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La Cana Golf Club, Punta Cana Resort |
Course Information
More Reviews
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Name: Bo (DR1) Handicap: 12 Review Date: December 5th 2006 Tee Time: 10:30 |
General:
Fairways are surrounded by a 1st cut of rough from which the ball can be played. If the ball goes beyond the 1st cut of rough there's mostly sand to catch your ball so it should be possible to find any ball missing the fairway or 1st cut.
No flat greens on this course but you should be able to get a good read on them anyway.
Practicing facilities are all placed just before the first tee and looks great.
No excuse for not hitting a few practice putts/chips/shots before the round. The
starter is waiting next to the 1st tee and is well informed. |
Course layout:
A P. B. Dye course. Not much change in elevation but that was expected from the landscape the course is set in. Stunning views even on holes not adjacent to the ocean.
The course has good variation in style of holes. On some you can really grip it and rip it while on others you have to place your tee shot carefully to make the most of it. Back 9 is significantly more difficult than the front 9.
It's a nice layout which should appeal to all golfers and with 5 different sets of tees you should be able to get the challenge you're looking for.
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Maintenance:
Paspalum grass all over. Tees and fairways are in good shape, just a few brown spots on some fairways. Greens are in great shape and putts very true. Sand in bunkers felt compact but not like concrete either.
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Service:
Professional and attentive staff in pro shop, reception and caddy shack.
Nice, clean bathrooms. Very nice club house changing facilities. A frozen towel was handed out to golfers finishing the round, a nice touch after baking 4 hours in the sun.
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Price:
A guest of Punta Cana Resort pays US$110/round. Range balls included in the green fee. Caddie tip around 500 pesos.
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19th hole: 
Breathtaking club house! Terrace bar in beautiful surroundings adjacent to recreational area with pool and lounge chairs. White sandy beach and post card perfect water doesn't hurt either nor does the Six Senses Spa located on the ground floor. The Oscar de la Renta decorated Cocoloba nouvelle cuisine restaurant is located in the south wing of the club house.
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Value for money rating:
Talking to green fee golfers and resort guests I got the impression that US$110 isn't too much for this golfing experience. I couldn't agree more.
Only glitch is the water situation. Bring your own water and plenty of it. There's no
"watering holes" with free drinking water on the course, only a sales cart going around with no fixed schedule.
US$2 for a bottle of water when/if you do catch the cart.
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Hole Descriptions & Photos:
Click a camera icon
to see larger images and descriptions. |
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1st hole, par 4, 323 yds:
A nice opening hole with a wide fairway to land your tee shot in.
Bunkers short left and to the right of the green.
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2nd hole, par 4, 369 yds:
Narrower fairway than on the 1st hole with a fairway bunker on the right side. Bunkers only on the right side of the green.
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3rd hole, par 3, 136 yds:
The tee shot must carry a lake to get to the large green. Moguls and a few small bunkers guard the right side of the green while the lake stretches down the left side of the green as well.
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4th hole, par 5, 492 yds:
The fairway leading to the green in front of the ocean is lined by numerous bunkers on each side. The green is protected by bunkers front left and right.
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5th hole, par 3, 114 yds:
This hole plays along the ocean and slicers will have their work cut out for them. A large bail out area to the left of the green if you want to play it really safe.
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6th hole, par 4, 388 yds:
Avoid the rough on the left side of the fairway and play safe down the right side. The green is placed in front of a lake with just a small strip of sand around the back to catch any ball rolling through the green.
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7th hole, par 4, 288 yds:
A "two-in-one par 3". First your tee shot must find the fairway straight ahead. Then your second shot can be directed to the green on this 90 degree dog-leg. Long hitters can cut the corner and go over the palm trees straight for the green. However numerous pot bunkers will punish any shot off line or short.
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8th hole, par 5, 418 yds:
Slight dog-leg right. Ample space to land your tee shot and going for the green in two is almost a given as there's no easy lay-up area to for the second shot anyway. The green is small and protected by moguls and small bunkers.
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9th hole, par 4, 351 yds:
Knowing the length of your average drives will help you cut of distance on your second shot when you decide the angle in crossing the large waste bunker down the left hand side of the fairway on this slight dog-leg left. The green is elevated onto a small hill and anyone landing their approach shots in the two bunkers behind the green or in one of the three short left will face a tough up and down.
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10th hole, par 4, 317 yds:
Don't overshoot your drive as the fairway ends with rough and moguls. The approach shot must be carried onto the green which is narrow and surrounded by moguls.
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11th hole, par 4, 362 yds:
Longer hitters should try and carry the waste bunker to the right of the fairway as the fairway slopes to the left and any long drives to the middle of the fairway may roll into the lake located left of the last part of the fairway. The lake is not easily seen from the tee as a large mound blocks the view. The green has just two small bunkers behind it but water on the left side.
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12th hole, par 3, 104 yds:
Get your distance right, this is an island green! Sand around the large green may hold the errant shot but there's not much of it.
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13th hole, par 4, 334 yds:
Slight dog-leg right. Longer hitters should carry the mounds and bunkers on the corner and there will be a nice landing area behind it in front of a large bunker protecting the front and right side of the green. Shorter hitters will have to go the narrow way to the left, but hopefully not too far left as the fairway is lined by moguls and bunkers there.
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14th hole, par 3, 133 yds:
Huge mounds and three pot bunkers protect this narrow green that lie a little downhill from the tee.
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15th hole, par 5, 451 yds:
Dog-leg right. Cut the corner over the waste bunker as far as you can to get a chance of getting to the green in two however there's a small landing area below the green for your second shot. The small green is elevated with a narrow run-up strip between moguls and bunkers.
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16th hole, par 4, 382 yds:
Straight away hole with no bunkers. Beating the wind will be the challenge here as you will likely have to play straight into it to the green in front of the ocean.
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17th hole, par 4, 356 yds:
The ocean runs along the left side. A low fence marks the end of the fairway and you will have to carry your approach shot to the green protected by numerous bunkers on all sides.
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18th hole, par 5, 491 yds:
Similar to 17th but with a nicer wide landing area for your tee shot before bunkers down the middle of the fairway makes you choose: Go left of the bunkers to a narrow part of the fairway next to the ocean and get a good angle into the green with your third shot or go right of the bunkers to a wider part of the fairway from where you then will have to carry numerous large bunkers to get to the green.
The enormous green is U-shaped around a deep bunker with high walls, so get the pin position right before you hit your approach.
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