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caribbean king
The Dominican Republic might not be the first place you’d think of for a golfing vacation. But it has stunning courses, luxury resorts and offers great value for money. Time to reconsider, perhaps? By Jon Underwood.
Christopher Columbus was one of the world’s first frequent flyers. Or, in his case, frequent sailors.
Every couple of years he’d load his ship with a hundred litres of coconut oil and head off in search of somewhere new and exotic.
Thankfully, one of the first places he laid his beach towel was the Dominican Republic, the second-largest island in the Caribbean. Columbus found it in 1492 but today tourists from around the world are flocking to this island of some nine million people. More than four million visitors arrived last year and this number is likely to increase as word gets out.
In the vanguard of these travellers are golfers because the Dominican Republic now has 25 designer courses. Sometimes quantity is a poor bedfellow to quality but the standard and condition of the layouts are to be admired and envied.
Take, for example, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada course at Cap Cana, the first of three he is planning to create here. The Golden Bear has built some of the finest courses in the world so knows a thing or two about golfing real estate. “I believe Cap Cana will offer one of the finer golf experiences in the Caribbean and perhaps the world,” he has said.
No argument here. I was rendered speechless by the sheer beauty of its location and design. Each hole has some kind of special magic, whether it’s the stunning views of the Caribbean Sea as it crashes head on into the Atlantic, or the use of natural vegetation and huge sandy waste areas to create visual delight. You simply can’t take your eyes off it – it goes straight into my top-five courses in the world.
With 18 crackers, it would be churlish to nominate any stand out holes but if pushed, the back nine just shades the front, led by the par-three 13th. Off the back tees it is 228 metres to the green, which must be reached over an expanse of churning ocean. Oh, and it’s usually played into the sea breeze that protects most of the courses in the Dominican Republic. The forward tee (there are four sets at Punta) cuts the journey down to a more manageable, but still formidable, 174.
My caddy Marcelino has been toting bags for 35 years – he knows a wedge from a wedgie. He’s been at Punta since it opened five years ago and nominates 17 as his favourite. Off the main tees, the drive has to carry water to find a fairway that turns right to a green with more ocean awaiting in front. It’s a cracking par-four among a whole bunch of them.
If I could only play one course for the rest of my life, Punta Espada would be a definite candidate.
The resort of Casa de Campo continues the impressively high standard of courses on the island. It is home to an amazing 63 holes, all built by the same legendary designer.
Pete Dye is the man behind the famous Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass in Florida and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Here in the Dominican Republic, he has used all his mastery and trademark design features to stunning effect.
Now, it’s not often you come off the course and bump into the man who built it. But as I walked off Dye’s oft-mentioned masterpiece, The Teeth of the Dog, there was the man himself on the practice range.
Dye fell in love with the property when he first came here in 1968 when there wasn’t a paved road or a tree for 50 kilometres. He began a transformation that has seen Casa de Campo ranked among the best golf resorts in the world. Ask him what he’s most proud of and his answer is surprising.
“I gave work to 50,000 people,” he says modestly. Dye used 300 local labourers – and his wife Alice – to help build the course. The fact they did it the hard way with picks and shovels is even more remarkable but explains why The Dog seems to have disturbed the landscape not one jot.
The Dog opened in 1971 to rave reviews, thanks to the presence of some truly gasp-inducing real estate. "I created 11 holes and God created seven," is Dye’s famous quote. To me, it was reminiscent of Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand or New South Wales in Sydney.
After a couple of gentle par-fours, The Dog shows its fangs on the fifth, perhaps the most photographed hole on the course. Water is everywhere and you’ll be a very good golfer – or a lucky one – to stay dry from the back tees. Caribbean breezes play havoc with errant shots and while Dye provides bail-out areas, they are not always the cosy, safe option they appear to be.
“There are seven holes along the ocean and the vegetation around here is something else. People have been coming here for many years so it must be popular,” says Dye.
Not content with having one great course, Casa de Campo also has Dye Fore, a combination of three nines all offering vastly different experiences, and The Links, an 18-holer due to re-open after refurbishment later this year. “We really have something for everybody,” says Dave Pfisterer, head pro at Casa De Campo, as he takes me around Dye Fore.
“It’s quite a bit higher than the land at Teeth and plays across cliff tops overlooking a river valley some 90 metres below, with mountains in the background. It gives you the impression that you’re not even in the Caribbean. It’s something unique to Casa de Campo and I can’t think of anywhere in the world that offers the variety we have here.”
Dye Fore is a tick over 7,000 metres from the tips so be prepared for a very long day. The Chavon nine plays along the cliff tops, the Marina nine has views of the river and marina while the newest nine, the Lagos, is fairly flat and plays around four lakes.
“Having so many holes benefits the golfer because they’re not going to get bored with the courses. They’re going to experience something different every day.”
They have a saying at La Estancia: ‘vive bien, vive aqui,’ which means 'live well, live here.' Some 90 families have already taken this advice and moved into this residential-style course development since it opened five years ago. The complex is reminiscent of similar projects on the Gold Coast...with one glaring difference.
