Teeth of the Dog transformed La Romana's coral coastline into the Caribbean's most celebrated golf course in 1971. Pete Dye's hand-built masterpiece features seven holes along the Caribbean Sea with coral formations and trade winds creating one of golf's most distinctive seaside experiences on holiday in the Dominican Republic.
Overall rating
5.0
Teeth of the Dog transformed La Romana's coral coastline into the Caribbean's most celebrated golf course in 1971. Pete Dye's hand-built masterpiece features seven holes along the Caribbean Sea with coral formations and trade winds creating one of golf's most distinctive seaside experiences on holiday in the Dominican Republic.
Teeth of the Dog opened in 1971 as Pete Dye's Caribbean masterpiece at Casa de Campo, transforming a coral-strewn coastline near La Romana into one of golf's most celebrated seaside venues. The course established the Dominican Republic as a serious golf destination, with seven holes playing directly along the Caribbean, creating what Dye himself called his favourite design.
Why Play Teeth of the Dog?
Experience seven Caribbean-edge holes on coral formations at La Romana. The only course in the Caribbean consistently ranked in the World's Top 100. Will it reappear?
History of Teeth of the Dog
In 1969, Alvaro Carta of the South Puerto Rico Sugar Company commissioned Dye to build a golf course on the southeastern Dominican coastline. The site was barren coral rock terrain too dry for sugarcane and too sparse for cattle. A crew of 300 Dominican labourers transformed the landscape using sledgehammers, pickaxes and chisels, cracking through sharp coral formations that cut workers' hands and feet. The labourers named the jagged coral "diente del perro" (teeth of the dog), which Dye adopted for the course.
Construction took two years without proper earthmoving equipment. Dye transported soil from nearby sugar fields, building greens and tees entirely by hand. The course opened in August 1971 at 6,888 yards, par 72. Dye famously quipped: "I created 11 holes and God created seven," referring to the seven oceanside holes from the fifth through eighth and fifteenth through seventeenth.
In 2005, Chris Lutzke assisted with renovations that extended the course to 7,263 yards. When Dye passed in 2020, some of his ashes were scattered behind the eighth green near his homesite, where he wintered for decades making constant refinements. In January 2025, the course closed for a comprehensive restoration led by Jerry Pate Design, with the course scheduled to reopen before December 2025. The renovation includes complete regrassing to Dynasty Paspalum, sand-capping fairways for firmer conditions, and bunker improvements for better drainage.
Course Layout & Playing Experience
The routing maximises Caribbean frontage across seven holes. The par-3 fifth hole requires a precise short iron over coral formations to a green with waves breaking mere metres away. The 229-yard par-3 seventh tests distance control in consistent trade winds. The par-4 eighth, where Dye's ashes rest, presents a devilish approach to an elevated green with an ocean backdrop.
The inland holes from the first through fourth and ninth through fourteenth wind through coral-rock terrain with Dye's signature pot bunkers and waste areas. The 604-yard par-5 eleventh provides a birdie opportunity before returning to the coast at the fifteenth. The finishing stretch from fifteen through seventeen hugs the Caribbean before an inland par-4 eighteenth at 484 yards completes the examination.
World Top 100 Golf Courses
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
Paspalum greens average a substantial size, with contours that challenge putting across the grain. The coral base provides firm, fast-running fairways where bump-and-run approaches are essential in steady trade winds.
Notable Architectural Features
The par-3 fifth hole, measuring 176 yards, requires carrying coral rock formations, with the Caribbean providing both beauty and intimidation. The enormous seventh green, at 7,000 square feet, accepts multiple pin positions across its undulations. The par-4 sixth at 500 yards challenges longer hitters to negotiate waste bunkers guarding the approach.
The par-5 eighteenth features Dye's strategic bunkering, with elevated greens demanding precise distance control. Throughout the course, coral rock appears as natural hazards, with sharp edges left exposed as reminders of the construction challenges faced by the original labourers.
Championship History
1994 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Fred Couples vs Ray Floyd
Latin America Amateur Championship
2016: Paul Chaplet (Costa Rica), 285 (3-under-par)
The Latin America Amateur Championship provides the winner with invitations to the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship, with Casa de Campo serving as the only three-time host venue.
