Playa Dorada Golf Course

I booked on GolfNow but when I showed up to the course, they said that I didn’t reserve my tee time. They then charged me extra and said that the rates that GolfNow proposed were wrong.

My tee time was for 10:30am and I was planning on warming up at the range since it is included in the price. They then told me that the range was closed (turns out later it was open) and that I need to join the group on the #1 tee even though it was 9:30am at this point.

They said that I needed to pay a $30 caddy fee so I paid but when the group I was joining (3 players) said they already paid the caddy fee for 4 players so I need to get my money back. I then had to talk to the manager, the manager of the caddy’s and the pro shop and they all told me lies about why I needed to pay even though the caddy fee was already paid for for the 4 players.

They then wouldn’t let me play with the other 3 guys so that I had to pay the caddy fee and didn’t reimburse the other 3 guys for paying for 4 players when they are only a group of 3.

From this point on, anything they told me I didn’t believe. They paired me up with a member of the course who was supposed to be really nice to me to try and forget about what just happened and he ended up trying to convince me to buy a place down there.

What sucks is the course is super nice and in great condition but the management is horrible. ProShop overcharged me for fun and their prices on balls are terrible. The caddy system is fraudulent and they take advantage of how nice the caddy’s are to scam you.

As nice as the course was, I highly don’t recommend unless you’re fine getting scammed and hit with a sales pitch mid round.

I play whenever I vacation here, usually in February. It's the only course open in the Puerto Plata area. A Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that has seen better days. Very well designed, challenging but fair, flat with some water hazards. Two holes run by the beach. A view of Mt. Isabella always present. Pricey for what you get: shaggy (and very wet this time) fairways, indistinguisable from the rough. Greens faster than they look. Mandatory caddie, who may be persistence about tipping. I usually walk (even when it's hot); might as well have the caddie earn his fee carrying your bag! To be fair, they do rely on the tourist dollar. I always ask for the same caddie (if you haven't had a negative experience) and they'll eventually get the idea. BTW, bring your own clubs if you can; their rentals are from the dark ages. I've noticed that conditions have improved over the past two years since it is now a stop on PGA Latino-america. All-in-all, a recommended course to play - after all, you're on vacation!