COURSE · RESORT · BUCKET LIST · TIER S
La Romana, La Romana, Dominican Republic · Diente de Perro
Pete Dye found seven holes already drawn by the sea — all he had to do was build the other eleven.
01 · Overview
~2 min read
Teeth of the Dog sits on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic at the Casa de Campo resort, where jagged coral limestone meets the Caribbean Sea in a confrontation Pete Dye was wise enough not to interrupt. Opened in 1971 and widely ranked among the finest courses in the world, it has spent half a century as the definitive Caribbean test of golf.
The name came from the workers who cleared the site. They called the razor-edged coral formations along the shore 'Diente de Perro' — teeth of the dog — and Dye, who had spotted the coastline from a small plane, found the description exactly right. Seven of the eighteen holes run directly along the water, a sequence Dye later said was designed by God. The remaining eleven were his responsibility. Together they form a round that shifts without warning between inland precision and seaside exposure, with 127 bunkers and a slope rating of 145 to remind you the dog still bites inland.
On the ground, the course rewards the eye before it punishes the swing. Holes five through eight deliver the first ocean sequence: a short par 3 with nothing but sea between tee and green, a coastline-hugging par 4, a long and punishing par 3 framed entirely by blue water on the left, and a final coastal hole before the round turns inland. That same drama returns at fifteen through seventeen, where trade winds off the Caribbean make club selection approximate at best. Between these two ocean runs lies a demanding interior stretch of doglegs, raised greens, and Pete Dye's characteristic fall-offs — slopes that reject anything short of a committed swing.
What makes Teeth of the Dog genuinely hard — as opposed to merely scenic — is the combination of length, wind, and a course rating of 75.9 from the tips. The Caribbean breeze is not decorative. It shifts direction through the round, it stiffens in the afternoon, and it turns a manageable iron into a half-club puzzle. The greens, traditionally among the fastest in the Caribbean, were re-grassed with Dynasty Paspalum following the 2025 restoration. Miss in the wrong direction here and you are not simply in a bunker; you may be scrambling across exposed coral or watching a ball disappear into the sea.
THE COASTLINE
Sharp limestone formations line the seven oceanfront holes, eliminating the margin for error that most resort courses quietly provide. Missing left is not a bunker — it is the Caribbean Sea.
THE WIND
The prevailing trade winds change angle as the round progresses and tend to strengthen through the afternoon. Club selection on the par-3 holes in particular demands local knowledge more than raw distance.
THE BUNKERS
Pete Dye's bunker philosophy reaches full expression here: pot bunkers, waste areas, tiered sand traps, and the unique 'donut' bunker on the third hole. With 127 in total, finding sand is never far away.
THE GREENS
Dye's signature elevated putting surfaces, with pronounced fall-offs on either side, demand approach shots that commit fully to the flag. Re-grassed with Dynasty Paspalum in 2025, they run firm and true.
02 · The Holes
6 of 6 · tap any hole to watch creators play it
Six holes carry more of the course's weight than the other twelve combined — and the creator vlogs that prove it.
HOLE 7 · par 3 · 227y · 1 vlog
The longest and most exposed par 3 on the course plays with the Caribbean framing the entire left side and four bunkers clustered right. At 227 yards into a trade wind, there is nowhere to hide and nowhere to misfire. The finest single hole on the property.
227 yards · Consistently among the hardest par 3s in the Caribbean.
HOLE 5 · par 3 · 168y · 1 vlog
The course's introduction to the sea is abrupt and magnificent. From the tee, the shot must carry the Caribbean entirely to reach a green surrounded by coral rock and sand. At 168 yards it is manageable; in a crosswind, it is a different proposition entirely.
168 yards · The hole that first announces this is no ordinary resort course.
HOLE 16 · par 3 · 193y · 1 vlog
The back-nine's answer to the fifth, and by most accounts the harder of the two. At 193 yards over the sea, this par 3 in the closing ocean sequence tests nerve as much as technique, arriving when the round's score is still in play.
193 yards · Often cited as the most difficult hole on the back nine.
HOLE 6 · par 4 · 469y · 1 vlog
A full-length par 4 that hugs the Caribbean coastline throughout, requiring a decision off the tee: attack the sea-side line for an open approach or play right and accept a longer, harder second. Either way, the wind has a vote.
469 yards
HOLE 17 · par 4 · 431y · 1 vlog
The last hole played directly along the Caribbean, a par 4 where the sea guards the entire left side and a forced carry sets the tone from the tee. After seventeen holes, concentration can waver — and the sea does not forgive.
431 yards
HOLE 3 · par 5 · 526y · 1 vlog
A reachable par 5 defined by Dye's most eccentric bunker work: a circular 'donut' bunker frames the approach target while turf islands sit within an expansive sand waste right of the fairway. Birdie is possible; a three-putt from the wrong tier is likely.
