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Punta Espada Golf Club, Cap Cana |
Course Information
More Reviews
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Name: Bo (DR1) Handicap: 12 Review Date:
December 6th 2006 Tee Time: 10:30 |
General:
Fairways are surrounded by a 1st cut of rough from which the ball most times
is playable. 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.
Practicing facilities are all placed along the way to the first tee and looks
fantastic. Many golf courses would be proud to have the driving range surface as
their green surface.
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Course layout:
A Jack Nicklaus design. Fantastic course, worthy of a Major
Championship.
Stunning views even on holes not adjacent to the ocean.
The course has good variation in style of holes. On most you can really grip it
and rip it due to the wide fairways while on the rest you have to place your tee
shot carefully.
It's a beautiful layout which should appeal to all golfers regardless of
handicap. Even non-golfers or even anti-golfers will have a great experience
just passing around the course. |
Maintenance:
Paspalum grass all over. Everything is in great shape from tee to green,
rough, waste bunkers, everything looks absolutely gorgeous. Greens are fantastic
and putt very true. Sand in bunkers felt fluffy. |
Service:
Top shelf all the way. Professional and attentive staff in pro shop,
reception and caddy shack. Free yardage book with the scorecard.
Nice, clean bathrooms. We didn't use the club house changing facilities but if
it's anything like the rest of the club house you won't be disappointed.
No "watering holes" on the course. One free bottle of water pr. player in the
cart. A service cart is selling imported water for US$7.50/bottle. I never saw
the cart on my round and it was hot that day... Good thing the caddie had an
extra bottle. |
Price:
US$320/round! Range balls included in the green fee. Caddie tip US$20. |
19th hole:
Beautiful club house. Sports bar and terrace in one wing and restaurant
and terrace in the other both with a stunning view to the 18th green and the
ocean behind it. |
Value for money rating:
US$320 for a round of golf is a lot of money but this is worth it
according to some of the tourists I spoke to. (Come in the off season and it's
only US$220). Personally I would never pay that kind of money for a round of
golf but I understand the price tag and I just hope that FEDO-golf gets a
shoe-in for a free round or at least half price and I'll be there with bells on.
Certainly to be known as the best golf course in the Caribbean. It's in a class
by itself. |
Hole Descriptions & Photos:
Click a camera icon
to see larger images and descriptions. |
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1st hole, par 4, 381 yds:
A nice opening hole with a wide fairway to land your tee shot in. The hole runs
along a bluff the curves around the back of the green as well. Sand beneath the
bluff all the way from the tee to the green which is guarded by a bunker front
right. |
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2nd hole, par 5, 540 yds:
Slight dog-leg right. Drive left of or over the fairway bunker on the right and
you'll have a scary shot over an inlet of the ocean to get to the green in two.
Safe play is to lay it up straight ahead and then negotiate the green with a
short approach shot. The green has the ocean close left, back and right. |
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3rd hole, par 4, 328 yds:
The ocean runs along the right side of the fairway and behind the green. Fairway
bunkers on the left have a high lip in front and the green is rather narrow with
a small bunker to the left. |
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4th hole, par 3, 142 yds:
The tee shot must carry another ocean inlet to get to the green. Only one bunker
in front of the green and a decent bail out area with not too thick rough behind
the green. |
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5th hole, par 4, 407 yds:
Longer hitter should be able to carry the fairway bunker in the middle,
especially because the predominant wind is in your back. The green is located
below the aforementioned bluff and is protected by bunkers in front. |
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6th hole, par 5, 574 yds:
Longer hitter should be able to carry the fairway bunkers and find ample landing
space for the drive. The 2nd shot must then carry a sink hole and a large bunker
to reach the green. Lay-ups can be positioned left or right of the large bunker
with the left giving the best angle to the green but also being the narrowest
space to hit. Bunkers in front, to the left and right of the green. |
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7th hole, par 3, 124 yds:
Downhill to a two-tiered green protected by 5 bunkers. |
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8th hole, par 4, 287 yds:
Large "infinity" waste bunker down the left side of the fairway cutting into the
fairway thereby leaving only the right side available unless you're very long or
accurate off the tee. A deep bunker in front of the green will challenge your
approach shot. |
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9th hole, par 4, 372 yds:
From an elevated tee the landing area between two large fairway bunkers is the
best option. It will give you a good angle into the green which is guarded by
bunkers back, left and right. |
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10th hole, par 4, 349 yds:
The fairway slopes left to right which will only help any drives landing in the
fairway. Short hitters will have to cross a lake to get to the green in two
while longer hitters "only" have sand to cross to get there. |
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11th hole, par 4, 452 yds:
Longer hitters should try and carry the bunkers in the right side of the fairway
as the fairway slopes down thereafter and will induce a good long roll on the
drive. Shorter hitters may have trouble getting to this green in two despite the
green being down hill. The green is well protected by a large bunker front
right. |
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12th hole, par 5, 483 yds:
Wide landing area for your drive into the wind with waste bunkers and ocean on
the left, pot bunkers on the right. Another wide landing area for your second
shot leaves you with a short iron into a green guarded by small but deep bunkers
on the front left and front right, for your third shot. Cap Cana beach club is
located in the cove to the left of the hole. Spectacular view! |
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13th hole, par 3, 174 yds:
Over the ocean to a rather large green. Large bail out area to the right. |
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14th hole, par 4, 363 yds:
Straight away hole with bunkers on the right side of the fairway and bunkers
short left of a green that is sloping front to back. |
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15th hole, par 5, 496 yds:
Dog-leg right around a lake. A straight drive to an ample landing area brings up
two choices: Go for the green in two over the lake or lay up safe well left of
the green in a decent sized landing area. The green is guarded by bunkers left
and right and of course the lake further right when you're looking at it from
the lay up area. |
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16th hole, par 3, 183 yds:
Slight downhill into the wind. The green sits in front of the ocean and is
protected by bunkers all around except for the front where it will be possible
to run up a shot. Don't miss a peek at the beach club house to the right of the
tee. Beautiful! |
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17th hole, par 4, 278 yds:
The ocean runs along the right side but the fairway is pretty wide. The green is
kind of small, sitting right on the edge of the ocean and is guarded by bunkers
front left and front right. |
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18th hole, par 4, 381 yds:
A large waste bunker down the right side of the fairway may catch your ball
before it rolls into the ocean, should you hit it right. Three pot bunkers are
the only obstacle on the left side of the fairway. The green is located right on
the ocean and is guarded by bunkers left and right. There's a large bail out
area to the left if the approach shot directly into the green is too
intimidating. |
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