Casa de Campo® has been called the greatest golf resort in the Caribbean for decades, and the case is difficult to argue with. Three Pete Dye-designed courses on a single property — each genuinely distinct in character, challenge, and visual drama — with a fourth course that was added to reduce demand pressure on the headline property.
No other resort in the region offers this concentration of golf architecture quality. Punta Cana has good courses. Cap Cana has excellent ones. But none has a course of Teeth of the Dog’s stature, let alone two additional courses of comparable pedigree alongside it.
If you are planning a golf trip to Casa de Campo® — or adding golf days to a family or group stay — this guide covers everything you need to know about all three courses: what they play like, what they look like, who they suit, when to book, what it costs, and how to sequence them if you are playing more than one.
Overview: Three Courses, Three Characters
Pete Dye was commissioned to design the first course at Casa de Campo® in the early 1970s and returned multiple times over the following decades to add the others. While each bears his unmistakable design philosophy — natural materials, dramatic use of terrain, strategic bunkering, and courses that are both beautiful and genuinely challenging — they are not variations on a theme. They are three distinct experiences.
| Teeth of the Dog | Dye Fore | The Links | |
| Character | Oceanfront drama | Cliff-top elevation | Strategic inland |
| Holes on water | 7 oceanfront | 0 (river/valley views) | 0 |
| Par | 72 | 72 (per 18) | 71 |
| Terrain | Flat coastal | Dramatic elevation | Rolling inland |
| Difficulty | Very challenging | Challenging | Most accessible |
| Signature feature | Caribbean Sea holes | Chavón River views | Consistency and rhythm |
| Best for | Bucket list round | Views and drama | Strategy and repeat play |
| Green fee 2026 | $750/person | Confirm on booking | Confirm on booking |
| Booking lead time | Weeks in advance | Days to a week | Same week usually |
Course 1: Teeth of the Dog® — The Caribbean’s Greatest Golf Course
The reputation
Teeth of the Dog is not merely the best golf course at Casa de Campo®. It is widely ranked as the greatest golf course in the Caribbean and one of the finest resort courses on earth. Golf Digest has consistently listed it among the world’s top 100 courses. Golf Magazine included it in its Top 100 Courses You Can Play. When golf writers compile lists of the world’s most extraordinary settings for the game, Teeth of the Dog appears on almost all of them.
The name comes from the jagged coral rock formations along the coastline — “dientes del perro” in Spanish — that Pete Dye used as the defining visual and strategic element of the course. These formations, worn by centuries of Caribbean waves into spiky, irregular shapes, border seven of the eighteen holes directly on the Caribbean Sea. There is nothing manufactured about the setting. Dye found it and built around it.
The layout
Teeth of the Dog is a par-72 layout stretching to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees. The course opens with an inland stretch — holes 1 through 4 are set in the resort’s interior, relatively gentle, allowing players to warm up before the drama begins.
Hole 5 is where the course announces its intentions. The fairway turns toward the ocean, and from that point through hole 16, the sea is a constant presence — visible, audible, and very much in play. Seven holes play directly along the Caribbean coastline, with coral rock and ocean framing the left side (or right side, depending on the hole’s orientation). The wind is a factor on every coastal hole and shifts the playing strategy significantly from morning to afternoon.
The signature holes:
Hole 5 (par 4): The first oceanfront hole and an immediate statement of intent. A dogleg left with the sea on the left side and coral formations defining the boundary. The approach requires precision — miss left and you are on the rocks; miss right and the angle to the green becomes severe.
Hole 7 (par 3): One of the most photographed par 3s in world golf. The tee shot is played entirely over the Caribbean Sea to a green perched on coral rock with the ocean on three sides. No bailout. No safety net. The green is generous but the tee shot is one of the most visually imposing in the game. Photographs do not capture how exposed the green is until you stand on the tee.
Hole 16 (par 3): The other great par 3 and arguably the more demanding of the two. A long tee shot over an inlet of the sea to a narrow green with water left and coral right. Club selection in the Caribbean wind is the defining decision.
