Golf in The DR

The money is in real estate, not in tee-times. You cannot build a course here unless you combine it with real estate.

The main problem I see with the marketing of courses here is the very individualist approach the golf courses take. Instead of collectively getting together and marketing a great destination to play golf, they focus on their individual product. Europe, USA, Asia are light years ahead of the DR when it comes to marketing to golfers. They market their countries as great places to visit "and" play golf. If they can sell the destination, then they know the golfer will come back. Plus they are much more organized when it comes to moving golfers around and also accommodation options/plans etc.

Try booking a tee-time at Casa de Campo and another for the following day at Cap Cana, and at the same time organizing the transport and accommodation between the two. Have fun!

The good news...

With the amount of great courses we have now and the ones being built, I'm sure we will eventually see a more centric and organized marketing approach.
New businesses and people with new ideas, plus golfers demanding better service etc will make this happen. Just don't expect to many "real" golfers right now, it's all about real estate sales at this point.

For the best DR golf course reviews, click on the link below.

Golf in the Dominican Republic

I have to agree with Robert on this one.

I was once talking to Jose Luis Asilis the head of the Metro group (whether real or figure, I do not know, but the guy is dynamic as all get out!)
Anyway, he told me quite frankly that you do not need a "great" course to sell houses...and that was where the money is.!!

Guavaberry did get a well recognized name to do their course and it is so much more fun to play than Metro. Over in La Romana Pete Dye has made a fortune with the courses he has designed and his son is following along with his example. The course at La Estancia promises to be really nice.

In the Far Eastern Independent Republic of Punta Cana and environs, many of the courses were built for hotels/resorts who market their golf. Cap Cana is betting a hundred million pesos that the three Jack Nicklaus courses will attract buyers to some of the ugliest terrain in the DR. And it is working...and the terrain is being converted into beautiful places for the very rich and famous....

Along the North Coast, Playa Grande just sits there, supposedly going private for some very rich members. It was build, like Playa Dorada, by the Central Bank but never, ever really promoted, and it is one of the most striking courses here or anywhere!!! But nobody plays there!! Except a few of us locals....and the odd tourist now and then.

Las Aromas in Santiago started out as a combined effort of the government, La Romana and the Bermudez family to create a Metro-like project, way before Metro was even an idea!! However, disputes as to exactly HOW to develop the project led to it being abandoned and the course handed over to the Santiago Golf Club for use and upkeep....the club is trying to get the government to cede its 1/3 part of the corporation to it in exchange for the 30+ years of upkeep invested....we'll see if this is possible.

Bonao has a 9 holer for the Barrio of Falconbridge...

Jarabacoa has a 9 hole that was supposed to follow the Metro idea of houses and condos, but it did not fly or has not flown...yet...Victor Mendez Capellan is there often...

Las Lagunas is a similar situation to Santiago....a lot of the property was sold but no housing yet.

This IS a fabulous place to play golf...no doubt about it....

HB

suarezn said:

Robert: Actually the ads on TV in San Luis Potosi and Hermosillo Mexico (which came on like every 15 minutes it seems) were promoting the DR as whole golf destination. Every add would feature a golf course (i.e. Guavaberry) and then talk about The DR as being THE golf destination in The Caribbean. I thought they were very impressive, but the problem I had was I didn't really understand why they were being aired in Mexico of all places (which probably does not have a large golfing population) as opposed to The US. If those same ads were aired here in Michigan it would go a long way towards giving The DR recognition not just about golf, but in general. Right now when people here think about a golf destination The DR is definitely not on their list...

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They've been airing on CNN en Espa?ol (that's the channel be possibly saw it in). A similar one occasionally air in the regular CNN, normally in the morning.

Semi-private perhaps?

Hillbilly said:

Along the North Coast, Playa Grande just sits there, supposedly going private for some very rich members. It was build, like Playa Dorada, by the Central Bank but never, ever really promoted, and it is one of the most striking courses here or anywhere!!! But nobody plays there!! Except a few of us locals....and the odd tourist now and then.

HB

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I have a hunch a model will be semi-private, i.e you'll pretty much have to either live in the place (and spending a boat load of money on a golf membership), be personally invited by someone living in the place/a member, and -here's were semi-private come in -- spend a boat load of money to stay in one of the Aman owned hotels they plan on building in order to have a chance at buying a tee-time.


The New Yorker some time ago, ..

As initially drawn up by the landscape architects Hart Howerton, whom Curry hired last spring, Playa Grande is to have four main geographical components, two of them more pragmatic than idealistic. For avid golfers, villas will be built to accompany the course at the west end; a luxury boutique hotel, operated by the Singapore-based chain Aman Resorts, will occupy the property's eastern edge. (Aman's founder, Adrian Zecha, maintains a hotelier's version of the utopian spirit: "Our basic philosophy is not to impose man-made design on the land but, rather, to have the land tell us what we should be doing.") On the higher ground between them will be farms, an equestrian center, a science research facility, and a nature preserve. [An] artists' colony, for a hundred artists in all, will be closer to the central beach village[...]
[Architect] Richard Meier himself finally flew down in August, and raved about the Dominican citizenry, among other things: "They're very friendly and calm. They're always smiling all the time. Very happy people."