526 yards · The 'donut' bunker is among the most recognisable Dye features in the Caribbean.
05 · In Their Words
5 on-camera verdicts · spoken while filming here
It is truly one of my favorite resorts I have ever been to.
This place is amazing. It's one of my favorite resorts I have ever been to.
Top 30 course in the whole world. Teeth of the dog.
Top 30 course in the world. It is sick.
I don't think I've ever seen a golf hole that close to the ocean.
06 · How to Play Here
5 routes to a tee time
Casa de Campo Resort Guest · hotel package
Preferred access and rates for guests staying at the Casa de Campo Resort. Includes green fees, cart, and range use. Mandatory caddie fees are extra.
Resort Guest Rate $400
Non-Resort Guest (External Play) · single
Limited availability for golfers not staying at the resort. Requires check-in at the main resort gate. Rates are significantly higher than for resort guests.
Non-Hotel Guest Rate $550
Villa Owners / Members · members only
Property owners at Casa de Campo have access via a dedicated owner concierge or online owner portal. They typically enjoy a longer booking window and preferential rates.
Owner Rate Varies by membership level
Tee Times USA / Third Party Booking · external
Booking via established golf travel partners. Prices often include roundtrip transportation for those staying outside the resort (e.g., in Punta Cana).
Standard External Rate $649 - $690
Golfbreaks Stay & Play · package
Custom stay-and-play packages inclusive of accommodation and multiple rounds across the resort's courses (Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore, and The Links).
Package Rate From $2,400
07 · History
8 moments · 1969–2025
1969
Flying over the Dominican coast, Pete Dye spotted the jagged coral formations along the shore and reportedly said the course was already drawn by nature. The site would take two more years to clear and construct.
1971
The course opened under the name Cajuiles before being renamed Teeth of the Dog — the English translation of 'Diente de Perro,' the local workers' term for the razor-edged coastal coral.
1974
Hosting the World Amateur Team Championship brought Teeth of the Dog to an international audience. Future major champion Jerry Pate finished as the individual medalist.
1984
The Fanjul family's Central Romana Corporation purchased the resort from Gulf+Western, beginning a long period of sustained investment in the golf facilities and broader estate.
1998
The resort hosted the World Amateur Golf Championships for a second time, with the newly launched Golf Channel providing nightly global coverage and greatly expanding the course's international profile.
2016
Teeth of the Dog hosted the Latin America Amateur Championship, a collaboration between the Masters Tournament, the USGA, and the R&A designed to develop elite amateur golf across the region.
2022
The course became the first venue to host the Latin America Amateur Championship three times, confirming its standing as the premier competitive stage in Caribbean golf.
2025
The course closed for a comprehensive 11-month renovation led by Jerry Pate Design. The work included full re-grassing with Dynasty Paspalum and infrastructure modernisation throughout the property.
08 · Common Questions
7 questions · sourced from 10 vlogs
The most straightforward route is to stay at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas and book through the resort's golf office. Non-resort guests can also play, but availability is limited and green fees are considerably higher — around $550 compared with roughly $400 for resort guests. Third-party golf travel operators such as Tee Times USA also offer bookings, sometimes including transport from Punta Cana.
Yes, in the sense that no membership is required. However, the course sits within the gated Casa de Campo resort, so all visitors — whether staying on-site or arriving as external guests — must pass through resort security. Non-resort guests pay a premium rate and should book in advance, as tee times are allocated primarily to resort guests and villa owners.
La Romana International Airport (LRM) is the closest option, typically 10 to 15 minutes from the resort. Punta Cana International (PUJ) is roughly 50 to 60 minutes away with more frequent international connections. Santo Domingo's Las Américas International (SDQ) offers the widest range of flights but is around 90 minutes by road.
Not quite. Teeth of the Dog typically closes for annual maintenance in the summer months — historically somewhere between June and August. The course also closed for an extensive $15 million restoration beginning in 2025, with a planned reopening in late 2025. Check directly with Casa de Campo before booking a trip around those windows.
Caddies are expected and strongly encouraged at Teeth of the Dog, and caddie fees are charged separately from the green fee. A local caddie's knowledge of wind patterns and green contours on the oceanfront holes is a genuine strategic advantage, not simply a tradition.
The course carries a rating of 75.9 and a slope of 145 from the back tees — numbers that reflect genuine difficulty rather than resort marketing. The combination of Caribbean trade winds, 127 bunkers, Pete Dye's characteristically severe green surrounds, and ocean hazards on seven holes makes a clean card hard to come by regardless of handicap. Mid-handicappers should plan their course management around the back tees and play up if the wind is up.
It is the informal name for the seven holes that run directly along the Caribbean Sea — holes 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, and 17. Pete Dye is often quoted as saying he designed only eleven holes on the property and that the oceanfront seven were the work of a higher power. The phrase 'Heaven 7' has since become a shorthand among guests for the course's signature stretch.
10 · The Library
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