Why Cap Cana Is the Caribbean's Best Golf Destination
There is a straightforward case to be made for Cap Cana as the finest golf destination in the Caribbean, and it rests on a single fact: it is the only resort in the region where you can play two legitimately world-ranked golf courses without leaving the property.
Punta Espada, Jack Nicklaus's original Cap Cana creation from 2003, has held the #1 resort course ranking in Latin America for years and is consistently placed among the top resort courses in the world by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and every other serious golf publication that covers the region. It is the reason serious golfers first came to Cap Cana.
Las Iguanas, which opened in November 2025 after fifteen years of dormancy and resurrection, is the reason they will keep coming back. A second Nicklaus layout — different in character, similar in quality — that brings the total Dominican Republic offering at Cap Cana to a level no other Caribbean destination can touch.
For the serious golf traveler planning a week in the Caribbean, the question used to be: Punta Espada or somewhere else? Now the question is: which Cap Cana course do I play on day one?
Las Iguanas: The New Course
Las Iguanas was always meant to be at Cap Cana. The project began in the mid-2000s as the second major golf development at the resort, and the land was shaped and routing was set before the 2008 financial crisis stopped construction. Nicklaus Design returned in 2023 to complete it, with Troy Vincent leading the final design phase. The course opened in November 2025.
The result is a course with a distinct identity from Punta Espada — more intimate in places, more varied in character, and anchored by one of the most dramatic back-nine stretches in Dominican Republic golf. Three consecutive holes — 12, 13, and 14 — play directly along the rocky Caribbean coastline. The par-three 13th, exposed to ocean breezes with no shelter and the Caribbean as its backdrop, is already the most discussed hole on the course and likely to become one of the Caribbean's most iconic short holes within a few years.
The front nine is set within a protected nature reserve — caves, wetlands, indigenous vegetation, and the native iguanas that give the course its name weave through the layout. It is, in both ecology and aesthetics, unlike anything else in Dominican Republic golf.
Full Las Iguanas Course Guide →Punta Espada: The Established Legend
Punta Espada opened in 2003 and has not needed to defend its reputation since. It is the course that established Cap Cana as a world-class golf destination, the layout that golf writers have been filing superlatives about for two decades, and the standard against which every other Caribbean course is measured.
The course plays along the Caribbean cliffs with eight oceanside holes — a scale of oceanside exposure that Las Iguanas, with its three ocean holes, cannot match. The sweeping views, the drama of playing directly above the sea on multiple consecutive holes, and the Nicklaus design that accommodates high handicappers while punishing the mistakes of scratch players make it as good for a mixed group as it is for a competitive one.
Punta Espada has been ranked #1 in Latin America so many times that it has stopped being remarkable. It is the baseline — the thing that makes Cap Cana worth the trip even before Las Iguanas entered the picture. Add Las Iguanas, and Cap Cana becomes the most complete golf destination in the Caribbean without qualification.
Las Iguanas vs. Punta Espada: Which Course Should You Play?
The correct answer is both. But if you are playing only one, here is how to think about the choice.
| Factor | Las Iguanas | Punta Espada |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | November 2025 | 2003 |
| Designer | Jack Nicklaus (Troy Vincent, lead) | Jack Nicklaus (John Cope, lead) |
| Ocean Holes | 3 (holes 12–14) | 8 (multiple stretches) |
| Setting Character | Nature reserve + ocean | Clifftop + ocean |
| Ranking | New — rankings building | #1 resort course, Latin America |
| Signature Hole | 13th (par-three, oceanside) | Multiple — course-wide reputation |
| Best For | First discovery, unique setting, the new | Classic DR golf experience, established greatness |
| Advice | Play it now, before the rankings arrive | Play it because the reputation is entirely earned |
How to Access Both Courses
Both Las Iguanas and Punta Espada are part of Cap Cana and can be played by resort guests. Public rates are available, but the most cost-effective access is through property ownership or a villa rental that includes member-tier privileges.
Villa guests at Villa Espada play both courses at the preferential owner/member rate. For a group of eight playing two rounds each across a week-long stay — sixteen rounds total — the difference between member and tourist rates represents meaningful per-person savings. The villa's butler handles all tee time bookings at both courses. There are no calls to make, no online booking windows to monitor. Tee times are confirmed before your group lands.
Villa Espada guests book Las Iguanas and Punta Espada at the owner/member tier rate. Your butler manages all bookings. Green fees are billed separately from the villa rate at the member price. For groups of 6 or more playing multiple rounds, the savings relative to public tourist rates are substantial. Contact Villa Espada for current member rate details.
Getting to Cap Cana
Cap Cana is located 20 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) — one of the most connected airports in the Caribbean. Direct flights serve PUJ from New York (JFK, EWR), Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and most other major US hubs, as well as Toronto, London, and multiple European cities. The drive from the airport to Cap Cana is straightforward on the new coastal road.
Villa Espada guests receive private airport transfers included in the villa rate. A vehicle meets your group at PUJ arrivals and delivers you to the villa without stops. On checkout, the same service returns you to the airport in time for your departure.
When to Go
Cap Cana golf is possible year-round, but the peak season — November through April — offers the most reliable playing conditions. The northeast trade winds are consistent and strong enough to add real difficulty to both courses without making play unpleasant. Temperatures are typically in the low-to-mid 80s Fahrenheit with low humidity. For the ocean holes at Las Iguanas and the clifftop holes at Punta Espada, this is the best version of both courses.
Low season (May through October) offers more availability and lower rates, and the golf is still excellent. Humidity is higher and afternoon showers more frequent, but morning tee times are generally clean. For flexible groups or first-time visitors who want to test the destination before committing to a peak-season week, low season is the right call.
Holiday weeks — Christmas, New Year's, and Easter — are the most coveted and most competitive dates. If you want to golf Las Iguanas and Punta Espada over the Christmas-New Year's stretch, inquire twelve months in advance.
