Golf in Dominican Republic

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Golf

The D.R. has some of the best courses in the Caribbean, designed by top golf architects. Prices listed are for the winter season; some, but not all, reduce their rates between April and October, so be sure to ask. The Barceló Bávaro Beach Golf & Casino Resort (Playa Bávaro. 809/686-5797) has an 18-hole course, open to its own guests and those of other hotels. The rate for those not staying at Bávaro is $120, which includes greens fees, golf carts, and a day pass, which gives you food and drink for the day. PuntaCana Resort & Club (Punta Cana. 809/959-2262 Ext. 101, 111, or 809/959-4653. www.puntacana.com) has an 18-hole course by P. B. Dye, with spectacular views of the Caribbean. Greens fees (including golf carts) are $61 for 9 holes, $88 for 18 holes, cart included, for resort guests; $100 for 9 holes, $144 for 18 holes (carts $30) for nonguests, who must reserve two weeks in advance from November through April. Multiple-round packages are available. Construction on a second course -- designed by Tom Fazio -- is under way in Corales, the private enclave of luxurious homes. Laid out along cliffs and coves, it is expected to open by 2008. Lessons and clinics are offered at Punta Cana Golf Academy. White Sands Golf Course (Near Ocean Blue Golf & Beach Resort, Playa Bávaro. 809/688-2978) was designed by Pepe Gancedo, a six-time Spanish champion, who is often called the Picasso of golf-course designers. The cost for 9 holes is $90, $110 if you want to play it twice! Inquire first about packages.

The Famed "Teeth of the Dog" at Casa de Campo (La Romana. 809/523-3333. www.casadecampo.com.do), with seven holes on the sea, is ranked the number-one course in the Caribbean and is among the top 25 courses in the world. Greens fees are $150 per round, per person. Pete Dye has designed this and two other globally acclaimed courses here: Dye Fore, close to Altos de Chavon, hugs a cliff that looks over the sea, a river, and the stunning marina ($150); The Links is an 18-hole inland course ($115). Avid golfers should inquire about the resort's three-day and one-week supplements, or the new Simply Golf Packages. Tee times for all courses must be reserved at least one day in advance by resort guests, sooner for nonguests.

The 7,156-yard, par 72, 21-hole course at Guvaberry Golf & Country Club (Autovia del Este, Km 55, Juan Dolio. 809/333-4653. www.guavaberrygolf.com), designed by Gary Player, has earned a reputation as one of the tops in the country. He designed it with an island hole and a wide putting area, beautifying it with bougainvillea and coral stone. Intimidating at first glance, it's a challenging but fair course with long fairways. Play costs $99, including a cart. The golf director is a PGA pro. A branch of the Montréal-based Golfologist Academy, which gives audiovisual analysis of your golf swing, opened in 2006. Los Marlins Championshop Golf Course (Juan Dolio. 809/526-1359) is an 18-hole, 6,400-yard, par-72 course designed by Charles Ankrom. Its moderate cost is $30 for 9 holes with cart, $10 for a caddy; $59 for 18 holes, $17 for a caddy. Golfers get 10% off at the Metro Country Club. The adjacent Embassy Suites Hotel has added to the popularity of this established course, within 45 minutes of Santo Domingo hotels.

Golf Digest has named Playa Dorada Golf Club one of the top 100 courses outside the United States. Adjacent to the Victoria Resort, it's open to guests of all the hotels in the area. (If Victoria guests pay their fees at the hotel, there's a 5% discount.) Greens fees for 9 holes are $50, 18 holes $75; caddies are mandatory for foursomes and will cost about $12 for 18 holes, $7 for nine; carts are optional, at $20 and $15. The clubhouse was refurbished with contemporary style for the Salvatore Ferragamo Golf Tournament. Playa Grande Golf Course (Carretera Río San Juan-Cabrera, Km 9. 809/582-0860), between Río San Juan and Cabrera on the north coast, is described as the Pebble Beach of the Caribbean, with 10 holes along the Atlantic Ocean. Greens fees to play the 18-hole, par-72 are $120, $68 for 9 holes, which includes mandatory carts. Caddies, also mandatory, are $10 for 18 holes, $5 for 9, plus tip.