Casa de Campo (Links)

The casa de campo resort is laid out over a vast property to the east of la romana, most of which was once home to the american conglomerate gulf & western, which was a large sugar producer. In the late 1960s, the firm wanted to extend its activities and built an upmarket residential estate and spa.

When pete dye's eponymous teeth of the dog style opened in 1971, casa de campo launched the first of its world-class courses, which was followed three years later by the 18-hole links layout. Following a hiatus in golf growth at the resort, la romana was the next course to open in 1990 as a private facility. In 2005, the dye fore course eventually opened for play.

The links may miss the teeth of the dog's beautiful seaside holes and the dye fore layout's fantastic river views, but it's still a top-notch course that acts as a perfect foil to its more challenging relatives. While the fairways, many of which are doglegged, are big and accommodating, they do offer a fun test of golf.

On the front nine, several massive waste bunkers await errant shots (at holes 5, 6, 7, and 9), but there are no water hazards to deal with. It all changes on the 12th hole, where a pond runs the length of the fairway, followed by more water on the next four holes.