Visitors to the Dominican Republic will discover that the island offers much more than
the typical Caribbean attractions of sun, sand, and sea. However the beaches are spectacular, the weather is hot, and the Caribbean Sea is pristine. But the Dominican Republic is also a
gorgeous island steeped in history and culture. The Dominican Republic not only offers golfers some of the best Caribbean
golf courses but also abundant amount of historical sites, museums, colonial architecture,
the first hospital, first sugar mill, and first Catholic church in the Americas. The golf courses however are the main draw today and the island boasts some of the Caribbean and the worlds best golf.
Dominican Republic golf has exploded in recent years to become one of the fastest growing golf
destinations in the world! Like other Caribbean destinations, golf in the Dominican Republic has become
the islands top attraction with great course and more under construction. 2006 and
2007 will be the most exciting years yet for golf in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. By 2007, the country's golf trail will include golf courses by: Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Nick Faldo,
Jim Fazio, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Price, and Robert Trent
Jones.
Punta Cana/West Coast Golf Courses
At the Punta Cana Resort and Club, P.B. Dye landscaped the flat oceanfront layout into a voluptuous course reminiscent of a Matisse sculpture. The course 7,152 yards and is one of the longest in the Caribbean.
P. B Dye spent time in the Dominican Republic as a teen-ager when his father Pete created the legendary Teeth of the Dog in 1971 and today golfers can play the next generation of Dye courses in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Sea is visible on 14 of the 18 holes and players may feel like they are falling into the water on 4 of them.
The holes at the Punta Cana Resort and Club take advantage of the natural splendor of the country's eastern most point.
In Punta Cana golfers can also currently play Cocotal Golf and Country Club
designed by Spanish golf champion Jose "Pepe" Gancedo and which is a challenging 18 hole course
surrounded by a residential community, swaying coconut trees, and serene lakes. Cocotal is
associated with Sol Melia resort Punta Cana. Tom Fazio is working on the Corales Golf
Course which will be the second course at the Punta Cana Resort & Club.
The La Cana Course at PUNTCANA Resort and Club below...
Set along the white sand beaches of the Punta Cana/Bavaro coast will be the new Punta
Blanca golf course by Nick Price, located near the new Majestic Colonial Beach Resort Punta Cana.
Nick Price has designed this challenging course through natural wetland areas with large waste bunkers built in the tropical vegetation.
Punta Blanca golf course offers various playing options and is planted with Seashore Paspalum grass, that prospers in the salt air and has been a key contributor to the overall growth of very well maintained golf courses in the Caribbean. Play on this course with stay at either the Punta Cana resort and club located near the airport or the new Majestic Colonial resort.
The Westin Roco Ki Resort with a course designed by Nick Faldo will also be
opening in the Punta Cana region in 2007. Roco Ki will be located in the Macao area just north of Punta
Cana. This par-73 course will stretch to 7,118 yards from its championship tees, with approximately 100 bunkers strategically integrated into the
natural features of the Caribbean landscape. The spectacular par-5 18th is destined to become one of golf's
most thrilling finishes with two carries over water where ocean breezes will challenge your drive and iron shot.
Jack Nicklaus is currently designing three golf courses at Cap Cana near the Punta Cana Resort and
Club. The first of three course by Nicklaus open for play as of August 2006 and is called Punta Espada Golf
Course. Punta Espada Golf Course is named for the coastlines resemblance to the tip of a sword. Punta Espada features eight great holes directly on the stunning ocean coastline and ocean
views from every hole. Cap Cana gave Nicklaus his pick of land before all other real estate
plans were initiated. Nicklaus used the most visual, interesting, and breathtaking parcels
of the land to build the course. Each hole will deserve recognition as an exotic beauty of the
Caribbean, especially the signature 17th. Nicklaus himself will be at the course for the
opening celebration in October, 2006.
Punta Espada is pictured below and at the top of the page...
South Coast and La Romana Golf Courses
Gary Player has also left his mark in 2002 at the Guavaberry Golf &
Country Club, in southern Juan Dolio located about 45 minutes east of
Casa De Campo. Guavaberry is also just 30 minutes from Santo Domingo's airport making it easily accessible.
Pete Dye, considered by many to be the world's most renowned golf course architect has
designed three of the most internationally renowned courses at the now legendary Casa de
Campo Resort in La Romana. The breathtakingly beautiful Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore,
and Links courses offer distinct challenges and distinguished charm and beauty.
