Casa de Campo golf guide: Teeth of the Dog & the Caribbean's best
Pete Dye's Teeth of the Dog — seven holes hand-carved along the Caribbean shoreline — is the Caribbean's number-one course and one of three Dye designs at Casa de Campo. The courses, how to play, the season and getting there.
Casa de Campo is the Caribbean's great golf resort, and its crown jewel is Teeth of the Dog — the Pete Dye masterpiece, opened in 1971, whose seven oceanfront holes were hand-carved out of the coral shoreline of the Caribbean Sea. Dye's own line about it is famous: 'I created 11 holes and God created seven.' It is consistently ranked the number-one course in the Caribbean and the region's only regular in the world top 100.
It's not the only reason to come. Casa de Campo has roughly ninety Pete Dye holes — Teeth of the Dog, the cliffside Dye Fore above the Chavón river, and the inland Links — on a sprawling resort near La Romana on the Dominican Republic's southeast coast. Here's how the courses differ, how to play them, and how to get there.
Where
La Romana, southeast coast of the Dominican Republic
Courses
Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore (27 holes) & The Links — all Pete Dye
Nearest airport
La Romana (LRM) ~10 min; Punta Cana (PUJ) ~1 hr
Best time
Year-round; peak Dec–Apr (dry); hurricane season ~Jun–Nov
Access
Resort courses for resort guests; stay-and-play, guests get priority & rates
Signature
Teeth of the Dog's seven oceanfront holes — Caribbean No. 1
Consistently ranked the Caribbean's No. 1 course and in the world top 100
This is the one you come for. Pete Dye routed seven holes hard against the Caribbean — the ground crew hand-carving fairways and greens out of the sharp coral rock that gives the course its name (dientes de perro, 'teeth of the dog') — and the result is one of the most thrilling seaside experiences in golf. The oceanfront par-3s and the closing holes along the water are the stuff of bucket lists.
It reopened in early 2025 after a full, Dye-faithful restoration, so it's in the best shape of its life. It's a stern but fair test, and the sea is in play — literally — on the holes that matter most.
Dye Fore
Pete Dye · 2000 · 27 holes · Cliffside · par 72 (three nines)
Cliffside golf 300 feet above the Chavón river and marina
Dye Fore is the vertigo course — 27 holes across three nines (Chavón, Marina and Lakes) laid out along cliffs some 300 feet above the Chavón river gorge, with the Altos de Chavón replica village and the marina in the views. It's a spectacular, exposed contrast to the seaside Teeth of the Dog.
Between the two you have the resort's headline pairing: ocean drama one day, canyon drama the next.
The Links
Pete Dye (with P.B. Dye) · 1974 · 18 holes · Inland · par 71
The resort's more traditional inland test
The Links is the inland, more traditional layout — lakes, strategic bunkering and a Scottish-inspired feel, well away from the cliffs and coast. It's the least heralded of the three but a genuinely good course, and a gentler day between the drama of the other two.
How to play Casa de Campo (booking)
The important thing to know: Casa de Campo's courses are for resort guests. This is a stay-and-play resort, not a public daily-fee course — you play by staying at the resort (in a hotel room or one of the villas), and hotel guests get priority tee times and lower green fees. Book your golf through the resort's tee-time system alongside your stay; carts and range balls are typically included, and rates are quoted before local tax.
Prioritise Teeth of the Dog — reserve it early — and add Dye Fore for the cliffside contrast. Green fees are premium and vary by season (lower in the quieter summer months), so check the resort's current rates.
The Dominican Republic is tropical and playable year-round. The peak season is the dry, slightly cooler winter and spring — roughly December to April — which is also when North American players most want the escape. The Atlantic hurricane season runs roughly June to November, with peak activity in August to October; play is usually fine outside a passing storm, rates are lower, and the resort rotates course maintenance closures through the quieter summer months (at least one course stays open), so check ahead if you're travelling then.
Getting there
Casa de Campo is exceptionally easy to reach: La Romana International Airport (LRM) is about ten minutes from the resort, and Punta Cana (PUJ) — with a wide range of direct flights from the US and Europe — is roughly an hour away by road. Short direct flights from the eastern United States are what make the Dominican Republic such a natural winter-sun golf trip for North American players.
Beyond the golf
Casa de Campo is a full resort, not just a golf club: it has Altos de Chavón (a replica 16th-century Mediterranean village perched above the river, with an amphitheatre and artists' studios), a large marina styled after Portofino, beaches, a shooting centre and tennis. It's built for a family or a mixed golf-and-beach group — the non-golfers won't be bored while you're chasing Pete Dye's coral greens.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Casa de Campo is warm, bright, breezy seaside golf on the Caribbean — pack a hot-weather kit and sun protection:
You play by staying at the resort. Casa de Campo's courses, including Teeth of the Dog, are for resort guests — it's a stay-and-play model rather than a public daily-fee course. Hotel guests get priority tee times and lower green fees. Book your golf through the resort alongside your accommodation, and reserve Teeth of the Dog early.
Who designed Teeth of the Dog, and when?
Pete Dye designed it, and it opened in 1971. Seven of its holes were hand-carved along the Caribbean shoreline out of sharp coral rock — the 'teeth of the dog' the name refers to. It reopened in early 2025 after a full restoration and is consistently ranked the Caribbean's number-one course.
What other golf courses are at Casa de Campo?
Three Pete Dye courses in total: Teeth of the Dog (the seaside masterpiece), Dye Fore (27 cliffside holes above the Chavón river and marina) and The Links (a more traditional inland layout). Together they make up around ninety Dye holes on one resort.
When is the best time to play golf in the Dominican Republic?
It's playable year-round. The peak dry season is roughly December to April, which is also the prime winter-escape window. The Atlantic hurricane season runs about June to November (peak August–October) — play is usually fine outside a storm and rates are lower, but check ahead as the resort rotates summer maintenance closures.
How do you get to Casa de Campo?
La Romana International Airport (LRM) is about ten minutes from the resort, and Punta Cana (PUJ) — with lots of direct international flights — is around an hour away. Short direct flights from the eastern US make it an easy winter-sun golf trip.
