water to the right and in the waste area behind the green. A difficult chip out of the muck and I was craving a Dominican beer.
The Links at Casa De Campo Tee Times: By fax at (305) 858-4677 or by e-mail at t.times@ccampo.com.do.
The Links at Casa De Campo Course Green Fees:
Casa De Campo Guest Rates:
Nov. – April $150
May – Oct. $125
Casa De Campo Non – Guest Rates:
Nov. – April, $175
May – Oct. $140
The Links at Casa De Campo Golf Course Course Specifics:
Par 71
Gold – 6664 yards
Blue – 6040 yards
White – 5411 yards
Red – 4537 yards
The Links at Casa De Campo Golf Course Hours of Operation:
Tee times offered at The Links at Casa De Campo from 7:30am to 9:30am; and from 12:00pm to 2:00pm,
The Links at Casa De Campo Golf Course Insights:
Do not opt for the links instead of Teeth of the Dog or Dye Fore when you are at Casa De Campo, instead, add in an extra 9 holes to your day and play a quick round at the Links. It’s not bad, it’s just not great. If you are on vacation you should be searching for great.
La Estancia Golf Course
La Estancia Golf Resort
La Romana
Dominican Republic
https://www.laestanciagolf.com/golf-course
La Estancia Golf Course Overview:
The course at La Estancia is young and while it needs to mature to really be scenic it offers a decent challenge to the average golfer. La Estancia is the perfect supplement to anyone visiting La Romana and Casa De Campo. The course is well maintained and the fairways are plush and ready to be hit off.
The feel is very relaxed at this resort and you should appreciate the reduced rate for a round of golf. If you had to choose between the Links at Casa De Campo and La Estancia I would be hitting them at La Estancia for a fraction of the cost.
Rolling hills add to the challenge as do scenic vistas of the surrounding areas of the Dominican Republic.
La Estancia Hole Highlights:
- Hole 2 Par 5 555 yards – You might come off the first hole with confidence but you will not be prepared for the sight before your eyes at number 2. A 230 yard carry to the fairway across the canyon. It’s scenic but the thought of losing a ball is real. Cut it short and you are faced with a long second shot to a lay up area that leads you to an elevated green. This one looks nice but it will leave you exhausted.
- Hole 5 Par 3 138 yards – If the wind is at your back this is a soft wedge that will linger in the air before it flops down on a green way below you. If you over club you face a difficult chip back up to the green. You’ll never stick it so suck it up and take your two putt.
- Hole 18 Par 4 416 yards – Water along the left side tempts you to cut the corner. My normal slice turns into a hook and I find myself right at the waters edge. The hole looks incredible and is not all that difficult unless you try to really cut the corner. This is a very nice finishing hole
La Estancia Tee Times: (809) 723-6352 or by e-mail at golf@legr.com
La Estancia Course Green Fees:
$70 plus caddy fee and tip
La Estancia Golf Course Course Specifics:
Par 72
Tournament – 7382 yards
Championship – 7034 yards
Back – 6610 yards
Members – 6116 yards
Forward – 5257 yards
La Estancia Golf Course Hours of Operation:
8:00am to 4:00pm
La Estancia Golf Course Insights:
If you are looking for a place to stay, La Estancia Resort offers very reasonable stay and play packages in their golf villas.
La Cana Golf Course
Punta Cana Resort
Dominican Republic
http://www.puntacana.com/golf/la-cana-golf-course
La Cana Golf Course Overview:
La Cana will delight you with its fabulous holes along the water, with the towering palms that frame your shots and the fairways that seemingly make your ball dance further along the fairway.
You get plenty of views of the Caribbean Sea and you get an Island green on number 12. For the price this a relatively good deal for a round of golf that will keep you challenged while fascinating your senses.
La Cana Hole Highlights:
- Hole 12 Par 3 146 yards – It’s an island green with a little security surrounding the putting surface but it feels good to knock one dead center and two putt for par. One putt and you feel like a pro.
