Playa Grande: 2026 Access and Booking Update
One of the most dramatic oceanfront courses in the Caribbean, the Robert Trent Jones Sr design on the Dominican north coast was reborn by his son Rees Jones, and has since become a private club. Here is where access and booking stand for 2026.
The update: a reborn classic, now behind the gates
Playa Grande sits on the Dominican Republic's north coast near Rio San Juan, and its pedigree is rare: it was one of the last courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, then comprehensively revived by his son, architect Rees Jones, who re routed and re grassed it with paspalum, brought in bright white sand, added tropical landscaping and pushed tees closer to the Atlantic. The reborn course is famous for having ten holes on the water, said to be the most of any course in the western hemisphere.
The headline for 2026 is about access rather than architecture. Playa Grande now operates as Discovery Land Company's private Playa Grande Golf and Ocean Club, the kind of high end residential club Discovery is known for. In practice that means play is largely reserved for members and resort guests rather than open public tee times, a meaningful change from the days when it was more freely bookable. Travelers wanting to play it should plan around the club's accommodation and membership channels and confirm current access directly.
Access and the course in 2026
Because the club is private, there is no straightforward public green fee to quote in the way a resort course advertises; access typically comes with staying or membership, and any guest rate is set and confirmed by the club. Treat older publicly listed fees as out of date for planning a 2026 round, and confirm access and cost directly. What you are securing, if you can, is one of the great oceanfront walks in golf.
A few notes on the course and play for 2026:
- Access is restricted to members and resort guests of the Playa Grande Golf and Ocean Club; there are no open public tee times in the usual sense.
- The layout offers six sets of tees from around 5,230 to roughly 7,259 yards, with ten holes along the Atlantic.
- The north coast plays well across the Caribbean winter and spring, with the green season bringing more humidity and rain.
How to play Dominican golf in 2026
Given the access change, the practical 2026 approach is to treat Playa Grande as an aspiration to confirm through the club, and to anchor a Dominican golf trip on the country's many genuinely bookable world class courses. The Dominican Republic is one of the deepest golf destinations in the Caribbean, and most of its marquee courses welcome resort and visitor play.
The natural itinerary builds around Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo on the south coast, the Tom Fazio designed Corales and Punta Espada in the Punta Cana region. See our Dominican Republic 2026 season outlook for timing, the best courses in the Dominican Republic for the full picture, and the Playa Grande profile for the course itself.
Our take
Our take is that Playa Grande remains one of the most spectacular pieces of golf real estate in the Caribbean, and the Rees Jones revival did full justice to his father's original. The move to a private Discovery Land club is a loss for the traveling golfer who once could simply book it, but it is in keeping with the trajectory of many of the game's most coveted oceanfront courses.
For 2026 our advice is pragmatic. If you have a route in through the club, take it, because few rounds anywhere match this stretch of coast. If not, the Dominican Republic still offers a deep field of bookable world class golf, and a trip built around Teeth of the Dog, Corales and Punta Espada is among the best the Caribbean can give you.
Plan your Dominican Republic golf trip
From the north coast to Casa de Campo and Punta Cana, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, securing tee times at the courses you can play, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play Playa Grande in 2026?
Access is now restricted. Playa Grande operates as Discovery Land Company's private Playa Grande Golf and Ocean Club, so play is largely reserved for members and resort guests rather than open public tee times. Travelers wanting to play it should plan around the club's accommodation and membership channels and confirm current access directly.
Who designed Playa Grande and what changed?
Playa Grande was one of the last courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, on the Dominican north coast near Rio San Juan. His son, architect Rees Jones, later led a major renovation, re routing and re grassing the course with paspalum, adding tropical landscaping and moving tees closer to the coastline. The reborn course is celebrated for having ten holes on the water.
How does Playa Grande play?
It offers six sets of tees stretching from around 5,230 yards to roughly 7,259 yards, with ten holes set along the Atlantic, said to be the most of any course in the western hemisphere. The clifftop and oceanfront holes give it one of the most dramatic settings in Caribbean golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design history, renovation and access status verified June 2026 from architect, club and golf travel sources; conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.