Corales Golf Club: Punta Cana's World-Class Golf Destination
Corales Golf Club sits at the Puntacana Resort and Club on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010. It is consistently ranked as the best golf course in the Caribbean and one of the top courses in the Americas — a legitimate world-class design that transcends the resort golf category entirely.
The course hosts the PGA Tour's Corales Puntacana Championship, which brings top-50 world-ranked players to the Dominican Republic annually. The event's presence has raised Corales's international profile significantly — it is no longer a regional secret but a globally recognized venue.
The Course
Corales plays to a par 72 at approximately 7,650 yards from the championship tees. The layout divides naturally into two distinct sections: the inland holes through tropical vegetation and the spectacular ocean holes along the coral cliff coastline that define the course's identity.
The finishing stretch — holes 15 through 18 — is among the most dramatic in Caribbean golf. The 15th and 16th play along the coral cliff edge with the Caribbean Sea visible below. The 17th is a par 3 played over a natural cove, with the ocean as the backdrop for the green. The 18th requires an approach over a corner of the ocean to a green perched at the cliff edge.
Fazio designed the course to showcase the site's natural features — the coral formations, the vegetation, the dramatic coastline — rather than impose a traditional resort golf aesthetic on them. The result is a course that feels genuinely tropical and genuinely challenging, rather than simply decorative.
The Puntacana Resort
Corales Golf Club is part of the Puntacana Resort and Club, a 15,000-acre private community on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. The resort includes multiple hotels (from the four-star Westin Puntacana to the luxury Six Senses Puntacana), a marina, beach clubs, and the Oscar de la Renta-designed Punta Espada Golf Club in addition to Corales.
Punta Cana International Airport is located within the resort — it is effectively a private airport serving the development, with direct service from Miami, New York, Toronto, and multiple European cities. The combination of direct air access and world-class golf within a single development makes Puntacana one of the more convenient international golf destinations accessible from North America.
Best Time to Visit
The Dominican Republic has a year-round tropical climate. The dry season (December through April) offers the most reliable golf weather, with lower humidity and minimal rain. Summer months bring higher humidity and occasional tropical weather, though the course operates year-round. The PGA Tour event is held in March, making that month's green fees higher and availability more limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What PGA Tour event is held at Corales?
The Corales Puntacana Championship is a PGA Tour event held annually at Corales Golf Club, typically in late March. It features a field of approximately 132 players with world ranking points available.
Is Corales Golf Club public or private?
Corales Golf Club is part of the Puntacana Resort and Club, which is a private development, but golf is available to resort guests and visitors with advance booking. Non-resort guests can access the course by contacting the club directly.
Is Corales Golf Club worth visiting?
For serious golfers visiting the Dominican Republic, Corales is unambiguously the best golf experience available. Its PGA Tour credentials, Tom Fazio design, and spectacular ocean finishing holes make it a legitimate bucket-list course rather than simply the best option in a limited market.