Casa de Campo Resort Review

Playing the drop dead gorgeous, ocean hugging Teeth of the Dog course...

Dining beach-front at a Le Cirque restaurant...

Dancing the salsa under the stars on an outdoor dance floor...

Sipping private cask rum and smoking a fine Dominican cigar...

Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic offers the the golf vacation good life in a variety of enticing ways.

Spread out over 7,000 acres on the country's southeast coast, Casa de Campo is a wonderland of magnificent beaches, world-class golf courses, superb restaurants and pampering amenities. The resort makes it super easy to travel the resort grounds on your own by providing each guest room and villa home a four-passenger touring cart ideal for aimless cruising and exploration.

If you're looking for a golf resort vacation that's exotic and unique, I highly suggest this impressive property. What other resort features a recreated 16th century Mediterranean village (Altos de Chavon) with cobblestone streets?

Sitting on a high plateau above the Chavon River, Altos de Chavon is a must visit while you're at Casa de Campo. The coral stone buildings lining the cobblestone streets house restaurants, artists' studios, art galleries and boutiques. If you're lucky, there will be a concert at the 5,000-seat Grecian-style amphitheater, which has hosted superstars like Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, Sting and Andrea Bocelli.

Altos de Chavon

When it's time to tee up, the choices at Casa de Campo are exceptional.

The Teeth of the Dog

If you only play one course in the Caribbean, it should be the Teeth of the Dog, a Pete Dye masterpiece that rivals Pebble Beach Golf Links in setting and beauty.

Feel the ocean spray.



With seven holes playing along the brilliantly colored Caribbean Sea, the Teeth of the Dog is one of the world's great seaside golf experiences. While most of the world's great oceanside courses play along high cliffs, the Teeth of the Dog is ocean level and you'll feel the spray of the waves on a couple of holes.

Teeth of the Dog

The four par threes (5, 7, 13 and 16)-- which is the best collection of short holes I've ever played on a single course--are geniusly designed, scenic and exciting. My favorite is the 176-yard par three No. 5 hole (I played it from the 137-yard blue tees), which requires a shot over a small cove and crashing waves with a wicked sea breeze.

A Breezy Day on the Teeth of the Dog

Another memorable experience was hitting driver into a fierce wind on the par three, 204-yard, No. 16 hole. I played it from the 181-yard blue tees and hit a low screamer that rolled up on the green. It reminded me of my times in Scotland when wind and a driving rainstorm suggested driver was the correct club selection on a par three hole.

Other Golf

While the Teeth of the Dog grabs most of the headlines, the other golf offerings at the resort are exceptional golf experiences as well.

The Dye Fore, a 27-hole layout near Altos de Chavon features three distinctly different nines (Chavon, Marina and Lagos).

The Original Dye Fore (Chavon and Marina), which opened in 2003, sits on top of a 300-foot high cliff offering stunning panoramas of Altos de Chavon and the Casa de Campo marina down below. By all means, don't forget to bring your camera when you play this course. With generous landing areas, it's a great driving course, however, the sometimes wildly undulating fairways result in a variety of different lies. Wind is always a factor on the Dye Fore and the greens, while expansive, require you to hit accurate approach shots to avoid long, arduous putts.

Dye Fore Golf Course

Lagos, the newest nine that debuted in 2011, is aptly named with five holes that wrap around three gigantic lakes. Flatter than the other two nines, Lagos has numerous well placed bunkers to frustrate golfers.

Sitting adjacent to the Teeth of the Dog is the Links Course. Weaving through the interior of the resort, the course seems inappropriately named since its personality is that of a traditional, palm and lakes dotted Caribbean layout. Lakes come into play on five holes and Dye placed numerous bunkers throughout the layout to ensure golfers must think before they hit.

Links Course at Casa de Campo

10 Little Things I Like About Casa de Campo

1. The 5 inch wide shower heads allow you to take a long leisurely shower after a day at the course or the beach.

2. The amazing fresh fruit smoothies at Lago Grille prepared by Digna, a smiling, long time, popular staff member.

3. The individual 4-seater golf cart guests are given during a stay so you can ride around and explore the resort at their leisure.

4. Atlantico, the private cask rum made from the fermented juice of sugarcane and sugarcane molasses  that's available throughout the resort.

5. The homemade Pistachio ice cream you can get as desert at any resort restaurant. There is no way anybody makes a better version than what I enjoyed at the resort.

6. The to-die-for Chilean Sea Bass at La Cana Restaurant overlooking the beautiful swimming pool and spa complex.

7. The Presidente beer on draft served in tall mugs at the 19th hole, which is a great compliment to the giant cheeseburgers there.

8. L'Occitane body lotion in the guest room bathrooms.

9. The amazing Ceasar Salad at the resort's Beach Club Le Cirque restaurant. It has super fresh lettuce and a fried egg encircled by Italian bread.

10. The polo fields where you can watch a polo match and immerse in the Dominican Republic good life.

Accommodations 

The resort has 185 patio and balcony Elite guest rooms and 50 three-to-five bedroom "villa homes".

