Top 9 Golf Courses in the Caribbean
This week’s blog is a guide to our seven top courses of the Caribbean and the hotels that you may choose to stay in to play these very special courses. Whether you are looking for a real challenge or a nice, holiday course, you can find it all within this blog.
The brilliant Westin Puntacana Resort and Club is an extensive golf resort situated just moments from the pristine sands of Punta Cana. This resort is stunning with gardens, swimming pools and other leisure activities to keep you busy. These leisure activities include a gym, tennis courts and a large spa area which is perfect for relaxation therapy after taking on the challenge of one of the local golf courses. The hotel boasts 200 well-equipped guestrooms featuring air conditioning, a rain shower, a flat-screen TV and a private balcony from which you can enjoy breathtaking sea views. Here, you can enjoy an all-inclusive board basis and the resort offers an abundance of restaurants as part of the all-inclusive programme with eight different international restaurants to enjoy. There are also an abundance of bars and public areas for you to grab a few drinks and soak up the atmosphere of this beautiful resort. The two golf courses, La Cana and Corales, are located just a short drive from the resort.
La Cana Golf Club was designed by Pete Dye and is a brilliant 27-hole Championship course which has been frequently described as being one of the best courses in the Caribbean and it isn’t hard to see why. There are three unique sets of 9 holes, the Tortuga, Hacienda and Arrecife. There are 14 shoreline holes, which boast consistent and stunning sea views as you take on these challenging holes. The first of these is the 5th hole which is played to a rock-walled green that protrudes out into the sea, you reach the beach again at the 7th hole. As you venture further inland, there are ponds which come into play which can mean that you lose a couple of balls here! One of the best parts about the course, are the two closing holes where if you place your ball too far left at either hole, it will end up caught in the waves. This course is playable by golfers of all abilities but will still pose a firm challenge to even the most discerning golfer. Another attraction of this course is the 19th hole at La Cana Golf and Beach Club where you can enjoy a few drinks and views of the Caribbean Sea.
Corales Golf Course was designed by Tom Fazio and is an exclusive, 18-hole course located not far from the Westin Puntacana. This course is well-known among keen golfers and was designed along the natural cliffs, bays and coves which are all signature features of the beautiful West Coast of the Dominican Republic. The course is not to be taken lightly as it stretches to over 7650 yards from the back tees, this means that this course is perfect for those who want to power a drive whilst soaking up the stunning views and scenery which surrounds this course. There are six oceanside holes which weave their way through inland lakes and coralina quarries, this is an exhilarating round of golf with beautiful views and challenging and unique holes to tackle. It is not surprising that this course has a brilliant reputation and is considered to be one of the best courses in the Dominican Republic. The 18th hole is one of the most special holes of the course, those of all abilities will be challenged with a daunting drive over the ocean and rocky cliffs to reach the distant fairway on the other side. After you round, take a visit to the clubhouse where you can enjoy stunning views over the bay of Corales.
Whether you are travelling with family, friends or with a partner, a golf break to the Westin Puntacana where you can enjoy two breath-taking golf courses is surely one for you to consider for 2019…
Situated in the South East of the Dominican Republic is the special golf resort of Casa de Campo. This resort offers its guests an unrivalled golfing experience with three distinctly unique and impressive golf courses situated onsite. There is no surprise that 7,000-acre this resort has been considered to be one of the world’s leading golf resorts. The style of the resort replicates a 16th-century Mediterranean village and amphitheatre. Each of the hotel rooms boasts rich mahogany furnishings and either a private balcony or terrace from which you can enjoy beautiful views of the resorts’ surroundings. The rooms are all equipped with everything that you would expect from a hotel of this standard. You can enjoy an all-inclusive board basis within the hotel and there are seven divine restaurants for you to try whilst you are here. From the Mediterranean to seafood to Italian and other international restaurants, no one could go hungry here! To get around the resort, you can use your own 4-passenger cart, within the resort you can find water sports, horseback riding, a health spa, tennis and polo facilities as well as the three championship golf courses.
Teeth of the Dog golf course is ranked as the best course in the Caribbean and it isn’t hard to see why this course earned such a prestigious ranking. The course was designed by Pete Dye in 1971 and this course was the one that put the Dominican Republic on the golfing map. The course is incredibly challenging with 18 beautiful but unique and difficult holes for you to take on. There are seven holes which hug the shoreline, and these are particularly memorable. The course boasts numerous tricky shots including tough doglegs, signature Dye hurdles, very long fairways and when the breeze is blowing from the Caribbean Sea, you are guaranteed a challenging round. The course was renovated in 2005 and now measures a whopping 7,350 yards from the back holes so make sure that you select your tee box carefully!
