Dominican Republic
Casa De Campo
A tempting trio of Peter Dye-designed courses await golfers staying at Casa de Campo – one of the Caribbean’s most revered resorts. Dye said that he actually only created 11 holes on the Teeth of the Dog; God created the seven skirting the Caribbean Sea. A mainstay of the world’s top 100 courses, Dye’s (or God's, depending on how you look at it) masterpiece skirts a jagged, rocky coastline, so close you can feel the salt spray.
The first of the coastal holes, the 143-metre 5th, is a par-three to remember. The only option is to hit the green because short, left or long is definite shark food. The signature holes on the back nine are 15 and 16, a medium length par-four and long par-three. In direct contrast to the front nine, these holes are lined along the entire right side by the Caribbean and are elevated above a coral cliff.
Inland lies the designer’s clever, lake-studded Links Course, and his third track, Dye Fore is a 6,943-metre monster that marches along a plateau perched 150-metres above the mesmerising Chavron River. With a collection of forced carries over vegetation-filled chasms, plus the speed and severity of many of the putting surfaces, Dye Fore is a real test even from the forward tees.
The grounds at Casa de Campo are so extensive that guests are provided with a map and golf cart to help them get around. Besides the golf, there’s tennis, clay pigeon shooting, a marina, horseback riding, charter fishing, nine restaurants and the remarkable Altos de Chavron. Built entirely by hand in the 1970s, it’s an exact recreation of a 15th-century Mediterranean village, complete with cobbled streets. A collection of fine restaurants with enviable settings, add to the plethora of options.
Contact: www.casadecampo.com.do
