Ask the avid golfer what makes the Dominican Republic (DR), with its 21 courses, the premier destination for the sport and they will likely say it’s the designers. No other Caribbean country features the caliber of internationally recognized golf course architects. And the list is growing. By the end of 2006, DR’s golf trail will include: Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Nick Faldo, Jim Fazio, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Price and Robert Trent Jones.

The DR’s designer golf legacy began with the construction of two Dye courses -- La Cana at Punta Cana Resort & Club (PCRC) by P.B. Dye on the east coast and Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo by Pete Dye in La Romana. While these two courses and creators share similar roots, the concepts are quite different. PCRC Golf Director Olivier Brizon describes La Cana as “a course with very good play rhythm.”

“La Cana starts with a small par 4 and, little by little, the course gets more challenging -- both physically and psychologically -- with a dramatic par 5 finish by the sea,” said Brizon. “My personal favorite hole is number 14, a par 3. It has fantastic shaping and an impressive green behind a large bunker.”

In December 2005, Teeth of the Dog re-opened after receiving ... _CBJ