Golf in Punta Cana

I am going to be in Punta Cana, DR for a week in June and hope I can get quite a bit of golf in while there. I need suggestions on what courses to play. How did you send your clubs there or did you just say its not worth it and just played rental clubs. This isn't a golf trip, its for a wedding. But I'll have plenty of time to play. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

I played punta Espada last April and it was amazing .great caddie and scenery was breathtaking.as I was only able to play once I rented their set.they had a choice of callaway big Bertha and Titleist ap2.turned out I was glad I did because of the many waste areas were all crushed sea shells and would have killed my new srixxons.

If you are determined to have your own clubs, then I'd recommend trying to find a flight on Southwest. Their clubs fly free.

I've flown (with my clubs) through them 5x and never had any issues with transport and the fees alone will save you $100.

I can't speak to specific courses since I didn't play while I was in PC, but I stayed at Hard Rock and the club rentals were pretty expensive (for a crappy Callaway set). I did a good bit of research before my trip and there are a TON of really good golf courses and it is something I'd like to do when I revisit PC. I found a good bit of information in the Carribean specific travel section here on WRX so I'd recommend searching the archives.

Good luck and happy travels!

I played punta Espada last April and it was amazing .great caddie and scenery was breathtaking.as I was only able to play once I rented their set.they had a choice of callaway big Bertha and Titleist ap2.turned out I was glad I did because of the many waste areas were all crushed sea shells and would have killed my new srixxons.

They have carts dont worry about that !

If you have Only one round go play Punta Espada ! Amazing views, great course and just the fact that when you are teeing up on 17th you can get some water on your face.... Hey it s the waves crashing about 15 meters from you !

Punts Espada. It will be one of the best golf courses you will ever play anywhere. I've thought about flying back for a few days just to play it again.

Punta Espada, as others have mentioned. Most unbelievable golf experience I've ever had.

Top of the line Titleist woods and wedges.food was out standing.we got a cart bc my wife went with me thy didn't charge extra.water or water views on every hole.only complaint was the round went too fast.it seemed to fly by .can't say enough good things about the course.

Man you all are getting me so pumped up for this. I can't wait to go.

I just got home from a week long annual trip. Played 8 rounds at Punta Espada. It is all that has been described in this thread, and more. You just have to experience it. Awesome views, 8 holes on-ocean, you can see the ocean from the other 10. Approach shots will test your game and your guts. Ample bail-out areas leave challenging recoveries. I can't say enough positive about Punta Espada. One of my favorite places on the planet!

I have played golf in the DR, but thought it was way overpriced. But no doubt, it is great golf.

I keep hearing about all the views. Well, I could get those views without playing golf.

I am done with Caribbean golf, not cheap and not poor here , just a matter of value for the buck, plus do not like being forced at some venues to have a caddy or forecaddy. And some of these hotels advertise free golf, and then you find out there is a cart fee of like $50 or more per person. Either it is free or not, no games please.

Will say that the DR is a great place to visit and have never been disappointed. We stayed last at Paradisus, the service and qualilty of the lodging and food was beyond belief. That is one place I would go back to in a heart beat.

Different strokes for different folks.I figure why not enjoy fantastic scenery and the game I love at the same time.our rate was 250$.included transport to and from with lunch. Great club sandwich admiring the same views .I figure when some supposed top tier courses are that or more in usa it was money well spent.but I did carry a dozen balls from home,wasn't going to pay 75 or whatever it would cost there.haha I have my quirks

We pay the accompanied rate ($160) at Punta Espada since 2 of my buddies are members. Been going since 2009 and they do keep sneaking it up. I think it was $120 back then. Corrales is 10 minutes away, and also an excellent course, but they whack us pretty good (around $275) to play there. This year we played all rounds at PE, and never tired of it.

My friends own a villa there, so that's where we stay. We do an 8 man trip during Super Bowl week every year. Just can't beat it.

I have played golf in the DR, but thought it was way overpriced. But no doubt, it is great golf.

 

I keep hearing about all the views. Well, I could get those views without playing golf.

 

I am done with Caribbean golf, not cheap and not poor here , just a matter of value for the buck, plus do not like being forced at some venues to have a caddy or forecaddy. And some of these hotels advertise free golf, and then you find out there is a cart fee of like $50 or more per person. Either it is free or not, no games please.

 

Will say that the DR is a great place to visit and have never been disappointed. We stayed last at Paradisus, the service and qualilty of the lodging and food was beyond belief. That is one place I would go back to in a heart beat.

Truly different strokes for different folks. My wife and I hated the DR, and the only aspect I enjoyed was the golf. Maybe that was a function of the resort we stayed at though, as our food was horrible and we both got food poisoning, and I was put on antibiotics for 2 weeks when I got home from some kind of nastiness I picked up down there.

