Teeth of the Dog Golf Course, Casa de Campo Resort & Villas
Ranked · 7 resorts · updated 2026

The Best Luxury Golf Resorts in the Caribbean

The Caribbean turns winter golf into something close to perfection: oceanfront holes by the game's great architects, warm trade winds, white sand a wedge from the fairway and resorts built for the good life. From Pete Dye's Teeth of the Dog to Sandy Lane's emerald hideaway, here are the seven luxury golf resorts we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each.

See the ranking Plan a Caribbean trip

By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Teeth of the Dog Golf Course, Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, Admission, via Google

How we chose them

Golf came late to the Caribbean, but when it arrived it arrived in style. The defining moment was 1971, when Pete Dye finished Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo and gave the region a course to rank with the world's best. In the decades since, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Robert Trent Jones, father and son, have all added oceanfront layouts, and the resorts around them have grown into some of the finest in the hemisphere. The appeal is obvious: championship golf on the edge of a turquoise sea, in the depths of the northern winter, with a beach, a spa and a marina never far from the eighteenth.

We weighed the quality of the golf, the resort and its service, the setting and the ease of building a trip around it, and we leaned toward properties where both the courses and the hotel are genuinely first rate. Every fact here, from designers and opening years to host events, was checked at the time of writing. The order is our editors' view. Where we mention green fees or rates they are seasonal and indicative and run high in the winter peak, so always confirm directly before booking. Tell our concierge your dates and we will build the whole trip.

The ranking

01

Casa de Campo, Teeth of the Dog

Pete Dye, 1971 · Par 72 · La Romana, Dominican Republic

The resort that defined Caribbean golf and still leads it, a 7,000 acre estate on the south coast of the Dominican Republic built around Pete Dye's Teeth of the Dog, opened in 1971 and long rated the number one course in the region. Seven holes run hard along the Caribbean shore, with shots played over rock and surf, in Dye's most celebrated seaside work. Add two more Dye courses, Dye Fore and the Links, a private beach, a marina village and a polo and equestrian centre, and Casa de Campo remains the complete luxury golf resort.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

02

Sandy Lane, Barbados

Tom Fazio courses · Barbados

The most glamorous address in the Caribbean, a legendary beachfront hotel on the platinum west coast of Barbados, with three courses including two by Tom Fazio. The Country Club is the championship test, and the Green Monkey, carved into a former coral quarry and reserved for resort guests, is one of the most exclusive and dramatic courses in the hemisphere, with the Old Nine completing the trio. Impeccable service, private cabanas, a celebrated spa and famous clientele make Sandy Lane the byword for Caribbean luxury, golf included.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

03

Cap Cana, Punta Espada

Jack Nicklaus, 2006 · Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The most spectacular modern course in the Caribbean, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design opened in 2006 on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, with eight holes playing along, over and beside the ocean. Punta Espada topped the Golfweek Caribbean and Mexico ranking for years and once hosted the Champions Tour, set within the gated Cap Cana resort of villas, beach clubs and a marina. Bold, dramatic and beautifully conditioned, it is the headline round on any luxury Punta Cana golf trip.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

04

Puntacana Resort and Club, Corales

Tom Fazio · PGA Tour venue · Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Home to the only regular PGA Tour event in the Caribbean, the Corales Puntacana Championship, played on Tom Fazio's Corales course at the original Punta Cana resort. The closing stretch, known as the Devil's Elbow, runs along cliffs and coves above the sea and is among the most thrilling finishes in resort golf. The wider Puntacana Resort and Club adds a second course, La Cana, miles of beach and a private community, making it one of the most established and complete golf destinations in the region.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

05

Apes Hill, Barbados

Ron Kirby, championship course 2022 · Barbados

The bold newcomer of Caribbean golf, a championship course set high in the hills of Barbados between the rugged east coast and the calm west, redesigned by the late Ron Kirby and reopened in 2022. Routed across dramatic gullies and ridgelines with sweeping island and ocean views, it is cooler and more elevated than the coastal courses and a genuine modern design statement. With a new luxury residential resort growing around it, Apes Hill has quickly become a fixture on any serious Barbados golf itinerary.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

06

Half Moon, Jamaica

Robert Trent Jones Sr, 1962, modernised by Roger Rulewich · Montego Bay, Jamaica

A grande dame of Jamaican luxury near Montego Bay, with a classic championship course laid out by Robert Trent Jones senior in 1962 and later modernised by Roger Rulewich. Set across rolling terrain a short way from the coast, it is a gracious, mature parkland test with the relaxed charm that defines the best of Jamaica. The famed resort itself, with its crescent beach, villas and spa, makes Half Moon a wonderful base for a golf and beach holiday that leans more to ease than to championship intensity.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

07

Four Seasons Resort Nevis

Robert Trent Jones Jr · Nevis, West Indies

The most beautiful island setting on this list, a Robert Trent Jones junior course climbing the slopes of the dormant Mount Nevis volcano, with holes framed by palms, the Caribbean Sea and views to neighbouring St Kitts. It was the architect's first Caribbean design and remains a serene, uncrowded round attached to one of the finest resorts in the West Indies. For a couple or a small group after golf, beach and total tranquillity on a quieter island, Four Seasons Nevis is hard to beat.

Plan a Caribbean golf trip

Designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026 against the resorts and the tour record. Green fees and rates are seasonal and indicative and run high in the winter peak, and some courses are reserved for resort guests. Always confirm access, fees and dress code directly before booking. Check resort availability.

Plan a Caribbean golf escape

Tell us which island or resort appeals and roughly when, and whether you want pure golf, golf and beach or a multi resort tour. One concierge arranges the rooms, the tee times and the transfers and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.

Caribbean golf questions

What is the best golf course in the Caribbean?

Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is the most celebrated course in the region, a Pete Dye design opened in 1971 with seven holes carved along the Caribbean shore. Punta Espada at Cap Cana, a Jack Nicklaus course opened in 2006, is its closest rival and has topped several Caribbean rankings for years. Both sit within luxury resorts and are open to guests, so the choice often comes down to which resort you prefer.

Which Caribbean island is best for a golf holiday?

The Dominican Republic has the deepest collection, led by Casa de Campo, Cap Cana and Puntacana, with several oceanfront courses by Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio. Barbados is the other luxury hub, home to Sandy Lane and Apes Hill, while Jamaica, Nevis and others offer more relaxed island golf. The right island depends on whether you want a dedicated golf resort, a beach holiday with golf, or a mix of both.

When is the best time to play golf in the Caribbean?

The dry season from roughly December to April is the prime golf season, with warm, sunny days, lower humidity and the best conditions, which is also the peak rate period. Summer and autumn are hotter and fall within the Atlantic hurricane season, though resorts stay open and rates ease. Book the flagship resorts and their best courses well ahead for the winter peak, and always confirm green fees and availability directly before booking.

Are these Caribbean golf courses open to resort guests only?

Access varies. Some signature courses, such as the Green Monkey at Sandy Lane, are reserved for resort guests, while others welcome visitors with a tee time. The headline courses at Casa de Campo, Cap Cana and Puntacana are generally playable by guests and, in some cases, outside visitors. Green fees at this level are high and seasonal, so always confirm access, fees and dress code directly with the resort before booking.

Related

All best lists Golf in the Dominican Republic Golf in Barbados Best courses in Jamaica Best courses in the Dominican Republic Home

The Tee Sheet

Caribbean resort news, course openings and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Last reviewed June 2026. We verify designers, opening years and host events at the time of writing and review them again on a schedule.