5th Hole Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo
145 Yard Par 3
The Caribbean Sea swims adjacent to seven holes at Teeth of the Dog, the iconic centrepiece of the luxurious golf retreat, an hour's drive west of Punta Cana and an hour and a half east of the capital city of Santo Domingo. Dye's 7,471-yard masterpiece, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021, is surprisingly forgiving off the tee until golfers face off with the sea.
Coastal breezes might feel good at the beach, but they torment the ocean holes, nos. 5-8 and nos. 15-17. Bring a camera and an extra sleeve of balls for the three par 3’s including the 145-yard 5th hole - when the Teeth of the Dog bites, it's the scorecard that feels the pain.
On Thursday October 17 everyone starts to arrive. We have deluxe coaches ready for the groups at both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports and everyone makes their way to Carnoustie to begin the adventure.
The trip has people from all over Canada, from Alberta through to Ontario, and after some of the group grab an extra bonus round on the Budden Course, everyone has the chance to meet each other in the new Carnoustie Club House. The drinks start to flow, the food is great (the seafood chowder got rave reviews) and the noise level goes up as everyone gets to know each other and the laughter starts. After everyone get their welcome gifts, the festivities continue at the Carnoustie hotel bar (where we are all staying) and over the course of the night people start to filter out and get ready the first “planned” golf day.
 First group dinner |  View from Carnoustie Golf Hotel rooms |
For many years TJ has been going down to the PGA Show in Orlando and this year I (Matt) tagged along! The week included a little bit of golf, some great meetings and what is possibly the biggest display of all that is golf under one roof!
Well, 2019 turned into another great year of travel for all of us at Golf Away Tours. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to many different golf destinations around the world, and certainly do not take it for granted. We pride ourselves on knowing the destinations to which we send our clients so not only are the trips fun and exciting for us personally, but they are very beneficial as well. During our travels, we take the time to get to know the hotels and courses we use, as well as meeting influential individuals, with whom we create great partnerships and friendships.
As I look back at 2019, I’m pretty sure it was the year where I got in the absolute most golf travel I’ve ever been able to play!
| Tee view, 18th hole Varadero Golf Club | It all started in Varadero Cuba in February / March with 8 rounds of Golf at the top-rated course in Cuba (ok, it’s the only 18-hole course in the country now!) the Varadero Golf Club. Varadero Golf Club is a wintertime favorite of mine that I have played dozens of times. Located a short 3-minute walk (yes, walk) from the Melia Las Americas Resort, Varadero Golf Club is not the best course you will ever play but it is a ton of fun to play, has 2 great holes that are right beside the ocean and plays tough enough for a decent golfer to enjoy but is fair enough for everyone to play.
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