Amenities include 42-inch flat screen televisions, marble vanities, iPod/iPhone docking stations and an espresso coffee machine.

Each villa home has a private pool, expansive terrace, a private butler, maid, gardener and personal chef, if desired.  

Elite Patio Hotel Room

Dining

There are twenty restaurants in and around Casa de Campo. The three main dining experiences are La Cana by Il Circo (Steak, seafood and fine wine) overlooking the pool and spa area, Lago Grill, a full-service restaurant with alfresco dining where most people enjoy a giant breakfast buffet each day and Beach Club by Le Cirque, an elegant beach front dining experience featuring Le Cirque trained chefs.

Other popular restaurants include La Piazzetta, a gourmet Italian dining experience at Altos de Chavon, La Casita at the marina, where seafood and tapas are the draw and the 19th Hole at the Golf Club. 

Beach Club by Le Cirque

Spa

It has seven therapy room with their own showers, changing areas and patio meditation  gardens. Many of the treatments use Caribbean ingredients. Some of the more intriguing offerings include a Dominican Coffee exfoliation, Fruity-Herbal Body Wrap and Choco Body Mask.

 

Activities

The menu of recreation activities feature something for everybody:
 

* Sunbathing and water activities at a choice of secluded beaches.

* Tennis at La Terraza Tennis Center with 13 Har-Tru Courts.

* Jim McLean Golf School

* Bicycle rentals

* Fitness Center with Cybex equipment, treadmills, stationery bikes, free weights and an area dedicated to improving golf performance.

* Shooting Center with more than 200 stations for sporting clays as well as three trap and skeet layouts.

* Equestrian Center with trial rides, jumping and dressage.

* Polo fields where you can watch matches during the November-May season.

* Water sports such as boating, fishing river sailing, ocean sailing, kayaking, snorkeling and Scuba.

* Supervised children's programs.
 
Getting There

From the U.S., American Airlines has several flights daily from Miami. JetBlue has non-stop service twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday) from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). From Europe, you can fly Condor from France and Blue Panorama and Air Italy from Italy.

Santo Domingo (SDQ) airport is a one-hour drive from Casa de Campo. It is served by American Airlines, American Eagle, United, Delta, Spirit, US Airways, and JetBlue as well as American Eagle via Puerto Rico.

Punta Cana (PUJ) airport is about a 45-minute drive from the resort and is served by American Airlines, United, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, US Airways, LAN Airways and West Jet.

If Want to Visit

To contact Casa de Campo call 1-800-877-3643 or (305) 856-5405

www.casadecampo.com.do

Twitter: @casadecampo
Facebook: Casa de Campo Resort

10 Hot Golf Travel Destinations in 2013

Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic

Are you in search of new golf getaway frontiers in 2013?

Here are ten hot golf travel destinations where adventurous golfers will congregate this year:

1. Puerto Rico--This picturesque island with its great beaches, tropical rain forest, excellent rum and well designed golf courses has always been a bit underrated as a vacation destination. With the opening of the new Ritz-Carlton Reserve Hotel in Dorado Beach and Royal Isabella golf course, Puerto Rico will become even more attractive to visitors. Stretching along rugged cliffs in the northwest region of the island, Royal Isabella, located about 75 miles from San Juan International Airport, will immediately take its place as one of the Caribbean's best layouts. Other popular places to play include Bahia Beach Resort & Club, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort and Trump International Golf Club.

2. Biarritz, France--"Tre bien" messieur, the golf in France is indeed, very good. The unofficial French golf capital is Biarritz, on the Atlantic coast in the southwestern corner of the country, which has 10 golf courses. Among the top layouts are Biarritz Le Phare, the second oldest course in France (1888) and Seignosse, a Robert von Hagge design with wildly undulating terrain.

Kauai, Hawaii

3. Kauai, Hawaii--It's the road less traveled in Hawaii. While tourist throngs gravitate to Oahu and Maui, Kauai offers a more sedate environment with stunning scenery and an impressive menu of golf courses. You run out of adjectives describing the island's garden-like beauty and course designers have taken full advantage of the exceptional terrain on the island to build picturesque and challenging layouts. Top places to play, include Kauai Lagoons, Poipu Bay, Pukea, Princeville and Wailua Municipal.


4. Ireland--A year-long celebration called "The Gathering" is designed to entice an estimated 70 million people who claim Irish ancestry to the Emerald Isle. The recent decrease in the Value-Added Tax from 13.5% to 9% is added motivation for tourists and American, Aer Lingus and United are gearing up more service to Ireland. Flying to Dublin and Shannon is convenient and a good value. For golfers, the emergence of Irish golfers Rory McIlroy-- the number one player in the world-- and Graeme McDowell has given Ireland lots of notoriety in the golf world. Among the courses on most must-play lists are Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, Waterville, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Doonbeg and European Club.

5. Belek, Turkey-- On Turkey’s southern coast, the beach destination of Belek has 14 golf courses with designer tags like Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, David Feherty and Irish golf designer David Jones. There are more than 30 four-star and five-star hotels in Belek. In 2012, the region took center stage in the golf world when it hosted the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final at Antalya Golf Club (Sultan Course).
 