Holes 17 and 18: The closing two holes are among the finest finishing sequences at any resort course. Hole 17 is a long par 4 along the coast; hole 18 is a par 5 returning toward the clubhouse with ocean views throughout. If you have played well to this point, the finishing holes reward good golf. If you have not, they will punish.
The $15 million restoration
Teeth of the Dog® reopened in December 2025 following an extensive restoration directed by Jerry Pate Design. The project re-grassed the entire course with Dynasty Paspalum — a variety specifically developed for coastal conditions that offers superior playing surface consistency and better salt tolerance than the previous grass. Every green, fairway, and tee was addressed.
The restoration also involved significant work on the coral rock formations and coastline — reinforcing areas where erosion had affected playing corridors and ensuring the course’s defining natural features are properly maintained for the decades ahead.
The result is that Teeth of the Dog® in 2026 is playing better than it has in years. The greens are true, the fairways are consistent, and the course’s extraordinary setting is presented at its absolute best.
Practical information
Green fee 2026: $750 per person, including golf cart and range. Caddie mandatory: $50 for 1–2 golfers, $80 for 3–4 golfers. Minimum gratuity $25 cash.
Booking: During peak season (December–April), tee times must be booked weeks in advance. The course has a limited daily capacity and fills quickly. Our concierge team books tee times as a standard service for all villa guests — contact us before your arrival with your preferred dates.
Best time to play: Morning tee times give calmer wind conditions and the most photogenic light on the coastal holes. Late afternoon (2–3pm) gives dramatic low light but stronger trade winds that can significantly affect club selection on the oceanfront holes.
Who it suits: Any golfer who has played the game seriously will find Teeth of the Dog a worthy test. High handicappers will struggle from the back tees but will have an extraordinary experience regardless of score. The course is playable from multiple tee options and our concierge team can advise on the most appropriate tee based on your handicap.
Pete Dye connection: Pete Dye’s ashes were scattered near the 8th green following his death in 2020 — a tribute that speaks to his own feelings about the course he created here. It is, by most accounts, the course he was proudest of.
→ Read our complete Teeth of the Dog® visitor guide for the full hole-by-hole breakdown, caddie advice, and everything you need to know before your round.
Course 2: Dye Fore — Drama, Elevation, and the Chavón River
The character
Where Teeth of the Dog® uses the ocean as its defining element, Dye Fore uses elevation. The course is carved into the cliff face above the Chavón River, which winds through tropical forest 90 metres below. The views — over the river, across the valley, toward the Caribbean on clear days, and down into the jungle from cliff-edge tees — are among the most spectacular of any golf course in the hemisphere.
Dye Fore is a 27-hole facility divided into three distinct nines: Chavón, Marina, and Lakes. This means the course is played as three different 18-hole combinations depending on which nines are designated as the “championship” layout on any given day. Each nine has its own character — Chavón plays closest to the river and has the most dramatic elevation changes, Marina is set higher with broader views, and Lakes incorporates the course’s water features most prominently.
The layout and key holes
The defining characteristic of Dye Fore is the contrast between the elevated tees and the valley below. On multiple holes, particularly on the Chavón nine, you stand on a tee cut into the cliff with nothing between you and the river 90 metres down. The tee shot requires commitment — there is no room to question your swing when the ground disappears 20 yards ahead of you.
Chavón nine signature holes:
Hole C3 (par 4): The most famous hole on the course. The tee is perched directly above the river bend — the entire Chavón River valley is spread below you, Altos de Chavón visible on the cliff to your left, jungle on every side. The drive must carry a significant elevation drop to a fairway carved into the slope. Even in photographs it looks extraordinary; in person it is one of the most remarkable sporting settings in the world.
Hole C7 (par 3): A long par 3 with the green situated on a plateau below the tee. The elevation change makes club selection counterintuitive — the drop adds apparent distance that the actual yardage does not reflect. Miss the green here and the recovery shot involves significant elevation work.
