THE GAME THEY PLAY IN HEAVEN
The Game They Play In Heaven - Luxury Travel Magazine
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The Game They Play In Heaven | |||||
| By: Timothy Morrell, Issue 47 – Winter 11 | |||||
| (Dominican Republic) | |||||
| CARIBBEAN PIRATES ONCE HAD THEIR HEADQUARTERS ON HISPANIOLA ISLAND, WHERE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IS LOCATED. MODERN CORPORATE RAIDERS AND OTHER CELEBRITIES NOW GO THERE FOR THE GOLF. TIMOTHY MORRELL VISITED THE FIVE-STAR RESORTS THAT HAVE THE COUNTRY’S FINEST COURSES. | |||||
| It Came As A Surprise To Me That The Dominican Republic Is One Of The World’s Great Sporting Nations. With A population of only about 10 million it provides a large percentage of the top players in U.S. basketball and baseball, and offers the best golf in the developing world. Less than a decade ago economic problems and political turbulence caused visitors to sense that not all their adventures would be on the golf course, but things have changed a lot since then. The country has settled into a phase of confident stability. Going there is a pleasure because unlike a generic Caribbean island paradise it’s a normally functioning nation where a lot more happens than drinking piña coladas under the palm trees. Just the sight of the courses in the Dominican Republic will be enough to lift your game. The hypnotic blue waters of the Caribbean provide an inspiring view and a hazard that keeps you on edge – literally. Many holes run along the cliffs, and comparisons are inevitably made with Pebble Beach. Golf isn’t cheap here. With the discount provided to hotel guests you’ll pay roughly US$100 (about A$94) to US$300 (about A$284) for a game. At Pebble Beach you’d pay close to US$500 (about A$474). The first and most famous course in the country is the Teeth of the Dog. Yes, it can bite. It’s part of the Casa de Campo resort at La Romana, a little over an hour’s drive east of the capital Santo Domingo (or if you want to get straight down to business, La Romana has its own international airport). The kindest courses are at Puntacana Resort & Club at the easternmost tip of the island, and also immediately accessible to an international airport. The level of luxury at Puntacana, although refined and relaxed, puts a convincing case for golf as the game they play in heaven. The clubhouse and your accommodation in a Tortuga Bay villa will make you feel that you’re living and playing like a celebrity, if not an angel. Teeth of the Dog opened for play in 1971. Without access to heavy machinery, about 300 workers helped designer Pete Dye craft the course by hand. It remains the premier course in the Caribbean and one of the most exhilarating in the world. As is often the case with Pete Dye courses, the signature holes are superlative and tend to overshadow the others. Here the waterside holes are the great attraction. Seven holes hug the shoreline and reaching the green generally involves driving the ball over a void occupied by rocks and surf. The secret is to pretend the void isn’t there. Like a tightrope walker, you don’t look down. At 7,350 yards from the tips it’s something of a marathon, and provides a similar sense of achievement. Players are required to be accompanied by a caddy on this course. The other big-name Dominican course is Punta Espada at Cap Cana, which opened in 2007 as part of a grand plan to create one of the world’s most splendid resorts. Punta Espada is the standout among the three courses that Jack Nicklaus designed for this location. His design works with and around the cliffs, beaches and lagoons. It feels very open, with no swathes of jungle, so ocean winds add to the challenge. There are some demanding, long fairways and the par five 2nd hole is 611 yards, which you negotiate through beach and lagoon. Corales at Puntacana is a Tom Fazio design with seven holes along the seafront including one (the 18th) that carries over the rocks lining the Bay of Corales. This hole is as nerve-wracking as Caribbean cliff-top golf can get, but the course is also generous in more ways than one. All courses at the Puntacana Resort (there are three) are turfed with a variety of paspalum that can deal with the recycled and rather salty water used for irrigation by this environmentally responsible organisation. It creates a fine, smooth surface that has been liberally applied. Two holes, for example have alternate right and left greens, allowing players some leeway in how difficult they want their game to be. The quality of the golf on the La Cana course at Puntacana is possibly outranked by the quality of the views. Several holes start or finish near the sea, but only three run alongside it, so you’ll have fewer tense moments. Because this course is somewhat easier than many of its more famous neighbours, players who feel daunted by celebrity may prefer it. So take your pick. La Romana has the best golf, Cap Cana has the best beaches and Puntacana’s Tortuga Bay Resort has the best accommodation. All three resorts have internationally branded spas and fine restaurants where you have the option of trying one or two local dishes. | |||||
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