1. Travel

Discuss in my forum

The Caribbean's Best Golf Courses and Golf Resorts

By , About.com Guide

Bermuda: Port Royal Golf Course

This public course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. with perhaps the most famous hole in Bermuda: the par-3 16th where the water hazard is the Atlantic ocean (don't bother trying to retrieve your ball). That's just one of many challenges on this scenic par-71 course.

Bermuda: Tucker's Point Club

This recently redesigned course is acclaimed not only for its great resort course but also the fine dining to be had after a day on the links. Available to members and resort guests only, the course runs along Castle Harbour and Harrington Sound.

Bermuda: Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club

The oldest golf course in Bermuda has stood the test of time and remains one of the island's best. The 18-hole, par-70 course is beautiful but no mere looker: the course is laid out on a peninsula that's no wider than 600 yards at its fattest point. Visitors are welcome to play at this private club.

The Cayman Islands: The Links at SafeHaven

This links-style course on Grand Cayman lays alongside North Sound and follows the island's natural terrain. It's a 6,605-yard par 71 near Seven Mile Beach, making it possible to play a morning round of golf and still be on the beach early enough to work on your tan.

Cuba: Varadero Golf Course

Since Cuba doesn't consider cigars counterrevolutionary, I guess it's fitting that this last bastion of Socialism also should put up with the decadence of golf. Varadero is Cuba's premier beach resort catering to foreign visitors, and this 18-hole championship course (the first of its kind in Cuba) is located near all of the area resorts, including SuperClubs Breezes, the Melia Las Americas, Melia Varadero, Sol Club Palmeras, and Sol Club Sirenas. The course is a par 72.

Dominican Republic: Punta Espada Golf Course

This Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is the first of three planned for the new Cap Cana resort: 15 of its 18 holes overlook the sea, and the landscape includes bluffs, beach, and jungle.

Dominican Republic: Casa de Campo

The Casa de Campo resort's Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and The Links courses already have become legendary among golfers. Designed by Pete Dye, the Teeth of the Dog (named for the jagged coral formations along the coastline) has been described as "labyrinthine" -- perhaps a warning to casual players -- but the Links may be the more challenging of the two. Many a ball has found the Caribbean on the Dog's fifth through seventh holes, on a course that ranks 35th on Golf Magazine's top 100 in the world. Dye Fore is the diabolical designer's latest Campo creation.

Dominican Republic: Playa Grande Golf Course

Located on the north coast of Hispanola near the Dominican town of Rio San Juan, Playa Grande is one of the last courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr. The par 72 course sits atop towering cliffs overlooking the beach and sea, providing extraordinary views.

Dominican Republic: Punta Cana Resort & Club

Another Pete Dye design, this course is 7,152 yards with four seaside holes. La Cana Golf Course is noted for Dye's signature pot bunkers, including the 21 that dot hole 7.

Grenada: Grenada Golf Course

The nine holes at the Grenada Golf Course and Country Club represent the island's best golf experience; they also represent the only golf course on the island. Still, the course offers nice ocean views, and the greens fees are quite reasonable.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.