Golf in Punta Cana
The Caribbean's leading all inclusive golf base, on the warm eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Jack Nicklaus built Punta Espada along the sea at Cap Cana, Tom Fazio gave Corales a PGA Tour event, and the beaches are five minutes from the tee. The courses that matter, the resorts, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Punta Cana golf, via Google
Why golf in Punta Cana
Punta Cana has quietly become the easiest world class golf trip to organise in the Caribbean. The eastern corner of the Dominican Republic combines tour grade oceanside courses with an enormous choice of all inclusive resorts, a busy international airport ten minutes from the action, and reliable winter sunshine. You can stand on a clifftop tee over the turquoise Atlantic in the morning and be on a white sand beach by lunch, all on one package that folds the room, the golf and the transfers into a single price.
The headline courses earn the trip on their own. Punta Espada, the first of the Jack Nicklaus Signature courses at the vast Cap Cana development, opened in 2006 with eight holes playing along and over the sea and is routinely ranked the best course in the Caribbean. A short drive away at Puntacana Resort, Tom Fazio's Corales hosts the PGA Tour's Corales Puntacana Championship and finishes with the famous oceanfront stretch known as the Devil's Elbow. Add P.B. Dye's 27 hole La Cana, the Nicklaus course at Hard Rock and the Nick Price design at Punta Blanca and you have a destination that suits a serious golf group and a mixed family week alike.
The areas
Cap Cana
The upscale gated community south of the airport, home to Jack Nicklaus's Punta Espada along the sea and a cluster of luxury resorts and marinas, the premium end of a Punta Cana golf trip.
Puntacana Resort and Club
The original resort that opened the region in 1969, home to Tom Fazio's PGA Tour host Corales and P.B. Dye's 27 hole La Cana, with its own beaches, hotels and airport on the doorstep.
Bavaro and Cana Bay
The dense resort strip along Bavaro and Macao beach, where the big all inclusive hotels gather alongside the Nicklaus course at Hard Rock and Nick Price's Punta Blanca, the value and family heart of the area.
The courses that matter
Punta Espada
The best course in the Caribbean to most judges, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design at Cap Cana with eight holes playing along and over the turquoise sea, a par 72 of close to 7,400 yards and constant ocean drama.
Corales
The Tom Fazio course at Puntacana Resort and home of the PGA Tour's Corales Puntacana Championship, with six greens perched by the rocky Atlantic shore and the thrilling oceanfront finish known as the Devil's Elbow.
La Cana
A 27 hole P.B. Dye complex of the Tortuga, Arrecife and Hacienda nines at Puntacana Resort, fourteen holes with ocean views, generous and playable, once named the top course in the Caribbean by Golf Magazine.
Hard Rock Golf Club at Cana Bay
A Jack Nicklaus Signature course beside the Hard Rock resort, a long, water laced layout with lakes on many holes, a popular and well kept inland round at the heart of the Bavaro resort strip.
Punta Blanca
A Nick Price layout woven through the Bavaro resorts, lined by tropical vegetation and lagoons, an enjoyable, accessible course often included in stay and play packages with the big hotels.
Iberostar Bavaro
A mature P.B. Dye resort course set among coconut palms and water within the Iberostar complex, a relaxed and scenic round that suits a mixed group looking to combine golf with the beach.
Designers and host history verified June 2026. Corales access is largely reserved for Puntacana Resort guests. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| December to April | Warm, sunny, lower humidity, the dry season | Prime window, also the peak travel period, book ahead |
| May and November | Hotter and more humid, occasional showers | Good value shoulder months either side of peak |
| June to October | Hot, humid, the Atlantic hurricane season | Softest prices, watch the forecast and play early mornings |
Golf is played year round in Punta Cana, but the December to April dry season is by far the most comfortable. In the green months the heat and the chance of a storm make an early tee time and travel insurance worthwhile.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Punta Espada | Around $390 and up | The flagship oceanside round at Cap Cana |
| La Cana, Hard Rock, Punta Blanca | Around $150 to $250 | Often bundled into stay and play packages |
| A week, all in | Around $2,500 to $5,000 per person | All inclusive resort, several rounds, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Punta Cana International Airport is the gateway and one of the busiest in the Caribbean, with direct flights from across North America and Europe and a short transfer to the resorts, around ten to twenty minutes to Bavaro and Cap Cana. Most visitors never need a car, since the resorts run shuttles and the operators arrange golf transfers, though a private driver makes hopping between Cap Cana, Puntacana Resort and the Bavaro strip effortless for a group. Pack for heat and sun, and remember the courses can be breezy near the coast even on a settled day.
Where to stay
Match the resort to the trip. Cap Cana is the upscale base, putting Punta Espada on the doorstep alongside the smartest hotels and marinas for a group that wants the premium end. Puntacana Resort keeps La Cana and access to Corales close, with its own quieter beaches. The Bavaro and Macao strip holds the widest range of all inclusive hotels at every budget, ideal for a mixed family or buddies week near Hard Rock and Punta Blanca. Most trips here are sold as a package, so let one planner match the hotel, the golf and the transfers to your group.
Plan your Punta Cana golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Punta Cana golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Punta Cana?
December to April is the dry season and the prime window, with warm, sunny days, lower humidity and the courses at their best, which is also the peak travel period. June to November overlaps the Atlantic hurricane season, bringing higher humidity, a greater chance of storms and the softest resort prices of the year.
Which are the best golf courses in Punta Cana?
Punta Espada, the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Cap Cana with eight holes along the sea, is widely rated the best in the Caribbean. Corales, the Tom Fazio course at Puntacana Resort, hosts a PGA Tour event, and the 27 hole La Cana by P.B. Dye rounds out the marquee trio, with Hard Rock at Cana Bay and Punta Blanca adding depth.
How much does a golf trip to Punta Cana cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 fees run around $390 and up at Punta Espada, with La Cana, Hard Rock and Punta Blanca broadly $150 to $250; Corales is largely reserved for Puntacana Resort guests. Most visitors buy a stay and play package that folds an all inclusive resort, golf and transfers into one price. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Caribbean course news, Punta Espada and Corales booking windows and the best value all inclusive weeks. Every other week.