Iberostate Bavaro Punta Cana Course
The Iberostate Bavaro Golf Club resort course at the Iberostar Punta Cana hotel is an affordable, fun, and friendly course right in the heart of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Hospitality
The hospitality at the Iberostate is exactly what you’d hope for in destination/resort golf. The staff spoke great English (not always the case in the Dominican), and were extremely friendly and accommodating. The range crew were there to help with carts, rental clubs, and range balls. The beverage cart crew was fantastic, and were willing to get whatever you need, whether it be from the cart or back at the clubhouse.
The best part? Unlimited booze. Since the Iberostate is an all inclusive resort, you get all you can drink water, soda, beer, and liquor. I think it goes without saying that this could lead to a really good time.
The only downside was the food. Each round comes with a free “sandwich,” but in reality, my ham sandwich was 2 slices of ham, a piece of cheese, mayo, and some crust-less bread. As bad as it was, I’ll choose to not really blame the course here, as that’s how the “sandwiches” were at every course I encountered on this trip.
As a bonus, if you purchase (yes I know, this part isn’t free) a drink at the 19th hole after your round, you get a full meal for free.
Clubhouse & Practice Facilities
While the Iberostate clubhouse wasn’t anything to write home about, it was extremely clean and neat. The restaurant attached was very 19th hole-esque, and was named as such. The pro shop had a few shirt and hat options as well as the usual balls, markers, divot tools, etc. A word to the wise: if you plan on going to the Dominican Republic, bring a lot of balls because the pro shops will rob you blind (to the tune of $15-20 a sleeve).
The practice facilities were serviceable, but nothing that will take your breath away. The grass range is very wide, but only about a third of it had stalls set up. It was about 250 yards long, and the yellow practice balls were awful. Some balls were fine, while others had no dimples, cracks, and the like. The practice green was fairly large and in great shape, so I’ll at least give that a stick tap. There was also a few bunkers to practice out of, but I wouldn’t recommend using it due to the terrible sand (more on that later).
The Course
The Iberostate track is a P.B. Dye (not Pete, his son) design that was built in ’92. It’s a par 72 playing a hair under 6,900 yards from the tips. The thing that was most enjoyable about this course was how playable it is. It’s vacation golf, so if you’re there to relax and maybe squeeze in a round or two, it’s perfect. The fairways are wide and all of the holes are extremely playable. There’s nothing overly long or tight, but there are still some tricky pins and greens to navigate. Nothing on the course will get you overly frustrated.
The signature hole is the par-3 8th hole, where the green/rough is surrounded by sand to form the Iberostar logo. Nothing overly complicated, but again, the sand sucks. But hey, the hole looks pretty cool though.
The course itself was in fantastic condition. The tee boxes were well maintained, fairways nice and green, and greens were well manicured, albeit very slow. The only downside to the course condition was that sand. Man, is the sand awful here… It’s basically dirt. My second go-round, my group opted to pull out of the bunkers all together because they were really that bad. Overall though, a well-maintained course and I’m glad I played it to add a course to my international list.
Conclusion
At $165 a round, and $100 for twilight, the Iberostate Bavaro Golf Club is a great bang-for-your-buck course. Between the great conditions, all-you-can-drink setup, and wonderful weather, Iberostate delivers in terms of a relaxing, fun day on the course. If you’re a serious golfer looking for a casual round, or just wanting to have some fun with those who are “vacation-only golfers,” you’re sure to have a great time at the Iberostate.
