Casa de Campo Resort Review
The 7,000-acre Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic spans multiple zones including beaches, marina, and a replica European village called Altos de Chavon. The property features three championship golf courses, a 245-acre shooting center, polo fields, and complimentary golf carts for every guest, with high-quality dining that defies typical all-inclusive expectations.
- The resort was originally developed in the 1970s as a private retreat for Charles Bluhdorn, the chairman of Gulf + Western, which owned the Central Romana sugar mill and Paramount Pictures. Famed Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta was responsible for the original interior designs. - All three of the resort's championship golf courses were designed by the legendary golf architect Pete Dye. The most famous course, Teeth of the Dog, opened in 1971 and was carved from the rocky coastline by 300 Dominican laborers using mainly hand tools. - The Altos de Chavón village was designed by Italian artist Roberto Coppa and built in 1976. Its 5,000-seat Grecian-style amphitheater was inaugurated in 1982 with the "Concert for the Americas," headlined by Frank Sinatra. - The on-site marina, inspired by Portofino, Italy, was completed in 2000 and features over 70 restaurants, shops, and a 400-berth yacht club. - The resort has hosted numerous celebrity events, including the 2023 wedding of actor Blair Underwood and Martha Stewart's historic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover photoshoot. - After Bluhdorn's death in 1983, the resort was acquired by the Cuban-American Fanjul family, who transformed it from a private corporate retreat into a luxury destination open to the public. - The resort's name, "Teeth of the Dog," came from the workers who described the sharp coral rock on the coastline as "diente de perro." Pete Dye famously stated, "I created 11 holes and God created seven," referring to the seven holes that hug the Caribbean Sea. - The resort community includes more than 1,700 private villas, with prices ranging from $1 million to over $24 million.
