The best golf in the Caribbean? That’s a no-brainer. The Dominican Republic. With about two dozen courses — the majority of which have deep blue sea views — it’s hard to go wrong. So the question as a golfer shouldn’t be about whether or not to travel to the DR, but more a matter of when and what will be the itinerary.
There are many options, of course, from playing just a few courses to trying to tackle a dozen or so. You can stay at a smaller resort or hotel or find yourself at large, iconic property like Casa de Campo. But perhaps the most talked about area as late in this small country on the island Hispaniola east of Haiti is Punta Cana, an area filled with some of the best golf courses and beaches. And one of the most unique resorts there is the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel & Punta Cana.
This massive property has 1,774 rooms and is adding an additional 210 rooms. The resort has been undergoing an extensive renovation in the last year and will be fully renovated by November.
With 10 restaurants mostly centered around the diverse Market Food Hall, an incredible beach, nine pools, the country’s largest casino and big name entertainment in its ballroom and outdoor concert venues, even if you didn’t play golf or want to go snorkeling or fishing, you could just stay here and have a blast. Get up each day, when you want, eat a long breakfast, then head over to the beach or the pool where the DJ is working up the crowd. Try some Caribbean chicken off the grill, relax in the sun, then head back to the main resort for a little shopping at the resort’s many retail outlets. That’s followed by dinner and entertainment, perhaps at the casino, or in a sports bar, maybe, catching a game or bowling. And then there’s the Rock Spa, arguably the best in the D.R. There’s no shortage of activities in what they at the Hard Rock characterize as a “mini-city.
But, of course, if you’re a golfer, you will want to do more, and the Hard Rock does have its own golf course. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Hard Rock Golf Club at Cana Bay doesn’t have the spectacular ocean views of the some of the other courses in the area, but it is scenic in its own right and plenty challenging. The course plays 7,253 yards from the back tees, so it’s plenty difficult for the better players. The holes meander through through a tropical setting of flora and fauna, with dozens of bunkers and waste areas, plenty of water features and doglegs both left and right. The course has a slope/rating of 135/76.1, but play it from the right tees, which can be as short as 5,368, and you have a chance to manage this course. Each hole, by the way, is named after a famous rock song, like Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” and the logo features a golfer swinging a guitar.
The layout features some particularly difficult par 3s and par 5s. Three of the par-3 holes are 197 yards or longer with No. 8 playing at 235 yards. The par-5s are pretty hard too, with three of them at 570 yards or longer. And the no. 1 handicap hole is the ninth, a 453-yard par 4 dogleg right that plays over a waste area and lake.
The best way to play this course is part of a package. As of press time, the Hard Rock Punta Cana was offering two green fees for $99 if you stay three nights or longer.
Of course, if you’ve come all this way, you should definitely a couple more in the area, and there is none better than another Nicklaus design, Punta Espada. Opened in 2007, this former home of a PGA Tour Champions event is as picturesque and enjoyable as it gets. The ocean is so close to many of these holes that you can feel the sea spray. Also, the sea is visible from almost all points on the course, and eight holes play right along the rocky shores with some of the shots carrying portions of it, like the iconic 250-yard par-3 13th.
A couple of other courses to consider are Corales Golf Club (limited tee times are available to the public) and La Cana, both at the Puntacana Resort & Club. Corales, home of the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, is a stellar Tom Fazio design with some more stunning ocean holes.
La Cana, which was designed by P.B. Dye (one of Pete Dye’s sons) is more affordable and perhaps not quite as lush as Corales, but it’s still spectacular golf with plenty of mounding and a few ocean holes.
If you do wind up playing that much golf, though, perhaps there’s nothing better than following it with a spa treatment, and the Hard Rock has one of the best in the D.R. The Rock Spa is 60,000 square feet of pure bliss with 42 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy circuit, lagoons, two whirlpools, steam room, sauna, food creek pathway, hydro-reflexology, sensory expertise pool, and an ice room.
While the spa is a can’t miss, the Hard Rock offers some other unique experiences as well.
You can order a complimentary Fender guitar and amp to be brought to your room. Lessons on the TV will guide you to playing power chords in no time. Or you check out a Crossly record player with a few vinyls to enjoy.
Another unique activity is the Paint and Sip experience of creating your own oil painting as an instructor guides you through your work with a little inspiration from a red or white glass of vino.
And you can, of course, book off-resort activities like catamaran rides to enjoy activities like snorkeling, swimming and fishing.
And while the resort’s all-you-can-eat inclusive restaurants offers great variety (including a great ice cream shop) one of the most special experiences can be had at Montserrat Manor, Montserrat, located in the casino, is the only restaurant that isn’t included in the price of staying at the Hard Rock, but it is well worth it. This high-end modern American steakhouse serves the highest prime flown in from Chicago, local fish, lobsters and incredible sides, desserts and cocktails. Unless you win a jackpot, Montserrat will probably be the best money you spend in the casino.
By Mike Bailey