Over $6.5 billion in new mega resort developments, covering a combined 33,000 acres, will transform the Dominican Republic's (DR) East Coast into the quintessential destination for golf. New championship golf courses, marinas and luxury resort accommodations being developed will enhance a dozen well-known and loved existing championship golfcourses, igniting golf tourism and transforming the area into the new international 'It' destination for golf.

"Our vision to grow the DR's East Coast into an upscale golfer's paradise is unfolding with great care to preserve and showcase the area's pristine beauty and eco-diversity," said Minister of Tourism Felix Jimenez. "The DR has invested $400 million in tourism infrastructure and plans to add $1 billion more in developments such as new highways, road signs and other enhancements by 2012. These efforts encourage visitors to experience the DR with ease and savor our marvelous coastlines, lush green golf vistas and azure seas in year-round tropical weather."

The Dominican Republic is even more a golfer's paradise than ever before, with an enormous choice of stunningly beautiful and challenging options to play, such as:

Catalonia Cabeza de Toro Golf Club
Designed by Alberto Sola, the 27-hole course located at the Catalonia Bavaro Resort in Punta Cana is unique and challenging. www.hoteles-catalonia.com.

Cocotal Golf and Country Club
The 18-hole course, designed by six-time Spanish champion Jose Pepe Gancedo, uses the natural terrain of an old coconut plantation and includes serene lakes and palm trees in its landscape. www.cocotalgolf.com.

Corales Golf Course
Open as of April 2010, the Tom Fazio-designed second oceanfront golf course at Punta Cana Resort & Club features holes perched on cliffs along the north shore of the resort's luxury enclave called Corales. Oscar de la Renta (a shareholder), Julio Iglesias and Mikhail Baryshnikov all have beachfront residences and visit often. A private golf course, Corales is available to play by guests of the Tortuga Bay or Puntacana Resorts. www.puntacana.com.

Dye Fore at Casa de Campo
The newest Pete Dye course to open at the luxurious Casa de Campo resort in La Romana features a 300-foot deep river gorge, Mediterranean village, mountains and the Caribbean Sea as backdrops. Although visually intimidating, the course is very playable. www.casadecampo.com.do.

The Faldo Legacy Course at Roco Ki Golf Club
The Faldo Legacy Course will open this fall and promises to thrill golfers of every ability with its challenging cliffside and ocean-view holes and tropical mangroves. Troon Golf will manage this 18-hole golf facility. www.rocoki.com.

Golf de Bavaro
Located at the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort in Punta Cana, this 18-hole course was designed by Juan Manuel Gordillo in 1991. www.barcelo.com.

Greg Norman Signature Golf Course in Costa Blanca
Slated to open in 2010, this first Greg Norman designed golf course in the DR is taking the "least distrurbance" approach to preserve and protect the environment. The course will feature many vistas along the Caribbean Sea. www.costablanca.com.do.

Guavaberry Golf & Country Club
This Gary Player designed course is located 20 minutes east of Santo Domingo's airport near the resort town of Juan Dolio, Guavaberry Golf & Country Club opened in 2002 and has quickly become known worldwide as a challenging course.www.guavaberrygolf.com.

La Cana Golf Course
Located at Punta Cana Resort & Club, every hole in this P.B. Dye-designed championship course captures the scenery of the Caribbean with 14 ocean-view and four oceanfront holes. In fact, the 18th hole has been said to resemble the infamous 18th hole at Pebble Beach. And, according to Dye, the 7th hole is golfer's purgatory. www.puntacana.com.

La Hacienda at Puntacana Resort & Club
The P.B. Dye course is the resort's first inland course, La Hacienda. This challenging course will be irrigated with recycled water and uses special golf grass known as state-of-the-art in the golf industry, Sea Island Supreme, a Paspalum hybrid. www.puntacana.com.

Las Iguanas Golf Course at Cap Cana
Promising to be one of the most luxurious and largest resorts in the Caribbean, Cap Cana is just south of Punta Cana. Las Iguanas is Cap Cana's second of three Jack Nicklaus Signature courses. (The Punta Espada Golf Club at Cap Cana was host to the official PGA Champion's Tour 2010.) The Las Iguanas facility will be managed by Troon Golf opening at the end of 2010. www.capcana.com.

Links at Casa de Campo
The second course designed by Pete Dye at Casa de Campo in La Romana opened in 1975 and has been compared to traditional British and Scottish link courses. There are five holes where water makes this course an exceptional challenge. www.casadecampo.com.do.

Los Marlins Golf Course
Designed by international award-winning architect Charles Ankrom and located in Juan Dolio, the championship 18-hole course is located at the Metro Country Club. Numerous artistic sand traps, lakes and mounds play well with the surrounding beauty of the Caribbean. www.groupmetro.com.

Punta Blanca at Punta Cana Beach Resort
This new five-star Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort features a casino, spa and 18-hole golf course designed by Nick Price. www.punta-blanca.com.

Punta Espada Golf Course at Cap Cana
This was the first golf course to open at luxurious Cap Cana and is the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in the Dominican Republic. World renowned golf course management company Troon Golf runs the 7,382 yard-long 18-hole course. www.capcana.com.

Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo
Consistently ranked by golf experts as one of the top 50 courses in the world, Teeth of the Dog is located in La Romana and features several signature Dye formations, seven oceanfront holes and is considered extra challenging due to tricky sea breezes. The course opened in 1971 and recently had its teeth sharpened and lengthened. www.casadecampo.com.do.

White Sands Golf Course at White Sands Golf & Beach Resort
Six-time Spanish champion Jose "Pepe" Gancedo designed this nine-hole course located in the heart of Bavaro. Nine additional holes opened in August of 2007. www.whitesands.com.do.

Visit the Dominican Republic soon. For more information, please contact the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism at 1-888-374-6361.

Photos Courtesy of The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism

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