Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield

Rankings: 

 

The Takeaway:  Don't sleep on the Links course when coming to Casa de Campo. It may not compete with Teeth of the Dog or Dye Fore, but it is a solid course and the choice of the locals.  Grade B-

Quick Facts

Designer:  Pete Dye in 1974

Cost:  $135 - $185 Click for current rates

Phone Number:  866-719-8883 or 809-523-8115

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Casa de Campo (Links)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - Higuey Hwy, La Romana, Dominican Republic – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Photos:  See additional photos of Casa de Campo (Links)

What to Expect:  Teeth of the Dog, the flagship course at Casa de Campo, is well known all over the world with its coastal holes that often rank the course among the best of the best in the Caribbean, but many golfers may not realize there are three courses at the resort and the Links course offers a nice, and less expensive, option to play while in the DR. For being the third best of the courses at the resort, expectations can be understandably modest as you tee off on the first hole, but Pete Dye does a commendable job of designing a routing that is intriguing and takes advantage of the terrain. Opening three years after the famed Teeth of the Dog layout, the Links course features a handful of waste areas on the front nine with terrain that starts out modest but then begins ramping up halfway through the outward holes. The back nine is highlighted by water that comes into play on the middle five holes with players being asked to play over and around the hazard to successfully score well. Following the 2012 renovation, the course has been able to maintain quality turf conditions which makes the excellent routing all the more enjoyable to experience. The par fours are of particular quality with a wide variety of shapes, lengths, and strategies, but the par threes are quite memorable as well. Being a resort course, you'll find the majority of players riding in carts but it isn't unusual to find some locals walking during their round. In the end, the Links is a better track than players might expect and is a pleasant course to enjoy on a visit to Casa de Campo.

By the Numbers

Tees	Par	Yardage	Rating	Slope
Dorado (Gold)	71	6739	72.3	129
Azul (Blue)	71	6239	69.8	122
Blanco (White)	71	5684	67.1	118
Verde (Green)	71	5375	65.8	114
Rojo (Red - Women)	71	4486	65.6	114

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  16th Hole – 160 Yard Par 3 – The last par three on the Links course plays over a pond and features crescent bunkers hugging each side of the green. The swell through the putting surface creates some challenging pins in the bag third to attack from the tee or once on the green, but anything on the green is better than trying to get up and down from one of the bunkers.

Best Par 3:  13th Hole – 167 Yards – The 13th green provides a unique challenge with the front third being accessible straight on with little water to carry, but the green bends around to the right along the water's edge which requires more water to clear the deeper into the green you get. A small bunker sits in front and another in the rear in case you don't shape your shot correctly into the day's pin location.

Best Par 4:  14th Hole – 393 Yards – The 14th is all about not getting too greedy. The hole doglegs around a pond with a bunker that slithers up the left side for a time but terminates 140 yards from the green. The further right you can keep it without blowing it into the tree line, the better the angle you'll have attacking the green that has a quartet of bunkers in play. The green is nearly twice as deep as it is wide, so accuracy is paramount on the approach shot to have a decent chance at scoring well.

Best Par 5:  7th Hole – 551 Yards – The downhill 7th is framed by housing on each side but there is plenty of fairway to work with and bunkers on each side that help keep wayward balls in play. The 25 foot descent to the green makes it reachable in two but over a half dozen bunkers must be avoided to find safety. While the fairway bends right on its way to the green, the ideal angle to attack the flag will be from the far right of the short grass.

Birdie Time:  4th Hole – 327 Yard Par 4 – At the north end of the property Pete Dye offers a gift with this vulnerable par four. 200 yards will clear the bunkers on the left but 270 will put you in the bunkers up closer to the green, so either layup between them or hit a power fade that finishes in the neck leading up to the green. The green is slightly raised but the putting surface rolls true so you should have a great chance to drop a birdie after wedging it close.

Bogey Beware:  9th Hole – 481 Yard Par 4 – A beefy 481 yards has to be covered enroute to the green on this stout two-shotter that Pete concludes the front nine with. Just a single bunker shy of a dozen, Pete makes sure you have more than just length to deal with as accuracy and distance will need to be on point. The raised green has a false front that is quick to repel shots coming up wanting and the trio of bunkers around the putting surface is ready to test your short game. This is a tough challenge and a par here will take a stroke on the field.