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The Links at Casa de Campo |
Course Information
More Reviews
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Name: Bo (DR1) Handicap: 12 Review Date: April 2nd 2007 Tee Time: 10:00 |
General:
The 1st cut of rough can really grab your ball and it's no easy shot whatsoever from there.
Tourist season will determine how crowded the course is. Although there's a better chance of getting the tee-time you want here than on Teeth of the Dog or Dye Fore.
Practicing facilities are all placed next to each other and looks great. I did miss some distance info on the range however.
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Course layout:
A Pete Dye design. Some change in elevation and some greens have even been elevated.
You can get away with a bad drive. Fairways are generous even though the course is quite short. However the greens are small and undulated and very well protected by sand, mounds and hollows. They are tough to read and lightning fast.
Bunkers are difficult to play from. Underneath a thin layer of loose sand they are very hard.
Your short game must be at its best to score well.
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Maintenance:
Bermuda grass all over. A very well manicured course. Hardly any spots with ground under repair even at the end of the tourist season.
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Service:
Professional and attentive staff in pro shop, reception and caddy shack.
Nice, clean bathrooms. We didn't use the club house changing facilities. The
water supplied from the canteens on the course tasted like water out of a
swimming pool. Sales carts roam the grounds so you can buy something that tastes
better but it will cost you.
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Price:
Not a huge discount for us that holds a FEDO-golf card. They even cut the annual free round of golf. 165 pesos for a bucket of range balls. Caddie tip as advised by the pro shop staff,
US$25 plus tip. We thought that was too much for the service he delivered. I've
had better and cheaper caddies elsewhere. Come as a tourist on a golf package
and you'll save $$$.
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19th hole:
Terrace bar/restaurant in nice surroundings next to the 9th green of Teeth of the Dog. 150 pesos for a can of Bohemia beer is steep.
Again; come as a tourist on an all-inclusive package and it will seem more reasonable.
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Value for money rating:
 - if you come in from the street
 - if you're on a golf package
The Links is as well kept a golf course as any. It's expensive if you're a green fee golfer coming for one round only however not as expensive as Teeth of the Dog or Dye Fore. It doesn't have the stunning views they do so it's probably fair enough.
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Hole Descriptions & Photos:
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1st hole, par 4, 327 yds:
A nice looking opening hole with a wide fairway and only bunkers to the right. Safe play would be left side of the fairway which also gives a better angle into the green.
A bunker guards the front right of the green.
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2nd hole, par 5, 439 yds:
Dogleg left. Don't cut the corner on the left unless you're long off the tee. The fairway is pretty wide so there's no point in pushing your luck. The green is well protected by bunkers front and left. It's better to be a little long than a little short on the approach.
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3rd hole, par 4, 326 yds:
Don't go right on this hole. A big tree and a number of bunkers set in guinea grass surroundings will make the second shot to the elevated green very tough. There's a deep pot bunker in front of the green to catch the short approaches.
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4th hole, par 4, 274 yds:
Lots of sand left and right demands accuracy off the tee. It's a short hole so hitting an iron off the tee is not a bad choice. The green is guarded by sand in front left and right. It's better to long than short on this one too.
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5th hole, par 3, 136 yds:
Plays a little downhill to probably the largest green on the course. Sand in front and steep slope behind the green.
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6th hole, par 4, 315 yds:
Sand all the way down the right side will frustrate slicers. The left side off
the fairway is the place to be. It will give you the best angle into the green through the
"gate" formed by two large trees. Sand front right and back left of the green.
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7th hole, par 5, 473 yds:
Dogleg right. Don't cut the corner unless you're very long off the tee. If you are then there's ample space to land in. Shorter hitters should go straight and then lay up over the sand on the corner. The green is elevated and very well protected by bunkers, mounds and hollows.
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8th hole, par 3, 142 yds:
The mounds on this hole give you the feeling that any tee shot will funnel down to the green. Unless it gets caught in the sand left, right and behind the green, of course.
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9th hole, par 4, 380 yds:
Slight dogleg left. The drive has to clear a large bunker on the left. Longer hitters may cut off a decent piece of distance for the approach. Numerous bunkers guard the front and right of the green while long approaches will run off the slope behind the green.
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10th hole, par 4, 304 yds:
Fairway bunkers left and right off this wide fairway so no need to hold back on this one. The narrow green is located between numerous mounds and a few bunkers and slopes from back to front and calls for an accurate approach.
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11th hole, par 4, 344 yds:
Slight dogleg right with bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway. There's no need to cut the corner as the left side of the fairway gives you the best angle into the narrow green. Only bunkers to the left of the green.
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12th hole, par 4, 319 yds:
Slight dog leg right along the edge of a lake. Aim for the bunkers straight ahead on the left side of the fairway. Land it short of those and you have the best angle into a very small green guarded by the lake and a small strip of sand on the right.
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13th hole, par 3, 115 yds:
The long shallow green runs along the edge of a lake with bunkers behind it to catch the long approaches. Just because it's the shortest par 3 on the course doesn't make it easy.
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14th hole, par 4, 318 yds:
No sand along this fairway but a lake runs along the entire left side of the hole. Bunkers front left and behind the green.
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15th hole, par 4, 310 yds:
The drive has to carry the lake to get to the wide fairway without any fairway bunkers so go grip it and rip it. The elevated two-tiered green is protected by sand to the right, front and back.
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16th hole, par 3, 128 yds:
A lake in front and sand behind calls for an accurate shot to this fairly large green. Actually there's no where to miss it and still be in good shape.
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17th hole, par 5, 450 yds:
The only par 5 on the back 9. The fairway is wide but has bunkers left and right for the very bad miss. The predominant trade wind will help you in the quest for reaching this green in two. You can run your second shot up there but bunkers left and right will catch the inaccurate ones.
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18th hole, par 4, 311 yds:
Another wide fairway without too much trouble. The green is guarded by a large bunker to the left and a smaller one to the right, both pretty deep though.
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