Punta Espada - Dominican Republic

Simply one of the best courses in the world. Everything about it is first class. The setting cannot be described with words or pictures. The course is simply breathtaking in every way. This is one of Jack's masterpieces. I'm baffled at how this is not a Top 100 Course and easily the #1 course in the Caribbean. This is a must play for any golfer.

Punta Espada is a fantastic course and potentially overwhelming sensory experience. It is also one of most perpetually windy courses I have ever played. The first hole is a short welcoming par four. Favor right of center off the tee to take the left bunkers out of play. The par five 2nd is one of the best holes I have ever played in the Caribbean. A long par five off an elevated tee with fairway bunkers right. Favor left of center of tee and then stay left on your second shot to take the tidal water hazard right out of play. The green is a peninsula spit that appears to be floating in the ocean. Awesome hole. The 3rd, when we played it was right into the teeth of the wind. Ocean right as well as a fairway bunker and two more on the left. Also, the ocean sneaks into the fairway about 75 yards out on the right side, just waiting to devour balls that are mishit or misclubbed. The first par three is mid-length with an ocean carry. If you block it right you may still be alive. I ended up on some seaweed. It only took me three whacks to figure out how to play that shot. The fifth is the longest par four on the front. It is rated the number one handicap hole, but I disagree with that rating. Fairway bunker right and another in the middle of the fairway at about 185 yards out. Left off the tee is a bit shorter, but then you will have a long carry over a waste bunker and a front right greenside bunker. Long, but manageable. The 6th is the longest par five and leans slightly left. There is a fairway bunker right and two bunkers in the middle of the fairway. Ideal line off the tee is between them and if you are playing the correct tee you probably cannot reach them. There is a large waste bunker and sinkhole left so right is better off the tee and for your second shot. The green is well-protected with right front and left bunkers. The 7th is the shortest par three and the green is protected by five bunkers. The 8th is a good birdie oppty a short par four with an infinity green. For those of you driving carts be careful to avoid the palm trees in the fairway. There is waste area down the left side, fairway bunker right and two front greenside bunkers. The 9th is a long par four from an elevated tee. Stay right off the tee to avoid the large blind fairway bunker left.

The back starts with a dogleg right around a water hazard. You can drive thru the fairway so either lay up or cut some of the corner. The 11th is the longest par four on the course and trouble abounds. Fairway bunkers left and right as well as a small greenside bunker left and a BAB right. The 12th is the shortest and probably the most benign par five. Three average shots and you should be outing for birdie. The 13th is the longest par three and is just about all carry over the ocean. An exhilarating hole regardless of the outcome. The 14th is a slightly uphill long par four with fairway bunkers right. There is also a deep left greenside bunker. The last par five is the number two handicap hole. It does not look too intimidating on the card, but in real life…… Fairway bunkers left, waste area right and a water hazard comes into play about 250 yards out. This really compresses the fairway as the hole bends right, thus if you are going for the hero shot it is all carry. I think the safe play is straight and left to set up an attack iron to the green. The last par three heads right out towards the ocean to another green surrounded by bunkers. The 17th is a short par four with a sphincter puckering tee shot over the ocean. Favor the left side of the fairway to take the right palm trees out of play. The finishing hole is a beast of a par four and when we played right into the teeth of the wind. Fairway bunkers left and right and of course the ocean is right as well. Getting home in two is an accomplishment.

As much as I enjoyed Punta Espada I liked Playa Grande better. Heck, play them both.

It seems awfully fitting that the first course to truly challenge Pete Dye’s masterpiece, Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog, for supremacy in the Dominican Republic is the Jack Nicklaus designed Punta Espada Golf Club.

That’s because a young Nicklaus mentored under Dye back in the mid-1960’s, consulting on his Ohio gem The Golf Club before earning co-design credit on famed Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Nicklaus Design has built approximately 425 golf courses in the last 50+ years and I can tell you that Punta Espada is in the top handful of Nicklaus designs that I’ve played.

