Dominican Republic Golf Courses

The Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean’s leading golf destination. The best courses are at Puntacana and Cap Cana, and Casa de Campo, about 50 miles west on the southern coast. Together, they have seven 18-hole courses and two nine-hole layouts, designed by a roster of architects that includes Pete Dye and his son, P.B., as well as Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus.

Perhaps nowhere else is there such an extraordinary concentration of water holes. Among the 36 holes on the Corales and La Cana courses at Puntacana, laid out by Fazio and P.B. Dye, respectively, nine hug the water. Over at Cap Cana, the Nicklaus Punta Espada track also has nine holes on the ocean. And “Teeth of the Dog” at Casa de Campo, laid out by Hall of Famer Pete Dye, boasts seven holes that run along the coast, spray flying high as waves break on rocks bordering the tees and greens. Teeth of the Dog is one of Dye’s career triumphs, and a fixture on every list of the world’s Top 100 layouts. I have 
particular affection for a four-hole stretch on the front side, Nos. 5-8, that snakes along the Caribbean. In addition, Nos. 15, 16 and 17 on the back are as scenic as any holes at Cypress Point or Pebble Beach.

This article appeared in the November 2014 print edition of Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report under the headline “Caribbean Golf.”