13 best golf resorts in the Caribbean and the Americas | GOLF Top 100 Resorts

September 13, 2023

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September 13, 2023

Puntacana Resort & Club in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

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The world may be getting smaller, but its collection of top-shelf golf resorts remains vast. From the American Heartland and the shimmering coasts of the Caribbean to the peaks of Europe and the majesty of Asia and the South Pacific, virtually every region on the planet is home to a sampling of the game’s finest stay-and-play experiences. To learn about the best golf resorts in the Caribbean and the Americas, keep reading below.

To browse GOLF’s complete 2023-24 list of the Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World, click here.

The best golf resorts in the Caribbean and the Americas (2023-24)

Albany Resort
New Providence, The Bahamas

You might know Albany only as the host of Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge, but its primary role is to serve as a luxurious oceanside getaway. Owned by billionaire Joe Lewis, along with Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Timberlake, the gated 600-acre community opened in 2010. Most of the residential properties at Albany — from the colonial-style ocean-front villas to the super-slick apartments that overlook a yacht-filled marina — are available for rent on a nightly basis, making it a swank destination for those in the know. Els designed the par-72, 7,400-yard course, which offers a balance of windswept dunes, desert features and water hazards. Surrounding the course is a 400-yard driving range, a pristine short-game practice area, and a fully-equipped swing performance center. Dining options range from casual and poolside to gourmet and high-end. Private beaches, two pools (one for kids and another for adults), an equestrian center, luxurious spa, state-of-the-art fitness center and art gallery cement Albany’s oasis status. Don’t be surprised if you spot a celeb in the gym or relaxing poolside — it’s that kind of place. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Amanera
Playa Grande, Dominican Republic

On the Dominican Republic’s Gold Coast on Playa Grande Beach, this all-casita-and-casa resort is a monument to upscale luxury. Surrounded by natural beauty it’s an outdoor-enthusiast’s paradise with endless water sports, outdoor yoga and spa treatments, plus hiking in the nearby mountains. The Rees Jones-designed course is one of the more spectacular in the region. All 18 holes have a view of the ocean with 10 holes directly on the water, clinging to the cliffs, including the last five. It’s a closing act you won’t soon forget. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Cap Cana Resort
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

More than a few observers have anointed Punta Espada at Cap Cana as Jack Nicklaus’ best design. It’s hard to argue, given the setting along the Caribbean with eight holes melting into its azure waters. Punta Espada checks all the tropical-island boxes: beach, bluffs, jungles, wildlife and even a cave to the left of the 1st fairway stocked with iguanas. The single-digit group will also deem it a stout test upon rolling up on the 611-yard, par-5 2nd. The 7,400-yard layout hosted the Champions Tour’s Cap Cana Championship from 2008-’10, with Fred Couples setting the course record posting a 62. Boom Boom and the rest of the senior circuit battled Punta Espada’s notorious 250-yard par-3 13th with waves crashing against the coral and rock outcroppings lining the left side of the hole. Off the course, Cap Cana offers a variety of luxury accommodations. Secrets is an adults-only refuge; Eden Roc delights with 34 intimate suites; and the 176-room Sanctuary boasts Spanish Colonial architecture and stunning marble and tile interiors. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Casa De Campo Resort & Villas
La Romana, Dominican Republic

A visit to Casa de Campo is the only way to comprehend its sheer size (7,000 acres), postcard beauty, and staff so friendly you’ll be snapping selfies with them the first day. This iconic Dominican Republic golf resort is approaching its 50th birthday, but it doesn’t show. Pete Dye’s famous Teeth of the Dog opened in 1971, and new ownership has invested heavily in its — and the entire property’s — longevity. What was old is new again, highlighted by the swanky new Minitas Beach Club just steps from the Caribbean. Exploring the expansive property is easy, as guests are handed the keys to their own four-seat golf cart upon check-in. The longest haul is out, and up, to Dye Fore, Dye’s 27-hole layout spread atop a bluff overlooking the Chavon River. For ease of access (and a warm-up round), the underrated Links course (renovated in 2012) winds through the interior of the resort and offers glimpses of the ocean. Casa de Campo’s crescendo is Teeth of the Dog. Seven holes play hard along the Caribbean, while the remaining 11 wind through groves of coconut palms and cashew trees. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Club Karibana Cartagena
Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia

As a major port city in Colombia, Cartagena has a lot of scenic coastal land, very little of which has been set aside for golf. A rare exception is this swish retreat, home to Colombia’s only seaside course. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the routing features a front nine that winds through lakes and mangroves-covered wetlands and a back nine that spills alongside the Caribbean, with stunning views of turquoise waters. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico

