Teeth of the Dog Returns After $15M Restoration at Casa de Campo

The Caribbean’s most legendary fairway is open for play again. Teeth of the Dog — the Pete Dye-designed masterpiece at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic — has officially completed its most extensive restoration since the course first opened in 1971. The grand reopening ceremony took place on March 13, 2026, attended by Dominican President Luis Abinader, resort leadership, government officials, and hospitality figures, underscoring just how consequential this course is to the Dominican Republic’s identity as a premier luxury travel destination.

The $15 million, year-long restoration project was led by Jerry Pate Design, with one guiding philosophy: preserve the genius of Pete Dye while preparing his greatest Caribbean creation for the next half-century of play. The result is a course that feels simultaneously brand new and unmistakably faithful to its celebrated heritage.

What Changed — and What Did Not

The scope of the restoration was comprehensive without being transformative. Designers concentrated on refinements that respect Dye’s original strategic vision rather than dramatically altering the layout. The core objective was to preserve his lines of play, contours, angles, and the iconic defensive features that have defined the course for over five decades.

The most significant physical change is a complete re-grassing of the entire layout with Dynasty Paspalum — a high-performance turf variety specifically suited to coastal environments. Its resilience to saltwater exposure and warm climates makes it particularly appropriate for a course positioned directly along the Caribbean coastline. All cart paths have been resurfaced with new concrete, and new rock paths now curve around tees and greens. Sand layers were incorporated beneath fairways to optimize drainage and irrigation.

The ocean holes — the famous ‘Heaven 7’ that run directly along the Caribbean Sea — received particular attention. Advanced coastal engineering techniques were applied to reinforce shoreline integrity and protect the layout against long-term environmental exposure. ‘This restoration solidifies Teeth of the Dog and Casa de Campo as truly providing one of the outstanding golf experiences in the world,’ said Jason Kycek, Chief Marketing Officer at Casa de Campo.

The Legacy of Pete Dye

Pete Dye’s influence on golf course architecture is virtually without equal in the modern era. His hallmarks — railroad ties, vast waste areas, peninsula greens and tees, hand-sculpted putting surfaces, and a unique assortment of pot bunkers — are all on dramatic display at Teeth of the Dog. When Dye first walked the rugged shoreline at Casa de Campo in the late 1960s, there was no template for Caribbean golf at this level.

The result was a course that famously prompted Dye to quip: ‘I created 11 holes, and God created seven’ — a reference to the seven extraordinary oceanfront holes that form the course’s breathtaking centerpiece. Since opening in 1971, Teeth of the Dog has been consistently rated the No. 1 golf course in the Caribbean and regularly appears on global top-100 rankings. The restoration preserves rather than reinvents: restoring clarity and reinforcing intent so the strategic demands that have tested golfers for five decades remain intact.

What It Means for Travelers

For golf travelers, the practical implication is straightforward: one of the Caribbean’s defining bucket-list experiences is once again fully operational and arguably in better condition than it has been in decades. Teeth of the Dog has long functioned as a destination asset rather than simply an amenity for Casa de Campo guests, and the restoration is expected to drive a significant uptick in demand and tee time competition during peak winter and spring seasons.

Travelers specifically motivated by playing Teeth of the Dog are strongly advised to book well in advance. The combination of pent-up demand following the restoration closure, renewed global press attention, and the course’s legendary reputation means last-minute tee time availability will be extremely limited — particularly for peak dates from November through April.

Broader Developments at Casa de Campo

The reopening also signals continued investment at Casa de Campo more broadly. The resort is preparing to launch the second phase of its Premier Suites project beginning in May 2026, including a new pool and expansion of its Forbes Four-Star spa — the only one in the Dominican Republic to hold that distinction. Together with the marina, equestrian center, shooting facilities, and multiple dining venues, Casa de Campo continues to evolve as a multi-layered luxury destination.

Tourism Minister David Collado, present at the March 13 ceremony, characterized projects of this investment scale as essential to strengthening the Dominican Republic’s high-end tourism offerings and global competitiveness. Golf tourism in particular attracts high-spend international visitors from North America and Europe who travel specifically for world-class course experiences. With Punta Cana dominating much of the country’s resort conversation, La Romana and Casa de Campo play a distinct role — and a fully restored Teeth of the Dog strengthens that lane considerably.

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