I don’t know too many courses in Queensland that ask you to hit a drive 150 metres over a yawning, 150 metre deep chasm filled with nothing but fresh air and impenetrable jungle. The hole in question, the second, is quite simply one of the most unique I have ever seen.
It came as no surprise to learn the course was built by P.B. Dye, son of Pete, who has clearly inherited many of his father’s talents. At 215 metres off the tournament tee, the third is rumoured to be the longest par-three in the Caribbean. Fortunately, there are three other tees to choose from and you’ll want to get as close as possible at the par-three fifth, the signature hole, with breathtaking views to the Chavon River below. Anything long or right here won’t be found until the dinosaurs return.
About an hour down the road from Casa de Campo is the Hotel Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe in Punta Cana, home to another course designed by P.B. Dye. While he didn’t have camera-overloading scenery to work with here, Dye ticked many of the boxes when it comes to resort golf. And he’s clearly borrowed some tricks from his old man: railway sleepers, pot bunkers and island greens abound.
The ninth hole is a case in point, a clear homage to Dye Snr.’s famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. The green is surrounded by water and has more railway sleepers than a shunting yard. You’ll have to hit a Sunday best 7-iron to find the green from the middle of the gold tees but then you’ve got a tiered green to contend with.
Water is the primary defence at this course and Dye uses it to great effect. There are some cracking par-threes (the second is a peach) and as you get nearer to the end, so the difficulty increases. Driving areas narrow and suddenly you’ll need that needle-threading kit from the bag to get home without serious damage to your ball stocks. Well worth a visit but bring plenty of ammo, just in case.
ACCOMODATION
Like the courses, accommodation in and around the golf is varied, from the ultra-luxurious and exclusive to the resort hotel and the on-course villa.
With numerous wins in the category of 'World’s Leading Golf Resort' in the World Travel Awards, Casa de Campo offers quality and style. The 2,800-hectare property underwent a US$40-million hotel redesign in 2010 and has welcomed some of the world’s biggest celebrities. Golf-mad Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton have stayed here.
With 63 holes to play, golfers will be kept entertained but there’s also plenty for partners with the eco-friendly Cygalle Healing Spa, equestrian centre and a marina to explore. And then there’s the amazing Altos de Chavon, built to resemble a 16th-century Mediterranean village, complete with chic boutiques, museums, restaurants and a 5,000-seat Grecian-style amphitheatre where Sting and Frank Sinatra have both performed. It feels like you’re on a film set, but without the annoying actors.
Where Casa de Campo is a quiet, almost reverential place, the Hotel Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe is almost as big as its name. It can also be busy, as you would expect with more than 1,300 rooms. But there’s enough space for everyone and if you take advantage of the hotel’s Club Premium services, you’ll be able to enjoy one of the best beaches in the world in style.
My luxurious Ocean Front Suite had separate living and bedroom areas with a crackerjack view of the Caribbean...you can actually lie in bed and watch the palm trees sway and the waves lapping gently on the beautiful white sand, just a pitching wedge away. Why would you ever get out of bed?
At La Estancia, you can get up close and personal in a villa right on the course. They have a variety to rent and my four-bedroom accommodation was clean and comfortable. The resort is still being developed and more facilities will be coming online as work continues.
For me, the Dominican Republic was an absolute revelation. I hadn’t expected the world-class quality of the courses, the luxury of the accommodation or the hospitality of the people. Sure, it’s a long way to go, hostage to the twin tyrants of time and distance. But believe me, the trip is worth it, especially if you’re looking for a new holiday destination that is a little “off map.” After all, it was good enough for Columbus...
Pictures courtesty of various clubs and resorts.
at a glance
Getting there: Delta has flights from Sydney to Santo Domingo via Los Angeles and Atlanta. 61-2/9767-4333; delta.com
Green fees: Punta Espada. Rack rate US$375; Cap Cana guest US$225.
capcana.com
Casa de Campo. Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore, US$185 + 16% (until Apr. 24) for hotel guests. Teeth of the Dog, US$325 + 16%, Dye Fore US$250 + 16% (until Apr. 24) for non-hotel guests. casadecampo.com.do
La Estancia. US$95 for visitors, includes cart. US$70 for resident guests.
laestancia.do
Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe. US$50 until Mar. 15; US$40 Mar. 16 to Apr. 30.
barcelo.com
Accommodation: Casa de Campo has 155 refurbished Patio and Balcony Elite guest rooms and 10, one- and two-bedroom Elite Suites. There are also 50 three- to seven-bedroom Villa Homes. casadecampo.com.do
The Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe has 1,366 rooms consisting of Deluxe Junior Suites, Deluxe Family Rooms and a section of high-end suites – Club Premium, Panoramic, Master and Presidential. barcelo.com
La Estancia has a range of accommodation for rent, including seven golf cottages, a villa, eight town houses and two apartments, ranging in size from four bedrooms to two. laestancia.do
What else to do: With 800 miles of sandy coastline and some of the best beaches in the world, watersports abound. And with the Australian dollar currently buying DR30 pesos, shopping is a value option.
For more information, visit dominicanrepublic.com
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