beach, gastronomy and culture can go hand in hand. Expect a holiday with leisurely golf on uncrowded fairways, laid-back nightlife, good food, exotic tropical drinks and a rich culture to savor for a long time after you have returned home.

Playing Playa Dorada puts you in a beautiful part of the country. The multitude of side activities - excursions to nearby towns, shopping, beach outing, tennis - will keep the non-playing family members happy, too. And for the golfer, the links can be a prelude to the more challenging activities such as safari trips and the thrilling trek up Damajagua falls, less than half an hour away.

Playa Dorada Golf Course is known for its beautifully manicured lawns and spectacular view of surrounding mountains. Playa Dorada is blessed with the bonus of mellowing afterglow the rigors of time have left as their mark on the links. Mahogany trees, seagrapes, almond trees, giant hibiscus, coconuts, palm trees, majestic poincianas dot the course. There is a mangrove and a small rain forest along with 50-year old palm trees all carefully conserved.

This is a mature golf course. The third 18-hole championship golf course to have been built in the Dominican Republic when it opened in 1976, it was designed by American golf architect Robert Trent Jones. It is a long course (yardage of 6990 and par 72), with many tees, that can be easy or difficult to play, given the many obstacles. Playa Dorada is known for making golfers look good, and for extending their drive, which makes it popular with many repeat visitors from abroad.