Golf Magazine has also ranked Teeth of the Dog at Casa De Campo
as the #34 best courses in the world. The Teeth of the Dog course at Casa
De Campo has also been continually recognized as one of the best Caribbean golf courses
and in December 2005, Teeth of the Dog re-opened after receiving an extensive makeover.
The 6,461-yard Links Course at Casa De Campo can also take a bite out
of your confidence. One look at the small greens, pot bunkers and the tall native grass
bordering the course and you can almost hear the Scottish bagpipes in the background.
Dye Fore is the third 18 holes course gem of the trio at Casa De Campo.
The holes run parallel to the Chavon River with breathtaking views of the mountains to the
north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Dye Fore is fantastic featuring some of
the more spectacular par three holes in the world.
Dye Fore and Teeth of the Dog pictured below...
North Coast Golf Courses
Robert Trent Jones left his mark at Playa Dorada Golf Course,
18 holes with well conditioned greens, which is on the north coast of the island
and is one of the last courses ever designed by Jones in 1976. Also on the north
coast is Playa Grande Golf Course known as the pebble beach of
Caribbean golf having opened in 1997 and located in Puerto Plata.
New courses in the north coast of the Dominican will include the Ocean Signature Course by Arnold Palmer
will be located at the pending Atlantica complex near Luperon.
For a complete list of all Dominican Republic and Caribbean golf courses
please visit our Caribbean Golf Courses page.
The Dominican Republic is located near the northern edge of the tropical zone in the
Caribbean, between Cuba and Puerto Rico and enjoys a tropical maritime climate all year
round. Temperatures average 73°F in the early mornings to 90°F at noon, any time of the
year, and temperatures remain ideal, rarely falling below 60°F or rising above 90°F.
With an extension of 48,442 square kilometers, the Dominica Republic is the second largest
country in the Antilles. This strategic geographic Caribbean position has turned it into the main
tourist destination of the region and into an ideal place for business, trade
and great Dominican Republic golf. The country has a great geographic diversity,
having extensive beaches of white sand, fertile valleys with exuberant vegetation,
desert zones with dune formations, mighty mountain chains where Pico Duarte,
the highest peak and lake Enriquillo the biggest lake in the Caribbean.
The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo.
Other important cities for Dominica republic golf are Punta Cana, La Romana,
and Puerto Plata.
The passport and visa requirements for entering Dominican Republic mean that
all United States, Non US, and Canadian citizens must always have a valid passport.
It is always best however to consult Sophisticated Golfer for specifics depending on country
of departure and citizenship.
Because of its tropical climate, dress is generally quite informal in the Dominica Republic.
Due to the warm climate, light-weight clothing is recommended. Natives do have a
great sence of style and great shopping certainly can be found in all the major cities and at the Casa De Campo and Punta Cana resorts themselves.
Most of the Dominican Republic golf resorts do require that proper golf attire is worn during play.
Spanish is the official languages in the Dominican Republic and is without a doubt the dominant
language. Some knowledge of Spanish will be very useful, although English is widely spoken.
At some time you may find yourself surrounded by Spanish speakers only, but be sure that in
most every situation there will be one person who knows enough English to help you especially at all the resorts, hotels, and golf courses .
The Dominican Republic is an island of more the seven million people.
Racially, the population of the island is a mixture of black, white, and mestizo.
The African and African/Cuban influence is deeply present in the song and dance of
the island, with merengue the dominant beat, typically played by a three-person group.
The government of the Dominican Republic is a representative democracy governed by a
President and Congress.
The island of Hispaniola (La Isla Espaņola) was the first New World colony settled
by Spain. As such, it served as the logistical base for the conquest of most of the
Western Hemisphere. Christopher Columbus first sighted the island in 1492 toward the
end of his first voyage. Columbus and his crew found the island inhabited by a large
population of friendly Indians. Spain's, and thereby the western worlds first permanent
settlement in the Americas was established on the southern coast at the present site of
Santo Domingo.
Today the passion for for baseball has become the most domininate native sports activity.
Men of poor origins like Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez
and many others, proudly carry the Dominican flag playing in the Major Leagues.
The Dominican Republic also has six professioanl teams of it's own and a enormous
talent pool for the future growth of the game of baseball in the Dominican Republic.
