PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — You could call it a one course town. This smallish city on the north coast of the Caribbean island nation isn’t known as a golf destination. It offers only one 18-hole golf course. But it’s no ham-fisted mutt’s layout. The Playa Dorada is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, one of the two he has built in the DR. Completed in 1979 it has hosted three PGA LatinoAmerica Tour events, most recently in 2020. It plays to 7,000 yards from the tips, is usually very green and recently has been well maintained after a period of some neglect. It has a driving range, short-game area, pro shop and clubhouse. Most notably it is affordable, about 50-60 per cent less expensive than resort courses further east down the coast in Punta Cana, which for now is a much more popular tourist/golf destination. Here’s a quick overview of this part of the world.

The Area

Puerto Plata, population approximately 470,000 is a colonial burg with a past. Founded by Nicolás de Ovando in 1502, the city was named for its iridescent silver coastline at sunset and made official by a personal decree signed by Christopher Columbus. To protect against potential pirate attacks, the Fort of San Felipe was constructed in the mid-sixteenth century. With beaches and ocean on one side and lush mountains with the requisite waterfalls and trekking trails on the other, there is more to enjoy outside the city than in.

Playa Dorada (Golden Beach)

Is a neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of town comprising all inclusive hotels and condos, many which border on the golf course, a mall and convention centre. The neighbourhood offers reef snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, kite surfing, tennis and biking. Depending where you stay these options might be at your fingertips, require a healthy walk or maybe a quick cab ride. The mall has a cinema (John Wick 4 was playing in early April), a clinic, and the usual knick-knack shops, bars and eateries. Senor Rock Bar and Grill caters to Canucks, televising the Stanley Cup playoffs on numerous TVs.

The Golf Course

The Playa Dorada is an 18-hole gem by the sea that has eluded the attention of travel companies and word-of-mouth golf aficionados. The course is a victim of its own modesty. It makes no effort to compete with the golf destinations in Punta Cana, which can easily cost US$200-300 per round and boast some fancy designer names such as Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus. You don’t play Dye and Golden Bear courses for less than US$250. For a U.S. C-note, everything will be covered at Playa Dorada. Greens fees are $100 Canadian and a mandatory caddy is $20. Players do not have to rent power carts. And there is a 20 per cent discount for guests staying in many of the area’s hotels. It’s a pure steal for a Caribbean beach resort course.

“We think it is a good bargain,” says Americo Nunez, director of golf, “but, no we are not known as a golf destination. Not for now.”

Maybe in five years. There are plans to build two more courses; one in the Playa Dorada zone and another minutes down the coast in the thriving beach town of Sosua.

“Those are the plans and that would be awesome,” says Nunez. “But there can be (financing) complications. We are hoping.”

For now Robert Trent Jones Sr. will have to suffice. And that is not to be scoffed at. Four of the holes border the ocean while lakes/ponds come into play on six others. The signature hole is the par-3 seventh hole which runs directly along the beach.

“It was the toughest hole on the LatinoAmerica Tour (in 2020) says teaching pro Javier Nunez, Americo’s son. “Tough and beautiful. There is always wind here. That is what players have to look out for.”

The course sees a lot of action from Canadians so don’t be surprised if you end up playing with a few.

“Canadians run away from the snow and stay down here two, three months at a time,” says Javier.

On to the digs

Gran Ventana

A medium sized resort according to general manager Oscar Lora — “You don’t need golf carts to get around, everything is close by” – it might be the most strategically situated hotel in Playa Dorada. Two minutes from my room was 400 metres of sink-in-the-sand beach controlled by the resort. Five minutes in the other direction was the golf course clubhouse, with mall in between.

The all-inclusive has the standard Caribbean beach resort amenities— restaurants with fine grub, swimming pools, bars, nightly entertainment of the singing and dancing variety, but the amenity Lora takes genuine pride in is the quality of the staff.

“A lot of them have been here 20 years,” he says. “We have only a one per cent turnover rate per year. Most hotels have a 10 or 20 per cent turnover rate. We know where they live in town, we know their families.”

All that sounds out like predictable cliche but Lora speaks the real deal. The staff are smiling and open and as you warm up to each other they will speak freely about their life situations, share jokes, give off the record advice and tips and generally help you out.

“Thirty per cent of our guest are returnees. You come as guests, you leave as family,” says Lora. That last bit is perhaps authentic cliche.

The Black Bracelet

For about US$30 a night you can be upgraded to “Premium.” This doesn’t entitle guests to a better room, but a plethora of luxuries accompany the distinctive, stylish black bracelet. Staff alertly recognize you are not mere grey bracelet riff-raff. For starters you get guaranteed restaurant reservations, beach towels and room service, but these are mere trifles. The true opulence begins with the Premium Lounge, where one can avail oneself of world-class booze brands and cigars. A red-carpeted stairway leads to the spacious second floor club room, buttressed by heavy oaken doors, featuring hardwood panelling, rich carpeting, tasteful tapestries and an aura of elegance and distinction.

There is actually an initiation to this place. A snazzily attired hostess led me to a small enclave where we sat and she informed me of the protocols in no uncertain terms.

“Why are you in bare feet? Do you not have shoes?”

“Because I am on vacation at a Caribbean beach resort. You know. Pools and oceans and sand and stuff.”

This hastily crafted but very witty reply did little to placate the magisterial proprietress. After further admonishment over footwear she noted my collared golf shirt with grudging approval. Shirts must have collars. Shorts must be approximately knee-length. No swimwear.

All this is fine well for those who wish to discuss politics and finance and modern dance over a snifter of cognac whilst feigning enjoyment of a hand-rolled Cohiba. But where you truly feel like a royal is the private beach. It has Balinese beds. It has waiter service. It offers massages and manicures and pedicures. It has an ocean with the frothiest whitecaps I have ever seen 30 feet way. It is roped off. No greys allowed. The greys often trudge past, seeking a spot to set up on the public beach. Many will gawk into this Eden of the landed gentry with a sad mix of envy and loathing. It is only right you salute them with your libation. Do not raise your arm. Simply tilt your drink hand in tolerant acknowledgement.

The Masters

I was in Playa Dorada during Masters week, all part of the Master Plan. People ask, “why would you go to a Caribbean beach resort with a Premium Lounge to sit in your room and watch TV four hours a day?”

I respond: ” The Masters is the best sports viewing of the year. I don’t want to have to go to work during Masters week. The Masters is better than the Stanley Cup playoffs, the World Series, the Grey Cup, Super Bowl and Wimbledon rolled into one. It is better than the Olympics and the World Cup combined.”

I always hope to find a pool bar with a TV showing the glorious event but have consistently been stymied on various sojourns. So I watch in a room with a fridge and air conditioning.

The point of this wee rant?

The TV sets in the Gran Ventana rooms are of fine quality. Not 60-inch Sonys, but they do just fine.

Haiti

Other people are concerned Puerto Plata is not far from the border with restive Haiti to the west. The ongoing civic turbulence could explode across the line into the DR at any moment they fret. Nonsense. The Haitian haves, have-nots, hooligans, gangs, freedom fighters et al have plenty to keep them occupied on their side. There are no plans for expansion.

The Chair Hogs

Some guests rise at the crack of dawn to pin towels to the poolside chairs. They then return to bed, re-emerging when the sun is high to make their property claims. This is an annoying and morally dubious practice. And my only complaint.

So there you have it. In a nutshell. Playa Dorada might not be a golf destination. Yet. But it is a beach, golf and mountain destination that is overlooked and under-rated.