- Hole 17 Par 4 413 yards – The wind comes off the ocean and can really move your ball so you want to be able to have the confidence to start your ball right over the white sand of the pristine beach to your left. If you have that kind of confidence your ball will float to the center of the fairway and then you can attempt to miss the sand that surrounds the 17 green. Good luck, bring your flip flops because the chances of your ball not finding a little beach are slim.
- Hole 18 Par 5 574 yards – This hole also plays alongside the ocean but you can play it much safer and head for the center of the fairway. Your second shot will be facing directly into the teeth of the wind and you’ll laugh as you find your ball buried in the bunkers. No worries, there is most likely a cold drink waiting for you in the clubhouse. This is a fun finishing hole.
La Cana Tee Times: By fax at (809) 9598-4653 or online at http://www.oceansidegolf.com/PUNTACANA/
La Cana Course Green Fees:
Punta Can Resort and Club Guest Rates:
Call for current rates
La Cana Golf Course Course Specifics:
Par 72
Black – 7178 yards
Gold – 6695 yards
Blue – 6252 yards
White – 5809 yards
Red – 5502 yards
La Cana Golf Course Hours of Operation:
8:00am to 4:00pm
La Cana Golf Course Insights:
Savor those holes playing toward the ocean and alongside the water. They are beautiful but the wind will turn your insides way out. Hitting into the wind is miserable and your scores go way up if you hold on to your ego. Caddies expect tips and make them earn their pay on those holes where yardage is only a fraction of the equation to getting your ball on the green.
Punta Espada Golf Course
Cap Cana Resort
Dominican Republic
http://www.puntaespadagolf.com/
Punta Espada Golf Course Overview:
If your child pulled you into an office and explained that he or she wanted to be a golf course when they grew up, this is the golf course you would tell them to aspire to be.
Simply put, your ability to reason will be gone while playing Punta Espada at Cap Cana. You take a seven and you linger over the view, you drop a ball in the sand you watch a birds dive into the lagoon. Whatever seems to happen you are always looking elsewhere on this course that begs you to enjoy yourself.
I could call this a resort course because it is the perfect example of what a golf vacation should be like. Each hole should command your attention in such a way that you forget that you are playing golf. You forget that you three putted the last hole or drove the ball no farther than the red tees. It doesn’t matter because the places is so captivating that you just don’t care about anything but the idea of playing golf in the ideal setting.
Punta Espada Hole Highlights:
- Hole 2 Par 5 611 yards – This hole is so long you feel as if you’ll never get there. The elevated tee allows for a great view of the ocean, lagoon and the swaying palms. Bunkers are dotted along the fairway and the truth is you should be thinking a 6 is a decent score. If the wind is in your face just enjoy the scenery and hack away.
- Hole 17 Par 4 358 yards – It will be very hard to not get distracted as you tee up on 17. The wind is in your face and the scenery will have you taking pictures with your phone to show your friends back home. Hit it over the water and you are rewarded with an easy approach, blow it and you’ll be swimming if you want that ball back.
- Hole 18 Par 4 457 yards – This hole will crush your spirit if you think you have what it takes to get you on the green in two. The wind is mean, the terrain is unforgiving and the entire experience is exactly what you paid for. Incredible finishing hole.
Punta Espada Tee Times: 1 809 688 5587 Ext. 3326 / 3352 or http://www.capcana.com/site/index.php/en/activity/golf/punta-espada-golf-course
Punta Espada Course Green Fees:
Call for current prices.
Punta Espada Golf Course Course Specifics:
The numbers for Teeth of the Dog Par 72
Black – 7396 yards
Gold – 6883 yards
Blue – 6314 yards
Red – 5052 yards
Punta Espada Golf Course Hours of Operation:
8:00am to 4:00pm
Punta Espada Golf Course Insights –
This is most likely the most scenic golf course you will ever play. The colors of the ocean and lakes and lagoons set against the well-manicured greens will delight you like never before. This is a sensory experience that requires you to experience more than once.