[..]

Richard Meier's office had recently produced a sort of fluid city plan, for the five hundred acres nearest the main beach, and included with it sample home designs, such as a studio "cube," equipped with solar panels, and a modernist tree house, allowing even for the possibility, in some cases, of submerging buildings into the slope, leaving earthen roofs.

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dr1 Travel News this week, ..

[FONT=Verdana, Arial]January 8, 2008[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial]Dolphin & Aman Resorts buy Playa Grande[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial]
Dolphin Capital Investors, a luxury real estate company, has announced a joint venture with luxury hotel company Aman Resorts to purchase a majority stake in 790-hectare Playa Grande Holdings beach and golf development in Maria Trinidad Sanchez, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic from the New York-based owners. Dolphin is a well-known real estate developer in the eastern Mediterranean.
Dolphin announced that the plan is to build a 40-room Aman hotel and 40 Aman villas, a 200-room five-star golf hotel and approximately 350 cliff, golf and seafront residential units. Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston International, known for his work at the Kilada Hills and Livka Bay, has been entrusted to design the DR's first Aman Resort. The plan is to create an exclusive, low density and environmentally sensitive resort development to complement the striking natural beauty of Playa Grande.
Dolphin Capital will have a stake of at least 70% stake in the US$57 million joint venture. Aman Resorts will own a stake of up to 25%, and the original New York investors will retain 5%. As reported, US$23 million will be invested to fund the design, permitting process and early stages of development and operation of the project.


...
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial]As reported, the New York group (made up by prominent individuals in the world of finance, media and the arts) will retain 75 hectares for their own use and the construction of approximately 74 villas.[/FONT]

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Aman Resorts, one of the Company’s existing operating partners, is already successfully operating the Amanyara Resort in the nearby Turks & Caicos islands.
Playa Grande is to comprise a 40-room Aman hotel and 40 Aman villas, a 200-room five-star golf hotel most likely to be operated by GHM (Aman Resorts’ affiliated brand) and approximately 350 cliff, golf and seafront residential units. Jean-Michel Gathy,world-renowned resort architect .. will be designing what is set to become the Dominican Republic’s first Aman Resort.

Among the private investors involved There're actually some big name people, ..

Curry and Co.,

Head Master - Curry Boykin* (financed ~50% of the property's purchasing price)

(some) Founding Residents (The Posse Of High-Profile Pals) (~20, ~$1mill each)
<o>
. Celerie Kemble (Married to Curry) – of Kemble Interiors Inc. and </o>and her family fame<o>
. Moby* – of young people music and tea(ny) house fame
. Fareed Zakaria - of Newsweek and PBS' Foreign eXchange fame
. George Mueller* – of led lighting (Color Kinetics' soul founder) fame
. Richard Meier – of architecture fame
. Delio Gonzalez – of Merill Lynch and Dominican chaperoning fame
. Alex von Furstenberg - of fashion-world scion son fame<o></o>
. Bronson van Wyck – of Van Wyck & Van Wyck (event planning) fame
. Lela Rose – of fashion designing fame
. Charlie Rose – of former CBS' 60 Minutes II correspondent, Bankers Trust (acquired by Deutche Bank) and now Emmy award winning journalist (Charlie Rose) fame
. Antonio Weiss – of Paris Review (former masthead, member of its board of directors) and now Lazard ('the world's preeminent advisory bank') fame<o></o>
. Roberto Sella – of hedge-funding, Tuscan olive oil and Fork Restaurant fame
. Lorne Manly* – of journalism and NYT news editing fame
. Michael Novogratz – of hedge-fund managing, former President of Goldman Sachs Latin
America and now A Principal of Fortress Investment Group fame
. Greg Maffei – of Oracle CFO, former Microsoft CFO, Chairman of Expedia, now of Liberty Media CEO and Starbucks Board of Directors fame
. A Rockefeller or two
*an admission board member
advertisement </o>

I would imagine that the ads aired in San Luis Potosi, Mexico because there is tourism there. Michigan isn't your typical tourist destination and they were probably trying to target people who are traveling. Although i'm sure there are plenty of golfers in Michigan and the ads would have done well.

In regards to Hillbilly's mention of several golf courses in the DR, La Estancia's golf course is great. There is also tons of growth in the area which is all promising. La Estancia Real rings a bell.

-Michael

Went to Puerto Plata last year and thanks to recommendations on this site I convinced our group to take a taxi and play Playa Grande. One of the best courses I have ever played and the staff was very friendly. This year we are staying in Punta Cana at the Melia Tropical so we have free rounds at the Cocotal Country Club but I doubt it compares to Playa Grande. Someone please let me know about the courses that are nearby. I would prefer one with as many ocean views as possible but it has to be cheaper than Punta Espada cause thats out of my price range. Thanks!

