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LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic – Sitting on my perch at the Minitas Beach Club at the expansive Casa de Campo resort, I was certain I had found the best oceanfront attraction on this island.
Wavelets lapped the shore in the moonlight as the bartenders – mixologists, for those of you who might prefer something upscale – offered up a compelling menu of cocktails. The adjacent adults-only pool had quieted down, and the scene seemed like something out of an idyllic Caribbean dream: sunset over the pool deck, steady breeze, sand, palm fronds, warm salt water, cold drinks.
If those sound too much like the ingredients of an overbaked pop-up travel ad, well, I apologize, but this beach bar is that good.
It was the second night of my five at the resort on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, and I was halfway convinced I didn’t even need to meet my hosts for dinners the rest of the week. Or sample any other bars. Or ever leave that barstool. Golf at the resort’s courses beckoned over the next few days, but I just wanted to stay where I was. In a lifetime of trying out beach bars, I had found one of the best.
Good thing I got up and caught a shuttle back to my room, though, because the next morning I was introduced to another oceanside experience that, at least for a golfer, might have been even better.
Camera at the ready
A golfer doesn’t need to play Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog course, built by Pete Dye in 1971, to appreciate it. Instead of golf clubs, a camera might suffice.
After a handful of inland holes with teasing ocean views, the course leaps onto the rocky beachhead at the fifth, 168 yards off the back tee over salt spray to a tiny green alighted atop an outcropping more sublime than any golf architect could ever ask for.
I’m a sucker for a good golf photo, and I broke out my smartphone for the obligatory Instagram shots. I certainly wasn’t the first to post a photo that can’t quite live up to this hole, this view, this shoreline, and I won’t be the last who should have spent more time on club selection than with camera in hand.
The best part: This is no one-hit wonder. The sixth hole, a long par 4 along that same craggy coastline, is equally photogenic. As is the par-3 seventh. And the par-4 eighth. Same for Nos. 15 through 17 on the back nine. Those seven holes are a kaleidoscope of ocean colors and golf, the greens giving way to black rocks and coral, then blue water capped with white breakers. On a maiden voyage around, a player doesn’t know whether to focus on land or sea.
When first-timers wrap up on No. 18, “Their mouths are wide open and they’re going, ‘What just happened? What is this?’” said Robert Birtel, Casa de Campo’s director of golf. “The first time you see Teeth of the Dog, you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s just insane.’ ”
Sure, it’s Birtel’s job to say so, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. For anybody who loves golf alongside an ocean, these holes are staggering.
Because we’re golfers, we eventually must set aside the cameras and hit the shots. For those familiar with Dye’s frequent visual tricks and eye-raising hazards, there is good news in that the oceanfront holes on Teeth of the Dog present very few of Dye’s typical challenges. Instead, the frequent wind and adjacent ocean do the trick, and Dye simply let the conditions dictate difficulty. If the wind is up, so too will be the scores.
The 11 holes not directly on the shoreline are fine, with the rightward-arching, par-5 14th perhaps most reminiscent of Dye’s standard work: sand paralleling water, a probable forced carry, a green running off in every direction. Inland a few hundred yards and sheltered by trees and homes, the hole is plenty exciting and worthy of a few photos of its own. Anywhere else in the world, this could be a signature hole featured in a course’s marketing materials.
But it’s the ocean holes that land Teeth of the Dog at No. 3 on this year’s list of Golfweek’s Best Top 50 courses in the Caribbean and Mexico and prompt people to climb onto airplanes for a relatively short ride down from the East Coast of the U.S. The resort isn’t exactly a secret – everyone from presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to Jay-Z and Beyoncé have made it a repeat destination, whether they be golfers or not.
And Teeth of the Dog – so named for the sharp rocks alongside the ocean – isn’t the only reason for golfers to visit.
Miles of coastline
One of the main things that sets Casa de Campo – Spanish for Country House – apart from many destinations is its scale. Simply put, the place is huge.
Sprawling across 7,000 acres with more than four miles of coastline, the resort includes world-class tennis facilities, a shooting center, a polo and equestrian club, dozens of restaurants and bars (many owned by the resort, others independently operated), and a 370-slip marina that can handle superyachts. There’s even a 5,000-seat Grecian-style amphitheater that was inaugurated by Frank Sinatra in 1982.