Marina nine: The Marina nine plays at a more consistent elevation and offers the broadest panoramic views — on clear days the Caribbean is visible in the distance. These holes are less dramatic in individual setting but provide a more consistent strategic challenge and the most open course architecture of the three nines.
Lakes nine: The Lakes nine incorporates Dye’s characteristic water features — lakes, streams, and carefully positioned hazards that punish wayward shots without being penal for their own sake. The holes here are more traditional Pete Dye architecture compared to the cliff-edge drama of the Chavón nine.
Who it suits
Dye Fore suits golfers who want something genuinely different from the oceanfront experience of Teeth of the Dog®. The elevation changes, the river views, and the variety of the 27-hole layout make it a compelling full day of golf — many serious golfers play all 27 holes across a day, which the course accommodates.
It is also the course most easily combined with a visit to Altos de Chavón — the village is perched on the cliff directly above Dye Fore, and many golfers finish a round and walk up to Altos de Chavón for lunch or dinner. The juxtaposition of the 16th-century village and the golf course carved beneath it is one of Casa de Campo’s most distinctive pairings.
Best time to play: Morning for cooler temperatures and calmer conditions. The Chavón nine’s cliff-edge holes are less affected by wind than Teeth of the Dog’s coastal holes, but the elevation makes late afternoon heat more pronounced.
Booking: More accessible than Teeth of the Dog. Same-week bookings are frequently possible during peak season, and day-before bookings are often available outside the Christmas–New Year period.
Course 3: The Links — Strategy, Rhythm, and Repeat Play
The character
The Links is the most misunderstood course at Casa de Campo®, consistently underestimated by first-time visitors who come for Teeth of the Dog and play The Links as a secondary option. This is a mistake. The Links is a genuinely excellent golf course — it is simply excellent in a quieter, more considered way than its two more dramatic siblings.
Inspired by British and Scottish links traditions, The Links plays through rolling inland terrain with no oceanfront holes and none of Dye Fore’s cliff-edge drama. What it offers instead is a course built for strategic golf — where course management, shot placement, and consistency matter more than power or nerve. Pete Dye’s design philosophy is as present here as on the other courses, expressed through subtle elevation, clever bunkering, and greens with more movement than they appear to have from the fairway.
Par 71, approximately 6,600 yards from the back tees. The layout flows naturally through the resort’s inland landscape with several holes offering elevated views across the property.
Why serious golfers come back to The Links
Golfers who have played all three courses at Casa de Campo® consistently report that The Links improves on repeat play in a way the other two courses do not. The drama of Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore makes a strong first impression; The Links reveals its depth over multiple rounds.
The greens are the key. They are among the most subtly contoured at the resort — the breaks are real and they must be read carefully. First-round putts that look straight are rarely straight. By the third visit, golfers who have paid attention begin to understand the green complexes in a way that rewards them with better scores.
The pace of play is also typically more relaxed on The Links than on the other two courses. Because it lacks the dramatic settings that attract first-time visitors, tee time availability is generally better and the round moves at a natural pace.
Who it suits
Golfers on extended stays who want to play multiple rounds without repeating the same course. The combination of Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore, and The Links across a week gives three genuinely different golf experiences.
High-handicap golfers who find Teeth of the Dog’s oceanfront challenge overwhelming. The Links is the most forgiving of the three courses in terms of course setup and the penalty for wayward shots. Bogey golf is achievable here for most club-level players.
Groups with mixed golf ability where some members want a serious test and others want to enjoy the round without losing multiple balls to the Caribbean. The Links accommodates the full range.
Corporate and group golf events — The Links is the course most frequently used for organised group formats, tournaments, and society events at Casa de Campo. The layout works well for Scramble and Stableford formats.
How to Sequence the Three Courses
For guests playing all three courses during a stay, the sequence matters. Here is how we advise most golf groups:
The recommended order
Day 1: The Links. Start here, not at Teeth of the Dog®. Playing The Links first — when you are fresh but not yet acclimatised to the resort — gives you a course that rewards good golf without punishing adjustment to the climate, the Caribbean wind, and the unfamiliar terrain. A solid round on The Links builds confidence for what follows.
