Dye Fore Golf Course Review
Introduction
Located in the Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo is a dream Caribbean destination that has no idea what the term “off season” means. With winter low temperatures in the high 60s, it offers 12 months of golfing weather each year.
Into this idyllic location, Pete Dye dropped his Dye Fore golf course. Dye Fore is a 27 hole layout where each nine has a totally different personality. The one constant is Pete Dye’s inimitable, testing style of golf that demands a golfer’s best shot every single time. With this weather and three different 18-hole combinations offering great replay value, you may never want to go home.
Practice Facilities
Dye Fore is located about 5 km from the main hotel and other two golf courses at Casa de Campo, so it has its own practice facility. Just like the one at Teeth of the Dog, this one is world class. It has an enormous driving range with plenty of target greens. There’s a large putting green and an expansive short game area. Whether you’re looking to grease the gears before your round or work out some swing issues, this is a great place to do it.
Customer Service & Amenities
The customer service throughout Casa de Campo is outstanding, and the staff at Dye Fore is no exception. Caddies are required at Dye Fore, and it doesn’t take much time on the course to understand why. Our caddie, Felito, provided the local knowledge without which Dye Fore would be borderline unfair. He was a master of the friendly-but-direct style that a great caddie needs to steer his golfers while keeping things upbeat.
Just as Dye Fore gets its own practice facilities, it also gets its own pro shop. This is a bit smaller than the pro shop shared by The Links Golf Course and Teeth of the Dog, and it’s focused on soft goods. They have the essentials covered – sunscreen and golf balls – though you will pay a hefty premium. Pack your own balls and save your money for great souvenirs.
There is a great deal to say about the non-golf amenities at Casa de Campo, and that will all be covered in detail in a full travel feature coming soon. For now, I will simply say that you will never lack for fun things to do while you’re here.
Beauty & Scenery
The Casa de Campo website does not oversell the beauty of Dye Fore when it describes “stunning views of the Dominican Republic mountains, the Chavon River, the Marina, and Altos de Chavon.” You get a little bit of everything on this course, with each nine having its own flavor.
The Marina is easily my favorite. Holes 3, 4, and 5 offer elevated views of the Chavon River that are not only beautiful, they give this nine a sense of pacing. The Lagos Course is entirely inland and has a more links-y feel, though there are several lakes. Strange as it may sound, it reminded me of another Pete Dye course, The Meadow Valleys at Black Wolf Run . I didn’t play the Chavon (canyon) nine, but I did take a drive through the course. This nine offers views the widest, most open vistas and picturesque views of the Chavon River.
Tee Shots
With three varied nines, it’s hard to perfectly characterize any aspect of Dye Fore, but I’ll do my best to highlight the key elements. Starting with the numbers, the three nines tip out at 3,763, 3,877, and 3,790 yards, so there’s ample distance for the long hitter. On the short side, there are tees at or below 3,000 yards on each nine. My group played the middle tees (blue) and got to make a lot of interesting decisions off the tee. There’s no need to go farther back unless you’re exceptionally long.
On the whole, the fairways at Dye Fore are average in width, though there’s a nice mix of wide and narrow fairways, too. There are ample fairway bunkers throughout the course, and each nine has several sides of the fairway where your ball is as good as dead. The course also mixes straightforward holes with ones where you will rely heavily on your caddie for the correct line.
The visual trickery off the tee cuts both ways. There are holes that look easy from the tee box which are actually demanding, especially when the wind picks up. On the other hand, some holes look terrifying but are actually quite tame. This opinion may be driven by the wind we encountered, but Dye Fore Lagos was more of the former, Dye Fore Marina more of the latter.
Approach Shots
The shape of the land will often impact your approach shot more than whether or not you’re in the fairway. As you can see above, a tee shot can find the short grass but have a difficult stance and no view of the green. This is one of the more extreme fairway swales, but there is at least moderate movement throughout the fairways at Dye Fore.
Missing the fairway doesn’t inherently pose a problem as the rough is moderate in height and not overly thick. It will keep your drive from running out, but it shouldn’t dramatically impede your approach shot unless you draw an unlucky lie.
If you get through an entire round at Dye Fore without playing a long bunker shot, you’re either highly skilled or very lucky. Almost every hole has a couple bunkers that seem to come out of nowhere, not to mention all the ones you can see from the tee. On the bright side, very few have steep lips, so you should be able to play out of them without too much difficulty.
Finally, the greens at Dye Fore are average in size but well defended. You’ll have a hard time finding a green that isn’t ringed with bunkers, near water, elevated, or some combination of all three. Do your best to ignore the flag and play to the middle of the green if you’re trying to keep a clean scorecard.
Greens & Surrounds
Continuing on that theme, the surrounds at Dye Fore are full of trouble. The rough isn’t particularly tall, but you may wish it was when your ball rolls down into a hollow or sand trap. There’s typically one side where you can safely bail out or run the ball up, but that requires careful planning or local knowledge.
Compounding the difficulty of the sand and elevation is the speed of the greens. They’re not unreasonably fast, but if you get above the hole you will have trouble keeping your ball under control. Similarly, if you’re playing across the narrow dimension of the green, it’s easy to throw away several shots ping ponging over the putting surface. I may be speaking from experience.
Finally, once you’re on the green, you’ll find that there are no straight putts. These greens don’t have many wild undulations, but each one has enough tilt and speed to make every putt move. While challenging, the putting surfaces are so smooth and consistent that, with a good read from your caddie, you can make some long putts once you get a handle on the speed.
Favorite Holes
Marina #3 – Par 3 – 224 Yards
This hole offers your first view of the Marina, and it’s an absolute beauty. The green is very long from front to back, and it sits at a slight angle to the tee. Depending on the hole location, your tee box, and the wind, this could require anything from a short iron to a long iron. No matter how it’s playing, your friends back home will be jealous when you send them a photo.
Lagos #5 – Par 4 – 426 Yards
Especially with the right wind, this hole provides a fun choice off the tee. A long bunker on the left dominates your view, but a strong driver can take it totally out of play. No matter what you hit off the tee, your second shot to a small, elevated green is tough.
Conclusion
The challenge of Pete Dye’s Dye Fore golf course is a perfect, if contrasting, pairing with the beauty of Casa de Campo. It’s hard to be too upset about the result of a shot when you’re in such a picturesque place, and the relentless trials keep you from drifting into a tropical daze. If you’re looking for a demanding course you can play 365 days a year, look no further than Casa de Campo’s Dye Fore.
Visit Casa de Campo HERE
Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