Accommodations range from 247 hotel rooms – many recently updated as part of ongoing capital improvements by the Fanjul family of sugar barons who own the resort – to myriad luxury villas overlooking golf holes and the ocean.
The villas are particularly popular for organized groups of golfers, who Birtel said often play 18 in the morning, then jump into their private pool and hang out the rest of the day together. And Birtel said many guests opt for the resort’s all-inclusive packages, which cover everything from tee times to meals to cocktails, much like a cruise ship.
“It’s actually eye-opening when you come over here, because there’s just so much to do,” said Birtel, a native of Louisiana whose previous stints in golf included roles at English Turn in New Orleans and Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. “I mean, the golf is spectacular, but to put that to the side, Casa de Campo itself has so many restaurant options, so many things to do outside of golf.
“The golf is incredible, but we hope that isn’t all people do when they come here. If you just play golf at Casa de Campo, you’re missing so many experiences.”
The whole place might best be broken down into four areas. There’s the golf hub and main clubhouse for Teeth of the Dog and the resort’s new golf teaching center, with its shops, restaurants, a central bar near the main lobby, a pool and hotel rooms nearby. Next up is the immense marina with more shops, boats, a handful of indoor-outdoor restaurants and a grocery store. The aforementioned Minitas Beach is a third key area, also with restaurants and bars, family and adults-only pools and, of course, a sand beach.
The fourth main area – the Altos de Chavón – might be the most unexpected. Perched on cliffs 200 feet above the Chavón River, the picturesque cobblestone streets and buildings are modeled in the form of a 16th-century Mediterranean village. There are boutiques, an art gallery, restaurants and bars, a church, even the Altos de Chavón School of Design, which is affiliated with the Parsons School of Design in New York.
“You go up to Altos de Chavón and you’re walking around, and you’re like, ‘What is going on around here?’ ” said Birtel, who has lived at the resort with his wife and young daughter for four years. “You walk into the marina, it’s like another world. The beach, same thing. You have world-class golf, but after golf you have all these different things to do. It just doesn’t stop.”
And just as there are many areas to see about the resort, there is more than one golf course.
Don’t miss the Links, Dye Fore
“This golf course, put it anywhere else and it would be the best course around,” said Manuel Relancio, one of Casa de Campo’s teaching professionals, as we crested a hill on the rolling 27-hole Dye Fore course that offered views straight down the cliffs and the Chavón River, across the marina and out to sea.
Relancio, a former touring pro from Argentina, might spend more time on the courses at Casa de Campo than anyone, working all angles of the game from giving playing lessons to A-listers (he’s discreet and wouldn’t share his client list) to teaching juniors.
“This is as good a hole as you will find in some whole countries,” he said of the clifftop, par-4 fourth hole of the Marina nine, which tumbles downhill past cliffs to an exposed green above the river. “And because it’s Casa de Campo, it’s not even the best hole here.”
Therein lies a hiccup for the Dye Fore and Links courses at Casa de Campo, both of them also Dye layouts. And it’s the same at the Dye-designed, private La Romana Country Club at the resort. These are thoroughly enjoyable courses – Dye Fore is No. 22 in the Caribbean and Mexico on Golfweek’s Best list, and La Romana is No. 40 – but most of the attention is placed on those oceanfront holes at Teeth of the Dog.
“Well, yeah, any golfer should see Teeth,” Relancio said as we made our way across the Chavón nine of Dye Fore, which is perched atop the cliffs near the village of Altos de Chavón. “But they should see this, too.”
That’s also true for the Links, an entirely inland course surrounded by homes and villas. Despite its comparable lack of views and drama, the Links might feature some of the best Dye-sculpted greens and crafty chipping areas on the property. With its Florida vibe, it certainly is worthy of four hours on a golf trip.
“The only problem with Links is Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore,” Birtel said. “But the scores aren’t any lower on Links. It’s not like it’s easy. It’s shorter, which makes it maybe a little fun from the back tees for the really good players. But if you miss it around the green, you’re going to challenge yourself.”
No matter all the resort’s appealing distractions, make time for multiple rounds on Teeth of the Dog. Those ocean holes change dramatically based on wind, with their appearances shifting throughout the day as the light changes. The best sunset view at the resort – even counting the Minitas Beach Club – is probably from the 17 green at Teeth of the Dog, leaving just enough time to hustle up the 18th before nightfall.