Want to know what other travelling golfers really think? Click the Reviews tab to discover the latest ratings and reviews.
Travel & Planning
Regional Golf Context
Within La Romana Resort Complex: The Casa de Campo property offers Dye Fore (27 holes atop the Chavón River cliffs), The Links (18 holes through interior terrain), and the private La Romana Country Club (27 holes, members only).
45-70km (28-44 miles) - Punta Cana Area: Approximately 55 minutes driving via Autovía del Coral connects Casa de Campo to Punta Cana's championship venues. Corales Golf Course (Tom Fazio, 2010) hosts the PGA Tour's Corales Puntacana Championship, with six oceanside holes. Punta Espada (Jack Nicklaus, 2006) at Cap Cana offers eight Caribbean-edge holes, including the dramatic 249-yard par-3 thirteenth. Being based in Punta Cana allows convenient access to multiple courses whilst enjoying extensive all-inclusive resort options.
110km (68 miles) - Santo Domingo: The capital offers the Santo Domingo Country Club (members only) and several daily-fee courses. Approximately 90 minutes driving via Autopista Las Américas.
Multi-course itineraries typically combine three days at Casa de Campo for Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and The Links, followed by three nights in Punta Cana for Corales, Punta Espada and La Cana. This provides comprehensive Dominican golf across six championship venues.
Practical Planning
Casa de Campo operates as a private resort with multiple accommodation options from hotel rooms to luxury villas with private pools. Green fees for Teeth of the Dog vary by guest status: resort guests, non-resort guests staying nearby, and outside visitors pay different rates. Booking is essential, particularly in January through April. Caddies are available and provide valuable local knowledge for reading wind and grain on paspalum greens.
Transport Information ✈️
La Romana International Airport (LRM): 5km (3 miles), approximately 10 minutes driving. Casa de Campo's private airport receives charter flights from North America, Europe and Latin America. Direct resort transfers available.
Santo Domingo Las Américas International Airport (SDQ): 90km (56 miles), approximately 75 minutes driving via Autopista Las Américas. Major car rental facilities with direct motorway access. Private transfers and taxis are available from the airport arrivals hall.
Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ): 77km (48 miles), approximately 55 minutes driving via Autovía del Coral. The Dominican Republic's busiest airport has extensive international connections. Major car rental facilities are available.
Private Aviation: La Romana International Airport accommodates private jets with full customs and immigration facilities. The resort has hosted private aviation since the 1970s.
Ground Transport: Primary access via Autopista Las Américas from Santo Domingo or Autovía del Coral from Punta Cana. Both routes are modern multi-lane highways. Car rental provides flexibility for exploring multiple golf venues across the region.
Seasonal Timing
December-April (Peak Season): Consistent 24-28°C (75-82°F) temperatures with minimal rainfall. Trade winds blow steadily from the northeast, affecting play on coastal holes. Booking essential during this period. Green fees at peak rates.
May-June (Shoulder Season): Temperatures increase to 28-32°C (82-90°F) with higher humidity. Fewer visitors allow easier tee time availability. Green fees are often discounted.
July-November (Hurricane Season): Warm conditions with potential tropical weather systems. The course typically experiences brief afternoon showers rather than prolonged rain. Significantly reduced green fees. September and October see the lowest visitor numbers.
Year-round play is possible, with the course maintained to championship standards throughout the calendar. Morning tee times are preferable during the summer months before afternoon heat peaks.
Teeth of the Dog: The Verdict
Jerry Pate's 2025 restoration ensures the Caribbean's most historically significant golf course enters its sixth decade with renewed playing surfaces whilst preserving the hand-built character that distinguished it from the beginning.
he seven oceanside holes remain golf's most concentrated stretch of Caribbean coastline architecture, with coral formations and breaking waves creating the intimidation that Dye mastered.
Three Latin America Amateur Championships demonstrated the layout's championship credentials, whilst the 1974 World Amateur Team Championship established its tournament pedigree when Jerry Pate finished as medalist.
Combined with Dye Fore and The Links, Casa de Campo offers three contrasting Pete Dye experiences, with Punta Cana's championship venues 55 minutes away, completing the Dominican Republic's position as the Caribbean's premier golf destination.
