Essential Golf reviews Golf clubs and resorts in the Dominican Republic that offer some of the finest golf courses you’ll find with the added bonus of a perfect climate and stunning landscapes.
The Dominican Republic’s world-class golf in a Caribbean setting is hard to argue with
The Dominican Republic has an idyllic year-round tropical climate for golf, along with stunning and varied natural landscapes. There are also outstanding backdrops for the world-class courses that host some of the biggest names and organizations in national and international golf events.
Golf vacationers can play in the scenic surroundings of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Playa Grande, La Romana, Juan Dolio, Jarabacoa, Santiago, Bonao and Santo Domingo. Here golfers enjoy pristine courses, with expert advice from caddies steeped in local knowledge. There are six courses on the coast and 20 inland, including one design on a river cliff and another in the mountains.
Puntacana Resort & Club
With three miles of magnificent white-sand beaches and 45 holes of championship golf, the 15,000-acre Puntacana Resort & Club is home to one of the Caribbean’s great beach and golf experiences, accessible via its own Punta Cana International Airport. The Resort offers understated elegance, privacy and personal service, making this a favorite among international leaders and celebrities.
Corales Golf Club
Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, Corales is an exclusive 18-hole course with six Caribbean oceanside holes. Designed along the natural cliffs, bays, ocean coves and inland lakes, Corales Golf Course is a fine golf experience and exhilarating challenge that culminates with “The Devil’s Elbow,” Corales’s last three holes. The Devil’s Elbow features a striking No. 18, which demands a dramatic forced carry over the cliff-lined Bay of Corales.
The Corales hosted the Web.com Tour’s first tournament played on any of the Caribbean islands. As part of a three-year agreement, the 2017 tournament will be played May 4-7.
Apart from being one of the premier Punta Cana golf courses, the 700-acre Corales residential community has a private enclave of luxurious homes and golf-view estate lots as part of the extensive Puntacana Resort & Club.
La Cana Golf Club
La Cana Golf Club is a 27-hole course consisting of three nines: Tortuga, Hacienda and Arrecife. Fourteen holes have views of the Caribbean ocean, making the P.B. Dye design a favorite of golfers from all over the world. The course keeps in line with Puntacana Resort & Club’s efforts to be as environmentally friendly as possible. La Cana Golf Club was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum, a grass that can be watered using seawater.
La Cana Golf Club is open to all homeowners of the Puntacana Resort & Club as well as to all registered guests of Tortuga Bay, The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, Home & Apartment Rentals and The Four Points by Sheraton at Puntacana Village.
Choose your season
June is the hottest month in Punta Cana with an average temperature of 82 while the coldest month is January at a balmy 77. The wettest month is September with an average of five inches of rain.
Getting there …
From the U.S. it’s easier than ever to reach Dominican Republic. Cities including Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and Houston offer direct flights, so you can plan tee times for the day you arrive or depart.
Cap Cana
Jack Nicklaus made the most of a stunning setting when he designed Cap Cana. There are eight holes that play along the water, but the most spectacular is the course’s signature hole, No. 13—a 249-yard par-3, which is often compared to the par-3 16th at Cypress Point, both in its challenge and stunning beauty, which makes it difficult to focus on the job at hand.
Casa de Campo Resort
This resort boasts four world-class courses, the most spectacular being the “Teeth of the Dog,” a Pete Dye design that is generally regarded as one of his finest. With seven holes on the water, it is stunningly beautiful as well as wickedly demanding—as you’d expect. Its sister course, “The Links,” is also widely praised and a third course is La Romana Country Club, a favorite of locals. The “Dye Fore,” set on the cliffs above the Chavon River, rounds out an impressive foursome.
See also: One&Only Palmilla Resort and Golf Club