The land that the course sits on in Cap Cana is one of the most beautiful pieces of golf real estate that I’ve seen, with excellent, rolling topography, stunning white coral outcroppings and panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea, featuring the most unbelievably clear blue water you could possibly imagine.

While the gorgeous scenery is hard to top, the architecture here more than holds its own.

The course has many standout holes, with the spectacular par three 13th chief among them. It's rare to find a course with as many holes as close to the sea at Punta Espada and it makes for a pretty thrilling experience.

Everything about the day was first-class. The resort provided complimentary shuttle transportation to and from my hotel in Punta Cana, which was about a half hour away. Caddie fees are also included in the green fee at Punta Espada, with only a gratuity required on top of that.

Frankly, this is not a cheap place to play golf. The $300.00 US$ green fee is among the most expensive I’ve ever experienced but when you incorporate the complimentary transportation and the caddie fees into the equation, I strongly feel the value is there.

The course was in splendid condition even after heavy rains from the previous day. I played alone for the first ten holes but would hook up with a couple of great guys from Indiana on the 11th hole when things started to back up a bit, further enhancing the experience.

I had a tremendous day at Punta Espada and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone visiting the east or south coasts of the Dominican.

excellent golf course, several holes along the sea, interesting, there is a strong wind

This is the best course I have ever played. Might have something to do with growing up on west coast. Being so close to crystal blue water and good golf. I have played countless golf courses from travel and during college golf but this is my screen saver at work and the course I talk about most frequently. If you have the chance it is a MUST. Should be higher ranked in the world rankings that is for sure

Not sure how this is not in the worlds top 100. Just an unbelievable place. Certainly needs to be reviewed again and is now regarded the best course in the Caribbean! It really is a special place! Play it and you won't be disappointed

Absolutely outstanding, head and shoulders above the other courses I've played in the DR. One the most stunning golf courses I've ever played. The costal holes are out of this world. The others will always have a special feature (elevated tee, pond, cliffs, wild vegetation) which is exactly what Teeth of the Dog lacks. This must be the number one course in that part of the world and also a contender for a world Top 100 spot. Cédric

WOW again - golf in the south east corner of Dominican is something special !! Think the ranking is just about correct ..... Teeth still oozes class although Punta Espada is on an even more stunning piece of coast and has the Nicklaus stamp all over it. Although more expensive to play (!) it is not quite the luxury of Casa de Campo ... yet, but watch this space. Teeth is still the King (in my opinion of course) but this newer pretender is going to be pushing it hard in the future as the course and the whole resort develops, established more and matures. Anyway, I plan to go back next January and compare them again !!!!

I played here May 2012, after having already played at Corales. Punta Espada far exceeds the Corales layout if you are trying to pick between the two, and is a much better value. You have multiple holes on the ocean, around the ocean, and over the ocean. The tee shot on 17 looks impossible, but thanks to my caddy i placed it in the middle of the fairway. Many reviews talk about the wide fairways, but i found them to be a reasonable size, unlike Corales which are wider than a driving range. The inland holes had a lot of character also, unlike the Corales or La Cana. Waste areas, water, cliffs, elevation changes. It's definitely an A plus in my book.

Jack Nicklaus has created a masterpiece at Cap Cana! I was lucky enough to play the Punta Espada course in August 2011 and it is somewhere I will always remember as one of the best courses I have ever played. I played off the Dorado (gold) tees, if you are confident about your game then I recommend that you do the same. Playing the gold means that the first and second tees are elevated way above the fairway and offer great views of the hole and coast. The 13th at 233yrds (gold) is the signature hole which is probably one of the best holes in golf however there are many holes that could be the signature hole 2,3,4,6,10,12,15,17 or 18! Holes on this course are either great or amazing! The facilities and staff at the course are of equal standing with quality of the course. Although the course may look intimidating a good choice of tees and wide fairways ensure that all can enjoy golf here. It is easy to see why many publications rank this course as the number 1 in the caribbean. If you are travelling to the Dominican Republic ensure that you play at Punta Espada.