Set along cliff tops and affording spectacular views
When Casa de Campo ownership tasked golf course architect Pete Dye with building a fourth world-class layout at the resort, it didn’t give him a seaside parcel like the one he had for his masterpiece, Teeth of the Dog® . Instead, he now had to work on a much more rolling and rugged site in the northeast corner of the 7,000-acre property. But while the terrain was more challenging, it too made for an exceptional canvas on which to craft yet another Dominican stunner.
Set along cliff tops and affording spectacular views, Dye Fore is a feast for the senses. The first two holes begin inland and are lined by hillsides dotted with gorgeous mansions. Its magic starts in earnest on the third green, from which players catch an initial glimpse of Casa de Campo’s 370-slip Marina & Yacht club off in the distance. Interest ratchets up further on the fourth, the nine’s signature hole. The 445-yard par 4 tumbles downhill toward an open-front putting surface begging for an approach that lands considerably short and then uses the contours to bound toward a birdie putt. Players must guard against going long, as the back of the green complex quickly falls off into scruffy hillside on the way to the Chavon River water hundreds of feet below.
Given the exposed nature of the Marina nine, wind is an ever-present challenge. This is especially true on the par-5 eighth; an uphill dogleg left featuring a blind second shot over a hill. The green is surrounded by bunkers, so distance control on any layup is imperative to leaving the best third shot in.
While Dye Fore is frequently overshadowed by its seaside, Top 100 companion, Teeth of the Dog® , the Marina nine features all the hallmarks that made Pete Dye one of the great golf course architects of all time. Any golf trip to Casa de Campo isn’t complete without experiencing its sweeping fairways and breathtaking vistas.
