Dominican Golf Tours

Guavaberry Country Club

This beautiful 7,156-yard par-72 course is sensitively blended into the landscape bordering a tropical forest and nature preserve. The course is as beautiful as it is challenging.

The black championship tees offer the greatest challenge. There is a 936-yard difference between the middle white tees (11-20 Hcp) and black tees (scratch golfer) -- the sight lines are quite different and the penalty for missing a landing area can be quite ruthless.

There are a few holes that require some sharp, short iron play to avoid a big number and still others that offer birdie opportunities. The greens are quite true for such a young course and, as is the case with courses in this environment, they should become even more consistent with time.

If you get hot with the putter you can score well here. Failing that, you’ll need to hit a straight shot. There are some forgiving fairways; however, in width and reach, this course is a ball graveyard for the scatter golfer and will only become more so as the flora matures.

Hole 6, for instance, has trees growing in on the right side that will eventually change the view from the tee and also affect the sight lines for the approach shot.

With the splendor of the tropical flora, blue skies, and consistent Caribbean breezes, this is a highly enjoyable course to play. It caters to every golfer’s whim with five sets of tees, smartly-crafted waste bunkers, and some inviting looks that seem to inspire the golfer to take a shot at scoring on every hole.

Watch out for the coral rock formations, especially on Hole 9. Also, notably, the closing 18th has a massive coralline garden on the right flank with the fairway tilting precariously in that direction as well. Its exposure to a strong and steady ocean breeze pushes even a straight drive to the right.

This ending hole is a true score killer. Even a strong drive will leave the second shot in question as the direct line to the hole will require an accurate long iron over the coralline corner, through a strong wind and over a protective bunker in front of the smallish green.

There is ample room to the right and back of the green though, indicating Gary Player doesn’t have a heart of coralline. This additional room around the green is a consistent aspect throughout the course and invites all players to try to score as much as to play.

Guavaberry is going to be a very fun course to watch grow up, as it appears to have a well thought out designscape.