Dye Fore is another of the impressive golf courses situated on the impressive golfing resort of Casa de Campo. This course was also designed by Pete Dye, but this course boasts a links layout. Dye Fore offers panoramic 360-degree views 27 exceptional holes of golf, seven of which are cliffside and drop 300 feet into the Chavon River. The course boasts a magnificent backdrop of the Dominican mountains, the Chavon River, Marina and Caribbean Sea. On this course, you can find arguably two of the greatest par-3 holes in the world (the 12th and 15th hole). The Chavon River cuts a deep path through the landscape as it tumbles down from the Dominican mountains right to the coast, the Dye Fore course sits high above the waters with many of the holes on the back nine routed along the top edge on one side of this valley. Some people consider Dye Fore to be an even more special course than Teeth of the Dog as it offers an unrivalled round along the shoreline of the South East of the Dominican Republic. After your round, make sure you take a visit to the clubhouse where you can enjoy a few drinks in a delightful setting. Playing at Dye Fore is a once in a lifetime golfing experience as you can find 27 holes of brilliant golf with breath-taking views from start to finish.
Another Pete Dye creation sits on the Casa de Campo golf resort, The Links course was created in 1975 and underwent extensive renovations in 2012 to make it as challenging as its fellow Casa de Campo courses. The course is reminiscent of a classic links-style course which you would often find on the British Isles, but the scenery is very different from that of which we have at home! The course’s beautiful layout meanders through the resort of Casa de Campo and boasts very special views of the Caribbean Sea. Although unlike the other courses, it may not be next to the ocean, it is still a very exciting course to play as you can tackling rolling fairways, elevated landscape, water hazards, small greens and numerous strategically placed bunkers which are lying in wait to catch any errant shots! Many consider The Links to be as challenging as Teeth of the Dog due to its difficult terrain and long, rough areas.
As you can see, there are three spectacular courses for you to choose from should you choose Casa de Campo for your next golf holiday. Whether you are looking for a real challenging course or a more relaxing round of golf, you can find it all here.
Sandy Lane is an exclusive resort nestled on the West Coast of Barbados. The resort boasts 45 holes of golfing brilliance across three world-class golf courses: The Green Monkey, The Country Club and The Old Nine. The resort is located within an ancient grove and former sugar cane plantation, you can enjoy overlooking the beach and crystal-clear waters of the ocean. Besides fantastic golf courses, you can find a brilliant spa, a fitness centre and tennis courts. This resort is particularly perfect for couples who are seeking a romantic golfing getaway!
The Country Club is a brilliant 18-hole parkland course which opened in 2001. The course has been maintained to the highest standards and boasts immaculate greens, fairways and five large lakes. This course is a lot more open than its sister courses, The Green Monkey and The Old Nine, and stretches over 7,000 yards so you can really enjoy hitting those power drives whilst enjoying beautiful views over the Caribbean Sea. This course is considered to be a golfers’ paradise so make sure that you come and find out why…
The Green Monkey course was carved from an old limestone quarry which means you can enjoy interesting scenery and a unique layout of some very special holes of golf. This course is the most famous of the three courses at Sandy Lane which is probably because this course offers all golfers an unbelievable round of golf situated in a dramatic setting. You can enjoy lush rolling fairways, steep elevation changes and dramatic views out to the Caribbean Sea. Make sure that you watch out for the 16th hole which is a striking par-3 with a grass island situated in the middle shaped like a monkey! A round on this course is unforgettable so make sure that you check out Sandy Lane as the destination for your next golf escape.
Last, but certainly not least, situated at Sandy Lane is The Old Nine. This short course was constructed in 1961 but it is still a firm favourite with many repeat guests. The course measures just over 3,345 yards and weaves its way through the colourful Sandy Lane Estate. The course boasts narrow, tree-lined fairways which means that any errant shots may be caught up in the trees. It is a course which will perfectly test your accuracy and consistency throughout. Make sure that you don’t disregard this lovely, short course when you are faced with the other courses at Sandy Lane as it is the perfect choice for those wanting just a couple of hours golfing.
Sandy Lane Resort boasts three superb golf courses, extensive leisure facilities and a stunning beach right on its doorstep – what more could you be looking for?
The ninth course that we consider to be in the top seven courses of the Caribbean is the White Witch Golf Course. This course was carved from the countryside of the prestigious Jamaican estate of Rose Hall and is a brilliant 18-hole championship golf course. The course was designed to utilise the dramatic elevation changes of the natural landscape which creates some spectacular views of the coast and beyond. The layout of the course weaves its way through the Rose Hall Estate and is nestled within 200 acres of beautiful Jamaican countryside. The course poses a stern challenge to golfers of all abilities but there are five different tee boxes that you can choose from to make this course playable for golfers of all abilities.
We hope that you have enjoyed this week’s blog and that some of these courses have caught your eye as destinations for your next golf break…
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