P.B. Dye · Puntacana Resort & Club · 27 Holes
La Cana Golf Club
Golf Magazine #1 Caribbean
27 Holes · 3 Nines
15 Min from Villa
La Cana Golf Club is a 27-hole championship complex at the Puntacana Resort & Club, designed by P.B. Dye and widely regarded as one of the most enjoyable golf experiences in the Caribbean. Three distinct nines — Tortuga, Arrecife, and Hacienda — offer variety that keeps you coming back round after round.
Fourteen holes feature views of the Caribbean Sea, with four holes playing directly along the shoreline. The Arrecife nine is the standout, featuring an island-green par 3 inspired by the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass (designed by P.B.'s father Pete Dye), and a spectacular two-hole oceanside finish that Golf Magazine compared to Pebble Beach. The magazine declared La Cana the "number one course in the Caribbean."
La Cana was also the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum grass, an environmentally friendly turf that thrives in the tropical climate and can be irrigated with sea water — keeping the course in pristine condition year-round.
The Villa Espada advantage: La Cana is approximately 15 minutes by car from Villa Espada. Your private chauffeur drives you to the course, and your butler arranges tee times. Combined with Corales next door, the Puntacana Resort offers 45 holes — making it an ideal day-trip complement to the two Nicklaus courses at Cap Cana.
With 27 holes across three distinct nines, La Cana lets your group play a different 18 every day. Pair it with Corales next door for 45 holes at Puntacana Resort alone — all just 15 minutes from Villa Espada.
The original La Cana nine, Tortuga weaves through the resort's interior landscape with gentle elevation changes, mature coconut groves, and strategic bunkering. It's the most forgiving of the three nines and an ideal warm-up for the fireworks ahead. Several holes offer glimpses of the Caribbean through the palm canopy, and the par-5 closer is a reachable risk-reward hole that can make or break your round.
The crown jewel of La Cana. Arrecife features the famous island-green par 3 inspired by TPC Sawgrass's 17th — designed by P.B.'s father Pete Dye — and a two-hole oceanside finish that Golf Magazine compared to Pebble Beach. The 8th and 9th holes play directly along the Caribbean shore, with waves crashing just yards from the putting surfaces. This is where La Cana earned its reputation.
The newest addition to the La Cana complex, Hacienda offers panoramic views of the resort's coconut groves and the Caribbean beyond. The routing is more open and wind-exposed than Tortuga, with wider fairways that reward aggressive driving. The par-3 holes on this nine are particularly well-designed, with creative bunkering and varied distances that test every part of your short game.
Choose your nines wisely. With 27 holes and three possible 18-hole combinations, you can play La Cana differently every time. The Arrecife/Tortuga combo is the most popular, but Arrecife/Hacienda is arguably the most scenic. If you're playing La Cana more than once during your trip, try a different combination each day.
Embrace the island green. The island-green par 3 on Arrecife is one of the most famous holes in Caribbean golf. Take an extra club — most misses are short — and aim for the center of the green. The water surrounding the green is not as deep or dramatic as Sawgrass, but the visual intimidation is real. Hit with confidence and don't decelerate your swing.
The paspalum difference. La Cana was the first Caribbean course to use paspalum grass, a salt-tolerant turf that creates firm, fast conditions year-round. The greens are typically quicker than what most resort golfers expect. Lag putting is key on longer approach putts — leave yourself uphill whenever possible.
Play the ocean holes with the wind. The Arrecife finish and several Hacienda holes are exposed to the Caribbean trade winds. The paspalum turf handles the wind well, but your ball flight won't. Keep shots low when playing into the wind, and don't fight the crosswind — use it to shape your shots toward the target.
La Cana and Corales are both located at Puntacana Resort & Club, approximately 15 minutes south of Villa Espada by car. Your private chauffeur handles the transfer — no rental car, no navigation, no parking. Just step into the vehicle and enjoy the scenic drive along the coast.
Many Villa Espada golf groups dedicate one or two days to Puntacana Resort, playing La Cana in the morning and Corales in the afternoon (or vice versa). With 45 holes between the two courses, you can fill two full days without repeating a single hole combination. Your butler coordinates the tee time schedule so both courses flow seamlessly.
Between rounds, the Puntacana Resort offers lunch at the clubhouse, a well-stocked pro shop, and a range for warming up. Your chauffeur waits on-site and is available throughout the day — if you want to return to Villa Espada for a chef-prepared lunch and pool break between rounds, that's easily arranged as well.
Combined with the two Nicklaus courses at Cap Cana, Villa Espada guests have access to 81 holes across four world-class courses — all within 15 minutes. No other villa rental in the Dominican Republic offers this breadth of championship golf.
Golf Magazine cited the combination of 14 ocean-view holes, three distinct nine-hole layouts offering endless variety, P.B. Dye's creative design including an island-green par 3 inspired by Sawgrass, and a dramatic two-hole oceanside finish that the magazine compared to Pebble Beach. The 27-hole format means guests can play a different 18 every day.
Tortuga (the original nine with gentle elevation changes and coconut groves), Arrecife (the standout nine with the island-green par 3 and the oceanside finish compared to Pebble Beach), and Hacienda (the newest nine with panoramic views of the resort and Caribbean). You play any combination of two nines for a full 18-hole round.
The island-green par 3 on the Arrecife nine is inspired by the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, designed by P.B. Dye's father Pete Dye. The hole plays to a green surrounded entirely by water — one of the most photographed and talked-about holes in Caribbean golf. Take an extra club and aim center.
Approximately 15 minutes by car. Your Villa Espada private chauffeur handles the transfer, and your butler arranges tee times in advance. La Cana and Corales are both at Puntacana Resort & Club, so you can play both on the same trip — 45 holes at one resort, all within 15 minutes of your villa.
Villa Espada guests have access to 81 holes across four world-class courses within 15 minutes: Punta Espada (18 holes, on property), Las Iguanas (18 holes, 3 minutes by golf cart), Corales (18 holes, 15 minutes by car), and La Cana (27 holes, 15 minutes by car). Add Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore at Casa de Campo for day trips, and the total exceeds 150 holes.
Stay at Villa Espada and play four world-class courses: Punta Espada, Las Iguanas, Corales, and La Cana. Your butler and chauffeur handle every detail.