“I’ve traveled with golfers in Europe and all kinds of other places, and every place is unique and has its own experiences,” Birtel said. “But nobody would ever be disappointed by coming here. You’ve just got to see it to believe it.”
Southeast shore of Dominican Republic packed with top tracks
Casa de Campo is hardly the only great golf to be played in the Dominican Republic.
Counting the three ranked courses at Casa de Campo, six of the top 50 courses in Golfweek’s Best rankings of courses in the Caribbean and Mexico – including No. 1 – are clustered within an hour’s drive of Punta Cana. The geographic proximity, as well as their proximity to the top of the rankings, give players a chance to perhaps choose one resort destination for accommodations while sampling one of the most dramatic collections of oceanside holes available anywhere.
“The reality of it is, this whole region is a phenomenal golf experience,” Birtel said. “The more golfers that come down to the region, the better the experience for everyone, especially for the players. It’s just an exceptional destination, there’s never any traffic, it’s easy to get to and from one course to another and the golf is spectacular all along the southeast coast.”
Punta Espada, a Jack Nicklaus layout that opened in 2006 in the Cap Cana development in Punta Cana, tops the list of Caribbean and Mexican courses with a 7.70 rating, which would place it in Golfweek’s Best top 25 modern courses in the United States if it was in the U.S. The course was host for the PGA Tour Champions’ Cap Cana Championship from 2008 through 2010.
Punta Espada features eight holes on the shoreline, with greens and fairways perched atop rocky outcroppings. The 7,396-yard, par-72 layout’s inland holes are no letdown, but as with all its neighbors, it’s the ocean holes that shine. The course reaches its peak on a closing stretch that culminates at the 457-yard, par-4 18th with a green set tight to the rocks and salt spray.
Just a few miles up the coast from Punta Espada is Puntacana Resort and Club, which features 45 holes, 14 of them offering ocean views. Tops among these is the Corales course, ranked No. 8 on Golfweek’s list of the Caribbean and Mexico. Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, it is the host for the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in March, won by Graeme McDowell in 2019.
The 7,650-yard Corales features six holes on the shoreline, set upon higher crags than found at its neighbors. Both the 399-yard, par-4 eighth and 204-yard, par-3 ninth require approach shots over small coves where waves blast skyward. The course culminates at the stunning 18th, a 501-yard par-4 that curves hard to the right after crossing an exposed cove, forcing players to choose how much forced carry they might want to attempt before tacking back toward the ocean and the green perched above a beach. Into the wind, this might be one of the toughest pars on the planet, but the scenery might help sooth after any wayward scores.
Puntacana is also home to the 27-hole La Cana course, designed by P.B. Dye and opened in 2001. The Hacienda and Arrecife nines combine to form Golfweek’s 43rd-ranked layout in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Safety in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic as a whole was given a black eye in some news reports and social media that focused on as many as 11 U.S. tourist’s deaths in 2019. Without any proof of foul play, several of the deaths were attributed to tainted liquor, criminal activity and various unnatural causes, depressing U.S.-based travel to the island.
Local authorities ruled several of these deaths as natural or gave descriptions of incidents that could have happened at any destination, such as a heart attack, but the negative reports lingered until the FBI was called in to assist. After studying each case, American authorities agreed with their Dominican counterparts, ruling many of the deaths to be of natural causes, according to a story in USA TODAY.
The U.S. State Department announced in June that it had not seen an uptick in fatal incidents among the more than 2.7 million U.S. citizens who visit the Dominican Republic each year and that the “overwhelming majority travel without incident,” according to stories by ABC News.
None of these incidents occurred at Casa de Campo, which features multiple security checkpoints and 24-hour guards throughout the resort.
“Coming to Casa de Campo is as safe as walking out your front door,” said Birtel, the resort’s director of golf. “For our guests, we take care of everything from the time you arrive at the airport, and we bring you to Casa de Campo. I think anytime you travel, you need to research what’s going on, whether you’re going to Europe, whether you’re going to the Caribbean, whether you’re going somewhere in the States. … There is no perfectly safe spot anywhere in the world – it doesn’t exist. But there is no reason to be worried about your safety at Casa de Campo.”