Additionally, I think if you put Punta Espada in the middle of a landlocked portion of the DR, it would hold up just as well. The layout is phenomenal, one of the tougher tests I have seen, excellent conditioning, and every hole was memorable. Did you play Punta Espada? I see you mention not being a fan of Caribbean golf. If I had just played our resort course which was pretty sub par, I would not be a huge fan either.

Agree that Punta Espada is the best in Punta Cana. Corales also great but definitely a little behind Punta Espada. If you are going to be there a week, drive to Casa de Campo one day. It is only 45 minutes away and all highway. Go early and play both Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore. You wont regret it.

No doubt what the best, top end options are in Punta Cana. I have to throw in another course for maybe a better value (if there are values in DR). I stayed at Iberostar for my honeymoon and played twice. It's a Dye design and pretty good. It is NOT oceanfront so no breathtaking views. The back nine was very strong with some cool holes built around lakes. At least for my package, the beverage cart was all-inclusive so they filled your cooler with beer and water at each pass. Condition was good and had a nice range area. From what others told me, non-hotel guests were paying about $125...not bad for resort golf.

Agree that Punta Espada is the best in Punta Cana. Corales also great but definitely a little behind Punta Espada. If you are going to be there a week, drive to Casa de Campo one day. It is only 45 minutes away and all highway. Go early and play both Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore. You wont regret it.

We started going to Casa de Campo back in 2000, and switched to Cap Cana in 2009 after my friends built their villa. I loved Casa de Campo, but we've taken it to another level at Cap Cana and playing Punta Espada!

Edited to fix phone auto-correct....ugghhh!!!

No doubt what the best, top end options are in Punta Cana. I have to throw in another course for maybe a better value (if there are values in DR). I stayed at Iberostar for my honeymoon and played twice. It's a Dye design and pretty good. It is NOT oceanfront so no breathtaking views. The back nine was very strong with some cool holes built around lakes. At least for my package, the beverage cart was all-inclusive so they filled your cooler with beer and water at each pass. Condition was good and had a nice range area. From what others told me, non-hotel guests were paying about $125...not bad for resort golf.

What do some of the other courses besides Punta Espada offer for rental clubs? I am going to play Espada at least once, but what do kind of clubs do the other courses offer? I want to take my clubs, but at Punta Espada they have new titleist stuff and I would feel silly having to keep up with my clubs down there if I could just play a high quality rental set. Thanks for the feedback!

Staying at the Majestic Colonial resort in about three weeks. Apparently, golf is included in our package. Haven't really looked into the details for course(s), rental clubs, etc. since this is a honeymoon, and not a golf trip. Although the soon to be wife and I may still try to get a round or two in while we are there. Any suggestions from someone familiar with the resort or courses nearby?

How is teeth of the dog these day? Going in July and staying in cap Cana...playing punta espada at least once but want to know if the drive to Casa de campo is worth it

No doubt what the best, top end options are in Punta Cana. I have to throw in another course for maybe a better value (if there are values in DR). I stayed at Iberostar for my honeymoon and played twice. It's a Dye design and pretty good. It is NOT oceanfront so no breathtaking views. The back nine was very strong with some cool holes built around lakes. At least for my package, the beverage cart was all-inclusive so they filled your cooler with beer and water at each pass. Condition was good and had a nice range area. From what others told me, non-hotel guests were paying about $125...not bad for resort golf.

Did you take your clubs there or not? If you didn't what kind of rentals do they have?

I did take my clubs but they had 2 options. The cheaper one was a mixed bag of older stuff. They had a full Titleist staff bag set as the other option. I think it was $50 for the Titleist.

How is teeth of the dog these day? Going in July and staying in cap Cana...playing punta espada at least once but want to know if the drive to Casa de campo is worth it

I played it last February and it was wonderful. It's very different from Punta Espada. Much older. It's worth the drive.

I will be in Cap Cana for a wedding next month. I think some of my in laws are planning to play but I don't think any of us are traveling with clubs. Anyone know how bad the rentals will be?

So I just found out that the whole week I will be in Punta Cana, Punta Espada is closed. I'm assuming they are aerating the greens or something like that. So I'm going to get to play probably twice, so one high end course like Los Corales or Teeth Of The Dog. Then probably a smaller one (read less expensive). This isn't a golf trip per say, my sister is getting married. If it was a golf trip I would just reschedule so I can play Espada, Corales, and Teeth of The Dog. But that probably won't be possible this trip. Any suggestions of Teeth of The Dog or Corales? Corales is closer to my resort (Royalton) I believe so my preference would be there, but if Teeth Of The Dog is better I'll consider making the trek over there. Also what other smaller courses can be played down there for a pretty good deal. I know a lot of the resorts have their own courses that are supposed to be pretty nice and a little cheaper too. Also what would be the most reliable way to get my clubs down there? Fly with me? ShipSticks? etc.?