Casa de Campo - Teeth of the Dog

Hard to explain how special this place is. It's obviously in the DR and on the water but never thought even that would make me love a PD course like this. Views are as good as it gets and just all around great.

The course was ok.

Certainly not worth what ended up being well over 600usd. Not only did I book it for 494. I was slapped with an 18% tax once at the course + gratuity for the caddie.

If you can afford to play this course, booking through GolfNow is not the way to go.

Awesome course, perfect location, great experience. Perfect setting 7 holes Caribbean lined. Definite bucket list course.

Colorado resident, used to some views, not like this. Completely amazing views to kill. Caddy professional knew the course, helps a lot. Would play again and again. Slow down enough to take it all in. To Dye for!

Finally got to play this world-renowned international bucket list golf course. Located in the exclusive & amazing Casa De Campo, La Romana, Pete Dye created arguably the best seaside Golf Course in the Americas.
Teeth of the Dog gives you multiple tee box options for the challenge but most importantly allows you to play 8 holes along the Caribbean with the azure waters enhancing the beauty.

We were looking forward to a world class golf experience but instead we were treated with no respect and courtesy.!! Six of us , three man (two players and a third friend who was not going to play ) and our wives drove from Punta Cana to La Romana so the two players could be dropped off at casa de Compo to play at teeth of the dog yesterday. We were told my friend’s wife was not allowed to go into the compound!! After talking to the front desk at the gate, and more times on phone with pro shop, they answered us: two players and our wives and the friend who is driving the car can go in but not his wife according their policy!!! What kind of policy is this? Even after our repeated assurance that they would just drop us off at pro shop and leave right away, they would still not allow our friend’s wife to enter the resort. Is this how you guys treat women in 21st century? Or how you treat people who you consider as second class citizen since she is the “driver’s “ wife? This is totally unacceptable! I’m going to tell all my golf friends not to come to play at you course! This is not about golf course but how this place operates!!

It's an overused term certainly, but Teeth of the Dog, one of Pete Dye's earliest courses, is certainly a bucket-list course. With a half dozen holes right on the ocean and some of the best par 3s in golf, playing the Teeth is a special experience. Yet, even with the difficulty of some of these ocean holes, Teeth (despite its name) remains very playable, with plenty of room off the tee. But yes, you do have to be precise on these par 3s, particularly the shortish 5th, where there is no room for error.

Pete Dye didn't design all that many courses outside the U.S., but his best ever may very well be in the Dominican Republic. Teeth of Dog is a sublime routing from his early days in design that is simply one of the most enjoyable 18 holes on the planet. The ocean is revealed halfway up the third hole, and seven holes hug the ocean. None are better than the little 5th, which is better than the island green at TPC Sawgrass by a mile.

Don't let the name fool you: Teeth is actually one of the fairer Dye designs I've ever played, even if there are a few intimidating shots.

Corales and Punta Espada are the other two super-premium courses in DR. I'd rate Teeth 1a and Punta Espada 1b. Each are totally different and must be played.

The driving range was rebuilt and expanded recently to make way for a top event, and the resort recently opened a brand new beach club.

Also, this is one of the better breakfast buffets: open air overlooking the course with all sorts of goodies to choose from. Be sure to save time for it in the morning.

Sure, there are older courses in the Caribbean, but this iconic track put tropical golf on the map for most Americans. Even Pete Dye himself admits this might be his best work. The seven Caribbean Sea holes invigorate the senses, while forcing you to hit quality shots.
As one of his earliest solo designs, Teeth has a gentler side, despite its name. There are no railroad ties, crazy greens or random pot bunkers, characteristics that Dye made famous on his more treacherous modern designs. With the lone exception of the famous and fabulous par-3 fifth hole, there's always a bailout. Wind off the water and numerous elevated greens keep scorecards honest.
It's got an entirely different feel than the more modern seaside layouts in Punta Cana - Corales, La Cana and Punta Espada. That classic look helps the Teeth of the Dog stand alone above the crowd.

Teeth of the Dog set the bar for island courses. It is ranked in the top 50 courses in the world, partly for asthetics, partly for design, partly because it's by Pete Dye. I played this course as part of a media FAM trip and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Some true course critics--members of magazine rater panels--thought the course is over-rated, mainly because only about 1/2 of the holes play along or from/to the ocean. It sort of plays peek-a-boo with the coastline, and the holes that turn inland can be HOT and HUMID. This said, despite the course's fierce name, it allows players to miss shots and spray drives and still score reasonably well. The greens aren't crazy, and there are places to miss without exploding your score. As such, I think Teeth is an ideal, if quite expensive ($300 + caddie), resort course.

One of Pete Dye's best courses anywhere requires a bit of determination to get to, but once there, you'll be glad you did.

Most known for the "seven holes created by God", this seven hole stretch is remarkable. Rarely will you play holes that are so close to the water. With par 3s where the green is basically a peninsula in the ocean.

If I were to only play one course in the D.R. this would be the one.

This course will let you see the best of playing inland and right on the edge of the island, where it meets the sea. It is a beautiful place, well taken care of. Be mindful of really fast greens that usually run towards the water on the seaside holes.

You will have very few tree obstacles while trying to get to the greens, the biggest problem I came across was trying to get my ball to stay on the green once I got it there. It will challenge your abilities and you'll definitely enjoy playing it.

Pete Dye created Teeth of the Dog in 1971 as the first of four courses he designed at the popular Casa de Campo Resort. There are “seven holes created by God” said Dye indicating he only created the other eleven. The course plays along the sea’s edge and is ranked number one in the Caribbean and 43rd in the top 100 courses worldwide by Golf Magazine…for all the right reasons.
When the golf course was being built, a large crew of Dominican laborers did most of the heavy, back-breaking work. Very little heavy machinery was used during construction, so the workers had to use shovels and pick-axes to break apart the rock to create the routing. Much of the golf course is built on coral rock that is very sharp and caused cuts to the feet, hands, arms and legs of the workers. The workers would comment that the rock was like the "teeth of the dog." When the course opened in 1971, it was officially called "Cajuiles," which is the Spanish word for the cashew trees found around the property. However, it has always been called Teeth of the Dog by the locals. Eventually, since everyone already referred to the course by its nickname, the decision was made to officially change the name to its current, iconic name. The Spanish name for Teeth of the Dog is Diente del Perro…kind of sounds better. Playing the tips of this course offers a slope and rating of 75.9/145 with the forward tees having a 68.7/124.

With seven holes directly along the rocky shore, Pete Dye's iconic Teeth of the Dog has a way of tempting golfers to take on the Caribbean Sea without a life vest.
The first four holes serve as a warm-up to the first stretch along the water, holes 5-8. The par 3 fifth hole is pure evil from the 137-yard blue tees. The narrow green squeezed tight by a wrap-around bunker looks so tiny compared to the expansive backdrop of the sea. The seventh green looks much bigger but so does the ocean carry from the 188-yard blue tees. The sixth and eighth holes - two strong par 4s - require two of the boldest tee shots of your life. Golfers must flirt with the shoreline to find the fairway or bail out right, leaving long approaches into difficult greens.
Many of the inland holes of the back nine are solid, but they can feel like filler until you return to the sea. Birdie isn't out of the question from the 334-yard blue tees at no. 15, although the approach is fraught with peril. The 181-yard tee shot (blue tees) on No. 16 over a seaside inlet can be especially terrifying if the wind kicks up. No. 17 - the no. 2 handicap at 377 yards from the blues - completes the magical and memorable tour of the shore.