Day 2: Dye Fore. The elevation changes and dramatic setting of Dye Fore require full energy. Play it on your second day when you are loose and settled into the resort rhythm. If you play 27 holes, pace yourself — the back nine of any Dye Fore combination is physically and mentally demanding.
Day 3: Teeth of the Dog®. Save the marquee round for when you are fully acclimatised, comfortable with the wind conditions, and mentally fresh for a course that will demand your best golf. Many groups play The Links and Dye Fore specifically to reach Teeth of the Dog prepared rather than arriving cold to the Caribbean’s greatest course.
Alternative sequences
For golfers with only one or two days: Teeth of the Dog® is non-negotiable if you play one course. For two days: Teeth of the Dog® and Dye Fore, in that order — the bucket list round first while you have maximum energy and anticipation.
For families where golf is one activity among many: The Links is the best single-round option for guests who want good golf without it dominating the entire day. It plays faster and the layout is less emotionally exhausting than the other two.
Booking Tee Times: What You Need to Know
All villa guests have access to tee time reservations through the resort’s dedicated villa guest booking system.
Lead times by course:
- Teeth of the Dog: 2–4 weeks advance booking during peak season (December–April). Non-negotiable for Christmas–New Year period.
- Dye Fore: 5–7 days advance booking is usually sufficient during peak season.
- The Links: Often bookable same-week or day-before even during peak season.
Green fees include: Golf cart for all three courses. Teeth of the Dog includes range balls.
Caddies: Mandatory on Teeth of the Dog. Optional but strongly recommended on Dye Fore, particularly for first-time players on the Chavón nine where local knowledge of the elevation drops and wind patterns is valuable. Optional on The Links.
Club rental: Available at the pro shop for all three courses. Quality rental sets are available — Titleist and Callaway — but if you travel with your own clubs, the resort’s luggage handling ensures they reach your villa in good condition.
The resort access fee and golf: The resort access fee (US$30/adult/night) does not include green fees — golf is a separate cost at applicable rates. See our complete access fee guide for the full breakdown of what the access fee covers.
Casa de Campo® Golf for Non-Golfers in the Group
A frequent question from groups where not everyone golfs: what does the resort offer for the non-golfers while the golf is happening?
The short answer is that Casa de Campo® is one of the few golf resorts where non-golfers are genuinely well served. Minitas Beach Club, the spa, Altos de Chavón, the equestrian center, the shooting center, the marina, and the pool at your villa all provide full days of activity without any golf. The resort’s structure means golfers and non-golfers can separate in the morning and reconvene for lunch or dinner without either group feeling they have compromised.
For families with children specifically, our Casa de Campo® families guide covers the full range of non-golf activities in detail.
Quick Reference: Which Course is Right for You?
| Your situation | Best course |
| Once-in-a-lifetime round, best course only | Teeth of the Dog® |
| Want dramatic views, no ocean holes | Dye Fore |
| First time in Casa de Campo, want to warm up | The Links |
| Playing 3+ rounds in a week | All three, in order: Links → Dye Fore → Teeth |
| High handicapper wanting an enjoyable round | The Links |
| Want to combine golf with Altos de Chavón visit | Dye Fore |
| Competitive golfer wanting the toughest test | Teeth of the Dog® |
| Group with mixed abilities | The Links |
| Corporate golf event or tournament format | The Links |
| Most spectacular single hole in the Caribbean | Teeth of the Dog®, hole 7 |
Ready to plan your golf trip? Browse our golf-view villas for properties closest to the courses, or contact our concierge team to arrange tee times and villa recommendations for your group.
For a complete guide to Teeth of the Dog specifically — including the hole-by-hole breakdown, the $15M restoration story, caddie advice, and 2026 green fees — read our dedicated Teeth of the Dog guide.