Mention a Dominican golf trip and most people picture the manicured resort fairways of Punta Cana, three-plus hours away on the opposite coast. What they miss is that the North Coast — your home base in Sosúa and Cabarete — quietly holds two of the most interesting golf courses in the entire Caribbean, both designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., and both an easy day trip from your rental. One sits inside a classic Puerto Plata resort complex. The other clings to ocean cliffs so dramatic that golf magazines routinely rank it among the best in the region.
If you play even occasionally, packing a glove is worth it. Here is everything you need to know to tee it up on the North Coast.
Playa Grande: Clifftop Golf You Will Never Forget
About an hour east of Cabarete, near the sleepy fishing town of Río San Juan, sits Playa Grande Golf Course — and it is the reason serious golfers fly into Puerto Plata instead of Punta Cana. Robert Trent Jones Sr. called it one of his favorite designs, and it is easy to see why: ten of its holes run directly along cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean, more clifftop holes than almost any course on the planet. The comparisons to Pebble Beach are not marketing fluff.
The course was later sympathetically restored by Rees Jones — Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s son — and reopened as the centerpiece of an exclusive resort. The result is a layout that is both genuinely world-class and genuinely terrifying in the best way. Standing on an elevated tee with waves exploding on the rocks below and the trade winds pushing your ball toward the water, you understand quickly why people remember individual holes here for years.
It is the premium option, and priced accordingly. Expect green fees in the rough range of US$160 to $250 depending on season and time of day, cart usually included. Book ahead, especially in high season — this is not a course you want to drive an hour to and find full. A caddie is well worth it; the wind reads and clifftop angles reward local knowledge.
Playa Dorada: The Friendly, Convenient Classic
Closer to home — roughly 30 to 40 minutes west of Sosúa, inside the gated Playa Dorada resort area just outside Puerto Plata — is the Playa Dorada Golf Course, another Robert Trent Jones Sr. design and the most accessible round on the coast. It is an 18-hole, par-72 layout that winds through the resort's gardens, lagoons, and a stretch along the beach.
Playa Dorada is the everyman's course of the North Coast: mature, walkable, well-shaded by palms, and far more forgiving than Playa Grande. It is the right choice if you want a relaxed round, if your group has mixed skill levels, or if you simply do not feel like committing a full day to driving. Green fees typically land around US$60 to $95, with club and cart rental available on site, so you can show up with nothing but golf shoes and play.
Because it sits in the heart of the Playa Dorada complex, it pairs perfectly with a lunch at one of the resort restaurants or an afternoon at the beach afterward. For most visitors staying in Sosúa or Cabarete, this is the easy, repeatable round.
What It Costs and What to Bring
Golf in the Dominican Republic is priced in US dollars at both courses, and the figures below are typical rather than guaranteed — always confirm current rates when you reserve.
- Playa Dorada green fee: roughly $60–$95 (18 holes)
- Playa Grande green fee: roughly $160–$250, cart usually included
- Club rental: commonly $25–$50 per set
- Caddie: often optional at Playa Dorada, customary at Playa Grande — budget a tip of $20–$40
- Cart: included at Playa Grande; small extra at Playa Dorada
You do not need to haul your clubs across the Caribbean — both courses rent. That said, bring your own glove, a sleeve of balls you trust, a hat, and serious sunscreen. The tropical sun is stronger than it feels with the ocean breeze cooling you off, and you will lose a few balls to the Atlantic at Playa Grande no matter how well you swing.
When to Play
The North Coast is golf-friendly all year, but the sweet spot is the drier, breezier stretch from December through April. Summer rounds are very playable too — just book a morning tee time to beat the midday heat and the brief afternoon showers that are common in the wetter months.
The constant here is wind. The Atlantic trades that make Cabarete a world capital of kiteboarding also blow across both courses, and they are a genuine factor in club selection — especially on the exposed oceanfront holes at Playa Grande. Embrace it; it is part of what makes North Coast golf distinct from the calmer, more sheltered resort tracks elsewhere on the island.
Making It a Round Trip
Neither course requires a tour package. A private driver or a rental car gets you there comfortably, and a round pairs naturally with the rest of the coast: tack Playa Grande onto a day exploring Río San Juan and the stunning beach of the same name, or follow a Playa Dorada morning with the Puerto Plata cable car and old town in the afternoon. Tell us when you book and we are happy to help arrange transport and tee times so all you have to do is show up and swing.
For a destination better known for windsurfing and white-sand beaches, the North Coast hides a remarkable golf secret — two Robert Trent Jones courses, one of them genuinely among the best in the Caribbean, both within easy reach of your Sosúa or Cabarete rental. Pack the glove.