Just returned from Barcelo Bavaro Resorts in Punta Cana. We found their resort fun, of course we returned home about even, despite a 10 day stay and 6 - 7 visits to the casino. We played mostly the table Poker. It's a Carribean style poker. Played with one deck. It is different from what we see here in New England in that the dealer and all players get their own 5 cards. We had a good time and most of the dealers were pleasant and knew their stuff.
I played the Barcelo Bavaro Golf Course 4 times. The course is about average for quality of conditions in the carribean, although the greens were relatively fast for bermuda grass. They were a little bumpy at times. Overall, the course was very difficult. The card and yardage markers are in meters and if you are used to getting good yardage you have to convert in your head. Also we happened to be there at a very windy period. Although the golf course is mostly inland enough to diminish the wind, it was a definite factor every time I played. Our booking agent indicated that you needed to have a 30 handicap in order to "qualify" to play at BBGC, and for good reason. It is probably one of the more difficult courses I have played, even with excellent conditions. Although we came ready to provide a letter from our golf pro for our wives indicating they carried under a 30 handicap, no one ever requested that information. However, I would not suggest going there to learn the game. It is very difficult and an inexperienced player could easily loose more than a dozen balls in one round. About half the holes have water in play and on the rest of the holes if you miss the relatively ample fairways, you will not find your ball in the "jungle".
Nearly all the greens are elevated about 3-4' above the otherwise flat terrain and often feature bunker(s) in front of the green and sometimes bunker(s) hidden behind. sometimes the green between the front and rear bunkers is no more the 20' deep. This is a very demanding pin placement. The greens are relatively small to moderate sized and moderately contoured. There are many bunkers (fairway and greenside) and they are inconsistent in the type and amount of sand in them (to be expected in the Carrib.) I am a 6 handicap. I had one round of 78, one of 82 and the other two in the mid 80s.
At any rate, if you decide to play, you will have to pay a $40 cart fee per couple (or twosome). While our package was all-inclusive, I basically considered this to be paying for the golf given the quality issues etc.
Good Luck and watch out for the 15th!
Marv
