Though the Caribbean’s golf scene has improved immeasurably in the last decade or so, there’s still only one resort that truly sets the standard.

The Dominican Republic’s full service, soup-to-nuts sporting paradise is Casa de Campo. And while playing options are many and varied, and include horses, polo, skeet, tennis, boating, fishing and a full array of beach activities, the single greatest appeal of the resort is golf. For many visitors, the beating heart of Casa de Campo is measured by its wonderful trio of resort courses, led by the world renowned Teeth of the Dog.

Iconoclastic architect Pete Dye not only conceived and built it, he and his wife (and co-designer) Alice also live on the course part time. He’s an unprepossessing man, a straight talker, and his thatched-roof, low-profile series of bungalows sits unobtrusively among the showcase homes, to the right of the par-3 seventh.

Dye’s digs may be low-profile, but his signature design is anything but. The course features overly generous fairways, and dizzying greens, mimicking the movement, pitch and roll of the nearby Caribbean Sea.

Speaking of which, among the seven seaside beauties which rightly cement the Teeth’s international reputation, the finest is the fifth. This one-shot diamond is as dramatically beautiful as the seventh at Pebble Beach, or the 17th at Cabo Del Sol’s Ocean Course on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Both the tee box and green protrude well into the crashing breakers of the sea, and while subsequent par 3s are longer and more dangerous, none are as pulse-pounding. The penultimate hole deserves a quick mention also. It’s a wonderful par 4, contoured against the shoreline. Only the boldest and bravest will launch over the ocean with a big draw or hard pull, looking far down the fairway. The rest of us will admire the stunning scenery, and then aim well left of “La Playa.” The long iron or fairway wood approach to follow is the price that must be paid for our conservatism.

Pete’s pushing 80 now, but the man gets better with age. His latest creation is Dye Fore (a play on words, as he also designed the gentler Links Course, and the private, but sometimes-resort-accessible La Romana Country Club, both on the property.)

Casa de Campo features three great resort courses.

Teeth of the Dog is wonderful, and its position on the GOLF Magazine worldwide top 100 list is well deserved. But if the architect wasn’t so modest, he might’ve consented to adding the word “To” in front of Dye Fore, because this newest creation is another spectacular achievement.

One word describes the property: Gigantic. Located well above the resort proper, near the Italianate replica village of Altos de Chavon, Dye Fore is one of the largest golf parcels this Vagabond Golfer has ever seen.

As seen from the open-air 19th hole, the fairways of just the 10th and especially the enormous, tumbling 18th feature the same grass acreage as would normally comprise a full nine holes at a typical course. Perched upon the bluffs overlooking the winding Chavon River and stretching more than 7,700 yards from the back tees, Dye Fore is a mountainous and arduous trek. Tee shots must skirt imposing ravines, the occasional blind approach shots are launched at greens often surrounded by steep drops, and there’s an overall capaciousness, an up-and-down sensibility that makes the facility uniquely memorable.

The dominating visual feature is the aforementioned river, some 200 feet below the fairway, which winds between sheer granite cliffs before spilling into the Caribbean Sea.

The inward journey features dramatic river views with virtually no housing. The outward half showcases not only the sea in the middle distance, but some of the most brazenly opulent vacation homes in the hemisphere, many of which are owned by wealthy Cubans and South Americans. Who’s to say what’s more impressive? Is it the incredible fourth hole, a downhill par-4 dogleg left bracketed by a ravine above the river leading to the sea, where both the tee shot and approach must be steered gingerly away from the precipice? Or is it the eye-popping mansion lording above the green, which supposedly features as many bathrooms as there are holes on the course? Neither is a sight that’s seen with any regularity. But while the manor home is off limits, any golfer is welcome to test their mettle on one of the Caribbean’s most daunting golf challenges.

“Teeth” debuted in 1971, and Dye’s encore, the Links Course, was created a short time later. But because of the appeal of Dye Fore, the Links has now been subjugated to a third, or afternoon option, by Dye’s seaside and riverside creations. It’s a pleasant if pedestrian resort offering, not overly memorable, with one notable exception.

Midway through the inward nine, the course winds around and plays over and through a series of water features that give this first Dye creation its imprimatur. The 12th is a wonderful cape hole, where the daring player will attempt to carry more of the right side water hazard than his conservative companion. The 13th and 16th are challenging forced-carry par 3s over water, while in between are two estimable par 4s with lagoons menacing the left side of the landing area. Beyond this stretch, the Links offers a couple of long-range ocean views, adding ambience if nothing else. The only other feature worth noting is that it might be one of the only legitimate championship courses in all of the islands where the penultimate markers are less than 6,000 yards in length. Most any decent or ego-driven player will swell his chest and take his chances, stepping to “the tips” at 6,600 yards.

Away from the course, Casa de Campo features a dizzying array of dining, drinking and nightlife options. It’s hard to go wrong at any of them, but top honors go to Lago Grill, with its wonderful open-air breakfast and lunch buffets. La Piazetta is fine Italian food up at Altos de Chavon. And lastly, the Cana Bar in the resort central offers dancing, floor shows and live music for those who haven’t expended all their energy on the superb fairways and myriad other recreation options at this wonderfully comprehensive resort.

For more information about Casa de Campo, click here.