The winners of the tenth Andalucía Golf Challenge, Destination Dominican Republic, Ocean’s 4, Bahía Principe, will once again have a unique and very special grand prize: an all-inclusive trip, airfare, accommodation and golf, to the great resort of Bahía Principe de Nueva Romana, located in one of the best areas of the island, halfway between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.
It will be nine intense days in which the five players who manage to win the grand final, to be held on November 21 at Atalaya Golf & Country Club, will be able to enjoy, in addition to the beaches and the crystal clear Caribbean water, the best courses in the Dominican Republic: Ocean’s 4, our host, Punta Espada, in Cap Cana, and Teeth of The Dog, in Casa de Campo.
The Dominican Republic is undoubtedly one of the favorite tourist destinations for Spaniards, and it is also becoming a mecca for golf enthusiasts.
And it can’t be otherwise. This island has a lot to offer. When you arrive in Santo Domingo, or any other airport, as soon as you get off the plane you feel a strange sensation of well-being; you receive a slap in the face of heat, humidity, smells… you immediately feel that pleasant sensation that allows you to think: finally, I’m here, this is what I like! The people are different, generally friendly, welcoming, less tense. Everything predisposes you to break with your usual routine and get ready to enjoy.
Almost immediately the stress evaporates, you leave your worries behind and almost forget the name of your accountant. You start living.
The Dominican Republic has evolved a lot in recent years: infrastructure has improved enormously. Roads are no longer what they were, highways and freeways connect the key points of the island. It is now very easy, fast and safe to move around the country.
The hotel where the winners of the X Andalucía Golf Challenge circuit will stay, located in the large Nueva Romana complex, is just forty-five minutes from the modern airport of the country’s capital, in the tourist heart of the island.
It is accessed from the highway that connects Santo Domingo with Punta Cana, through a wide landscaped avenue, with lush vegetation around it. There is no lack of space here. Everything is big.
The reception is luxurious and elegant, very open and decorated with exquisite taste and tropical style. The friendliness with which you are greeted makes you feel welcome immediately. It is the best way to start a few days of relaxation in your dream destination: the great Dominican experience begins.
From here you just have to let yourself be pampered and get ready for the days of golf that await us in the best golf courses in the Caribbean, taste its exquisite cuisine and enjoy the dreamy beaches of the surroundings.
“Our resort,” says the general manager of the complex, Francisco J. Ropero, “is in a privileged location on the island, just a short distance from the main airports, whether in Santo Domingo, La Romana or Punta Cana. From here we can also reach most of the country’s golf courses and the island’s main tourist centers in a very short time: the capital of the republic is less than an hour away (its colonial area is worth visiting), as is Punta Cana; Samaná is a little farther away, but within reasonable distance”.
We have two different hotels here,” he continues, “united but differentiated: the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville, which is our five-star luxury hotel; and the other, the Gran Bahia Principe La Romana, which is also five-star but with a more family-oriented character. We are located within a macro-project, in full development, of almost six square kilometers, which has, in addition to the two hotels, two golf courses, one with nine holes and the other with 18, a residential area, which will be expanded, a marina, etc.”.
The Piñero Group, owner of the Bahia Principe resorts, is one of the most established in this Caribbean island; in addition to the large complex in Nueva Romana, its largest hotel concentration in the Dominican Republic is in Punta Cana, where it has seven magnificent hotels. And next to them is a golf course that does not belong to the group, Punta Blanca, which can be reached on foot. Nearby are other great courses on the island.
The group also has hotels in Samaná, two of them on the peninsula and another two on the island of Cayo Levantado. Further north, in Rio San Juan, is the first hotel opened by the group in the Dominican Republic.
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THE BEST GOLF IN THE CARIBBEAN
Another great advantage of staying at this resort is that, without leaving the complex, and in less than five minutes you can reach its great golf course, Ocean’s 4, which opened its eighteen holes just over two years ago, but is already ready to present its credentials to be among the best and most prestigious courses on the island, which is almost the same as saying the Caribbean.
The club, which also has nine par three holes, is managed by a great expert in course management, Carlos de Linares.
This is the second course that Grupo Piñero has opened in the Caribbean. They already have another magnificent course in Rivera Maya (Mexico), which last year hosted the winners and companions of the ninth edition of the Andalucía Golf Challenge circuit.
At the head of the Group’s golf division, Vanessa Vignali, a renowned professional player who began her career at the same course as Sergio García, the Club de Campo Mediterráneo. At the age of fifteen she was already a 0 handicap and, although she continued with her studies until she became an industrial engineer and then obtained a master’s degree in business management, she decided to become a professional player and dedicate herself to competition. Golf is her passion and her life.
“Of Ocean’s 4,” – says Vanessa – “I would highlight, in addition to its great design, its privileged location next to the Caribbean Sea, with four holes next to the water that almost hits you in the face when you play them.
The beauty and the unique sensation of playing those holes is unspeakable: that turquoise sea, the gentle breeze that always blows, the cliffs that sometimes have to be negotiated, the vegetation made up of coconut, almond and beach grape trees… it is something very special”.
“But also,” he adds, “when the course runs “inland” we have holes of great beauty and even a lot of water, especially in the corner formed by holes two, three and four. Hole 3 is beautiful, with an island green that is quite a challenge, although it is not very long”.
“This is not a course that can be defined as links, parkland, desert and Caribbean. It is a mixture of all those styles with very different parts. The course combines more technical or strategic holes, where you have to think well how to play them, with almost always two options, one more risky and brave, versus another more conservative but longer, with other very wide holes where you have to hit the ball with all your heart.
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