If you’re putting together a Punta Cana golf trip and wondering whether Corales is worth the green fee — it is. No question.
Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, Corales sits inside the Puntacana Resort & Club on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. It plays 7,650 yards from the tips as a par 72, and it’s built on one of the better pieces of land I’ve seen a golf course occupy anywhere in the Caribbean. Fazio had natural cliffs, ocean coves, coralina quarries, and inland lakes to work with — and he used all of it.
The Course Itself
Six holes run directly along the Caribbean Sea. Another ten have ocean views. The fairways are Supreme Paspalum, which means they’re firm, clean, and consistent year-round — the best turf you’ll find in the tropics. Waste bunkers are everywhere, so if you can’t play out of sand, you’re going to have a long day.
The front nine builds nicely. Nothing on the outward half is going to floor you until you get to the closing par three, where the green sits on an exposed rocky headland above the water. It’s a preview of what’s waiting on the back.
The Devil’s Elbow
The last three holes at Corales are called The Devil’s Elbow, and they live up to the name. The stretch finishes with the 18th — a 501-yard par four that requires a forced carry over the cliff-lined Bay of Corales. Fran Rainieri, the founder of Puntacana Resort, called it “The Mother of All Holes.” That’s not marketing. The hole is as good as advertised.
The PGA Tour agrees. Corales has hosted the Corales Puntacana Championship since 2016 — the first PGA Tour event ever played in the Dominican Republic. You’re playing the same closing stretch that tournament competitors have had to navigate every spring. That means something.
Booking Your Round
Corales is a private club, but resort guests staying at the Westin Puntacana or Tortuga Bay can get on after 10:30 AM. A cart and caddie are mandatory — the caddie fee is paid in cash at the course. Don’t skip the caddie. These guys know every wind angle and pin position on the property and are worth every dollar, especially on the finishing holes.
If you’re building a multi-round itinerary, pair Corales with La Cana — the 27-hole P.B. Dye design also at Puntacana Resort. Two completely different looks, both outstanding.
Planning a Punta Cana golf trip? At Coastal Golfaway, we’ve been building custom golf packages for over 35 years. Reach out and we’ll put together an itinerary around Corales that makes the most of your time down there.