Sasky said:

Went to Puerto Plata last year and thanks to recommendations on this site I convinced our group to take a taxi and play Playa Grande. One of the best courses I have ever played and the staff was very friendly. This year we are staying in Punta Cana at the Melia Tropical so we have free rounds at the Cocotal Country Club but I doubt it compares to Playa Grande. Someone please let me know about the courses that are nearby. I would prefer one with as many ocean views as possible but it has to be cheaper than Punta Espada cause thats out of my price range. Thanks!

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Sasky. Cocotal is not a bad course but definately is no Playa Grande. For the price you will have a very hard time beating playa grande. As for ocean views - Punta Espada is fabulous but expensive, La Cana is a nice track and much more affordable with some holes right on the ocean and bunkers everywhere, White sands will not give you the ocean views but gives you some very unusual and quirky golf holes, Catalonia seems to be always in great shape but again no ocean, Roco Ki (haven't played it yet) will give you it all but at a price I imagine. I would avoid Barcelo as it seems to be always in bad shape. Probably your closest bang for the buck would be La Cana. Enjoy...Tom

Listen

Tom knows. Golfers should listen.
Not about HOW to play, but WHERE to play.

Oh
tflea, that was mean....he he he

HB

tflea said:

Tom knows. Golfers should listen.
Not about HOW to play, but WHERE to play.

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I agree with you on one piont, where to play. However he can also teach you how to play a dog leg left off the tee! :cheeky: Go Steelers!!!!!

Thanks for the reply Tom! Can someone tell me how far of a cab ride I am looking at to get there?

Sasky said:

Thanks for the reply Tom! Can someone tell me how far of a cab ride I am looking at to get there?

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Should be only about 15-20 mins max from your resort. Go Steelers...Tom

For those who might have missed the announcement, Playa Grande golf course remains open to the general public for 2009.

Having been advised by FedoGolf that I would be able to continue using the benefit of FedoGolf card I questioned their information & they again stated that Playa Grande will remain open for this year. Needless to say, I CHECKED this information with Playa Grande course direct & they confirmed!! :cheeky: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:

My question now is ......... are the regulars who play at Playa Grande keeping this information to themselves so that we 'hackers' don't go down & ruin their exclusive use of Playa Grande??

Any update you would care to pass on to us Tom, Tim, Peter, Ted??????:ermm:?? ~ Grahame.

BushBaby said:

Any update you would care to pass on to us Tom, Tim, Peter, Ted??????:ermm:?? ~ Grahame.

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As of two weeks ago, our foursome which includes two of the above
names was told at Playa Grande that they where going to close
on April's fool day!:cheeky: In addition, the three of us met the Fedo Golf Representatives just this past week at the Cap Cana tourney. They advised us that P.G. would be closing this week and that was the reason they where not listed as one of the courses to receive the free round as it has been in the past. So now, given your info I wonder will they change and include P.G. in the package for this year?
As far as any of us protecting our exclusive turf on tee times, well we are more interested in making sure we get the shaded parking spaces that for obvious reasons are available at any time during the day!
Thanks for the update, I am sure this will make some people really happy, except for the owners!

BushBaby said:

For those who might have missed the announcement, Playa Grande golf course remains open to the general public for 2009.

Having been advised by FedoGolf that I would be able to continue using the benefit of FedoGolf card I questioned their information & they again stated that Playa Grande will remain open for this year. Needless to say, I CHECKED this information with Playa Grande course direct & they confirmed!! :cheeky: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:

My question now is ......... are the regulars who play at Playa Grande keeping this information to themselves so that we 'hackers' don't go down & ruin their exclusive use of Playa Grande??

Any update you would care to pass on to us Tom, Tim, Peter, Ted??????:ermm:?? ~ Grahame.

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Great news indeed. As bermudarum stated we had been told that it was actually happening this time (even though we all doubted it would). Maybe now they could spend a bit of money on some new carts that make it around a full 18 holes without conking out ... looking forward to many more rounds at our 'private' course...tom

So which is it? PG: Closed or open?

I've been saving range balls to play the ocean holes there. Oh, and to play Punta Espada. I figure I'll need at least a dozen for each...

BTW-What an absolutely stunning course Punta Espada is! And I'd agree with HB: they really had to do some work to make it so because the entire area IS set in some ugly territory. The ocean there is gorgeous, but get a few yards away from it and it's not too attractive. ..

cobraboy said:

So which is it? PG: Closed or open?

I've been saving range balls to play the ocean holes there. Oh, and to play Punta Espada. I figure I'll need at least a dozen for each...

BTW-What an absolutely stunning course Punta Espada is! And I'd agree with HB: they really had to do some work to make it so because the entire area IS set in some ugly territory. The ocean there is gorgeous, but get a few yards away from it and it's not too attractive. ..

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It appears that Playa Grande is OPEN for business as usual. As for your range balls, if you are looking for a place to lose them then try out the new Faldo course at Roco Ki - it has the tightest holes in the DR!!!!:cheeky:

twhitehead said:

As for your range balls, if you are looking for a place to lose them then try out the new Faldo course at Roco Ki - it has the tightest holes in the DR!!!!:cheeky:

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Losing balls? Tightest holes?

Isn't this a family forum? :cheeky::bunny: