Punta Espada

This is the first golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus in the Dominican Republic and one that has to be on your "can't miss playing there" list. From its beginnings, Punta Espada, meaning the sword point, has earned many awards among the world golf community, including that of the PGA Tour, which consecutively held three championships on the Champions Tour here with extensive coverage by the specialized golf media. The renowned Planet Golf magazine ranked it 46th among the 100 best courses outside of the United States, and the magazine considers it to be the second best course in the country. Golfweek magazine has named it the top golf course in the Caribbean and Latin America for two consecutive years. Eight of its holes are played alongside or above the waters of the Caribbean Sea, including the spectacular and beautiful par 4 17th hole. It's a pleasure for scratch and weekend golfers to play on this course. Hole number 13, considered the course's signature hole, is a long and difficult 250-yard par 3. Its course includes a terrifying shot above the sea and a gorgeous green outlined by the turquoise-colored waters of the Caribbean. Punta Espada uses 100 percent "paspalum" grass, the surface preferred in tropical climates for its resistance to salt water and its vibrant green color.