Casa de Campo and the “Dye Fore” Course Review

Have you ever skied one of those mountains where the trails have been gouged, cheek by jowl, straight down the fall line from the top,  thereby maximizing their number?  They all look the same, they feel the same, and most of them ski the same.

I feel the same way about resort golf courses.  Most of the time, it seems like they’ve been whacked out of the available property in order to maximize the number of real estate lots that can be sold.  Or decorate the hotel property in some kind of phony photogenic way.  My point is that they have relatively little character and little to do with the natural topography of the site.

Rather, they are amped up, dolled-up, pushed up, beefed up, injected with silicon and have make-up slathered on like a would-be Hollywood starlet.  Makes you look twice, but there’s not much going on under the surface.  The result is, that like the ski trails, they all look the same, feel the same and play the same.  Why go?

Okay, a passel of Mai Tai’s at sunset on the beach is a good reason.  But that aside, there’s not much there for the golfer.  Well, maybe cocktails in the infinity pool…

Look, I just prefer something with a more natural feel.  Something that looks like it evolved from what was originally there.  Something that’s obviously harmonious with the topography and locale.  Something that has individual character.  Something that’s not made up of jigsaw puzzle piece bunkering, artificially created water hazards, man made rock formations, water falls, windmill holes, and spooky tunnels for the kids.

Billing itself as the best golf destination in the Caribbean, Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic had a lot to prove in my eyes.  And prove it, it did.  There are three courses that are available to the visiting golfer, all designed by Mr. Pete Dye: The Links, The Dye Fore Course, and the famous Teeth of the Dog.  And those three courses are best described, in my book, as: Pretty Nice; Truly Incredible; and, the Best Course that you are likely to ever see or play.  My hat’s off to Mr. Dye for creating resort courses there that fit all of my specifications.

The “Dye Fore” Course

I guess I’m just an old romantic at heart, a softy with soft spot for things beautiful.  And “Dye Fore” got me.  What a beauty.  Built along the heights of the Chavon River, each of the nines has its own distinct personality.

The front, built first a number of years ago as a part of an original 18 where the real estate development along the river heights was the primary objective, is a little tighter and more articulated, more detailed than the back.  It has more of the architect’s touch about it.  And slightly less of the wide open, random feel of the newer and larger back nine.

The wind is a big factor on this course as it blows up the river and off the water.  There are only two ‘river’ holes on the front, numbers 4 and 5, but they are monsters, both down hill, both snaking to the left along the steep and completely wild river bank.  They play into the ever present stiff wind.  On each hole, the second shot is a true test of courage: two hundred plus yards to small greens.  You are allowed to bail out right if you need to, have to, want to.  But then you’re playing the hole as a 5 par.

Standing on the tees of 4 and 5 looking out and down at the River below makes you want to hit one out there to see if you can carry it.  I couldn’t.  And I tried more than a few balls.

By the time you turn away from the river and move over to the inland par three Sixth, you breath a real sign of relief.  One other hole of note on the front side is the par 5 Eight.  It’s an uphill dog leg left that features a blind second shot over hill and dale.  It’s fun to crack a long fairway shot over the lone tree on the left hillside and then walk up and over and see where the pin is and what kind of third you’re going to have.

But as good as the front side is, this course is all about the back.  It’s just golf heaven, plain and simple.  I’ve never seen any place that was so inviting, so gorgeous, so embracing, so attuned to every instinct and impulse of my golf.  (Stress that possessive.)

Presumably the Casa de Campo people wanted to expand their development to the North of the Clubhouse, land which previously had been wild and natural.  They turned again to Mr. Dye.  He scraped off most of the natural flora along the river heights and planted the whole area with a beautiful new type of paspalum grass that manifestly thrives there in the salt air.

The effect is stunning.  The holes are big and unbelievably wide.  They’re also incredibly long.  Crazy long.  They roll and tumble effortlessly over the terrain.  It’s a muscular 7700 yards from the tips.  If you didn’t have a cart, you might be looking for a dozen pack animals, or a handful of Sherpas.  Paul Bunyon would feel right at home here.  And so would his ox, Babe.

Not much dirt has been moved around or mounded up.  No sequence or grouping of traps has been created for visual effect.   No water has been drained or gained.  No architectural features appliquéd.   No gimmicks.  No tricks.  Nothing added to make it unique or beautiful.  Because it’s naturally unique and beautiful.

The effect is not unlike being out on the moors, or on a Scottish links, like St. Andrews, with miles of rolling green.  And the wind howling off the water.  Four holes out downwind along the river, and five back upwind, three along the river.  Hit it as hard as you can.  Hit it as long as you can.  Where ever you hit it, except for the natural barrancas and waste areas the size of football fields, and those ever present river cliffs, you’re going to have a perfect lie.  Whack it again and get it around the perfectly manicured greens and then confront the real Pete Dye.  “Bring your short game” ought to be the motto here.  You have to pitch, chip and putt if you want to play to your handicap.

This course is golf heaven and I can’t recommend it strongly enough.  Whatever you do, before you quit playing, treat yourself to “Dye Fore” and see what the perfect golf course looks and feels like.

Then again, if the Mai Tais are important, check out the beach.  They bring them right to your chair…