Turning Stone Ayunote Course

6. Finger Lakes Region, New York--Encompassing towns like Utica and Rome in the central part of the state, this region, known for its wineries and craft breweries, has more than 30 golf courses. The golf season runs from April to November. The focal point for golf in the region is Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, which has five championship golf courses highlighted by the Atunyote Golf Club course, a Tom Fazio design.

Corales at Puntacana

7. Dominican Republic-- The "D.R." is on a roll and has taken its place as one of the Caribbean's best places to tee up. Selected as the Golf Destination of the Year 2013 for Latin America/Caribbean by the International Association of Golf Travel Operators (IAGTO). Spectacular expansive, luxury resort complexes like Casa de Campo, Puntacana and Cap Cana feature courses by the biggest names in design, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus. Besides the adroitly designed layouts, stunning picturesque golf course views and fantastic weather, an added bonus is you can enjoy a fine Dominican cigar during or after a round.

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Cabot Links

8. Nova Scotia, Canada--Dubbed Canada's answer to Pebble Beach, Cabot Links is one of the most exciting new golf courses to be introduced in North America in recent years. This phenomenal links layout on the western side of Cape Breton Island in the town of Inverness in Nova Scotia is a wonderland of stunning ocean views, deep pot bunkers and swales. Opened in June, Cabot Links was developed by Mike Keiser, who created Bandon Dunes in Oregon. A second course, Cabot Cliffs, designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, is scheduled to open in mid-2014.

Streamsong Resort

9. Polk County, Florida--With the January opening of the fabulous Streamsong Resort, this county, about 45 minutes west of Orlando, will take center stage in 2013. The two 18-hole championship golf courses at Streamsong are collaborative designs by highly respected golf architecture firms, Coore & Crenshaw (Bill Coore and Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw) and Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak). The Coore-Crenshaw and Doak teams have been awarded six of the Top 20 Best Modern Golf Courses by Golfweek Magazine. Set on formerly mined land, the courses incorporate hills, dramatic landforms, sweeping sand dunes, ridges and vistas. Other courses to play while in-county, include Diamondback, Southern Dunes, Providence and Mountain Lake.

10. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania--Site of the deadliest and most influential battle of the Civil War, Gettysburg is one of our nation's most important historical sites. In 2013, it will commemorate the 150th anniversaries of the Gettysburg Address and the bloody Civil War battle. Key events will take place in June and July. The undulating terrain, dense woodlands and winding streams that made Gettysburg such a torturous place for advancing armies to attack, have provided an excellent topographical pallette for innovative golf course designers. Some of the more popular courses in the area are the Links at Gettysburg, Bridges Golf Club, Penn National Golf Club and Carroll Valley Resort.

New Corales Course a Must Play

I just returned from a four-day jaunt to the Dominican Republic. It was my second visit to the “D.R.” and I came away more impressed than ever. My primary reason for the visit was to see and play the new Corales Golf Club Course at the PUNTACANA Resort & Club.

The course has been getting a lot of pre-opening buzz and I went down to see what all the fuss is about. Believe me, this one deserves the buzz. Think Pebble Beach oceanside style holes with Caribbean colors. Set between rocky cliffs, coral reefs and the expansive Caribbean Sea on the eastern shoreline of the country, Corales promises to take its place as one of the world’s great, exciting seaside golf experiences.

Designer Tom Fazio was on hand for the ribbon cutting and he summed up his latest masterpiece this way: “Corales encompasses a dramatic blend of captivating vistas, ocean cliff-side holes, rolling inland terrain and salt-water lakefront green sites, as well as with a memorable mix of variety and strategy. With a variety of short and long holes, holes playing into the breeze as well as downwind and a tremendous mixture of visual elements, playing Corales will be an experience to remember, and is sure to set the new standard of quality golf in the Dominican Republic.”

Here are some brief observations from my round:

• Six of the 18 eighteen holes are oceanfront, including the final three, which have been dubbed “The Devil’s Elbow”
  
• The fairways are gargantuan wide. Because of the prevailing winds, Fazio gives even the most struggling mid-handicappers more than ample landing areas.
  
• The entire course (tees, greens and fairways) has the same grass—a plush carpet of Paspalum Supreme.
  
• Currently there are no homes on the course. Plans call for a low-density focus with only 124 home sites.
  
• The director of golf is highly-respected Jay Overton, who you may know from his many years at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa.
  
• Construction on the course started in 2006.
  
• My two favorite holes are 17 and 18. When you stand on the green of the par 3 17^th you’ll feel a refreshing spray of Caribbean ocean against your back as the waves crash a few feet away. On 18, you hit across turquoise/blue waters from one craggy cliff to another. You can play safe leaving yourself a long second shot or bite off a big chunk resulting in a short wedge to the green.
  
• The landscaping by world-renowned Spanish landscape designer Jesus Ibanez is phenomenal.
  

My advice: If you can play only one course in the Caribbean, make it the Corales.