An original Rockefeller resort when it opened in the ’50s, Dorado Beach partnered with Ritz-Carlton in 2018 to become the only Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Western Hemisphere. The RTJ-designed tracks — Sugarcane and East — have long been the calling card for golf vacationers in Puerto Rico. The resort takes guest experiences to another level — an elite one. The food is exquisite, thanks to top chef Mario Pagan. And indicative of the resort’s one-of-a-kind offerings is the spa’s treehouse-like massage setting. Be sure to make time to see the five-bedroom Su Casa, an original, restored 1920s villa on the 50-acre property. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Guanacaste, Costa Rica

If you’re drawn to the notion of sleeping in a tropical rain forest (without the bugs, snakes and heat), Papagayo is for you. On a hillside perch overlooking the dreamy blues of the Pacific, you can indulge in spectacular Four Seasons hospitality in the midst of a vibrant rain forest. Your private balcony will serve up spectacular tree-lined scenery along with views of the Blanca or Virador Beach. Many rooms have private hammocks for an upscale rain-forest sleeping adventure. A seven-minute ride away is the Arnold Palmer designed par-72 course with dramatic elevation changes and huge rolling fairways. Watch out for the cheeky monkeys who might try to snatch your ball. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Four Seasons Resort Nevis
Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies

In the 16th century, Spanish explorers named the island Nuestra Señora de Las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snow) in honor of clouds that reminded them of snow. This just in: it doesn’t snow on Nevis. The tropical climate allows for year-round golf, and this lavish resort is a fine place to play it. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course stretches through lush terrain between the coast and the base of Nevis Peak, where billowy clouds still gather like snow drifts but the flaky stuff itself does not fall. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Llao Llao Hotel & Resort
San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

In geographic terms, Patagonia is a region at the southern tip of South America. In more colloquial lingo, it is shorthand for unspoiled natural beauty, a vast swath of virgin territory rippled with mountains and dotted with lakes, including the crystalline waters that ring this remote resort. Accommodations here are rustic-chic, the guest rooms lined with native hardwoods. And the golf course is at one with its surroundings, with sweeping views of water and snow-capped peaks. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Mukul Resort
Guacalito De La Isla, Nicaragua

If you had to distill it to a single sentence, you might note that this resort, on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, was built by Don Carlos Pellas, the billionaire owner of Flor de Cana rum. But that wouldn’t give the full flavor of the place. You’d also want to mention that the property spreads across 1,670 acres and provides the kind of quiet luxury that makes you feel as if you’ve got the whole place to yourself. Natural beauty extends everywhere, from the inland mountains, carpeted in forest, to the crescent curve of a white-sand coast, but also on a brilliant David McLay-Kidd course that closes with one of the world’s most photogenic holes: a par 3 with a green set directly on the beach. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Puntacana Resort & Club
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

A resort town on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is said to be the second-most popular tourist destination in Latin America. Though that’s hard to confirm, there’s no doubt it draws a crowd. A big part of the allure are the 45-holes of first-rate island golf that anchor this expansive resort, 27 of which were designed by P.B. Dye. The other 18 were built by Tom Fazio, whose Corales Course is the first course in the D.R. to host a PGA Tour event. A championship test for the pros, it makes an exhilarating playground for golfers of all levels, with a closing stretch known as the Devil’s Elbow that — true to its name — bends diabolically along the sea. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Rosewood Bermuda
Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

A $25 million renovation in 2018 elevated the luxuriousness of this resort on the colorful island of Bermuda. Elegant rooms with charming British touches look out onto the island’s largest private beach. The resort’s golf offering — Tucker’s Point Golf Course — was built by Charles Bank in 1932 but overhauled by Roger Rulewich in 2002. Its 1930s roots are reflected in numerous blind shots (study the GPS screen in your cart carefully!), and the fairways can get narrow, so bring an extra sleeve or two. You won’t soon forget two par 4s: the ninth, where the approach requires a carry over a huge chasm, and the 17th, with its views of both the ocean and the group of houses known as Millionaire’s Row in Tucker’s Town. Kids can learn the game via Junior Golf Academy sessions, or head out on the course in a special family cart that accommodates a foursome and four sets of clubs. There’s also a family-friendly layout near the resort’s tennis courts, with holes from 20-50 yards. [LEARN MORE HERE]

Sandy Lane
St. James, Barbados

A welcoming Caribbean luxury outpost since the 1930s, Sandy Lane Resort was purchased in 1998 by wealthy Irish businessmen J.P. McManus, Dermot Desmond and John Magnier. They promptly demolished the resort and initiated a three-year, $450 million upgrade and renovation. Tom Fazio was tapped to design both the Country Club course, site of a 2006 World Cup event won by Germany, and the famed Green Monkey course, carved from a limestone quarry. A third layout — the nine-hole Old Course — oozes old-school charm. The resort has welcomed the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Elton John, Jackie Kennedy and T.S. Elliot. It boasts one of the largest spas in the region, consistently ranked as one of the top in the Caribbean with a deep menu of treatments. Weddings are a specialty and while you don’t have to rent out the entire resort like Tiger Woods did years ago, you can still celebrate your nuptials (or an anniversary) in grand style. [LEARN MORE HERE]