A First-Hand Experience of the Restored Teeth of the Dog
There are courses you play, and then there are courses that stay with you. Teeth of the Dog has always been the latter. When Pete Dye carved this layout out in the Caribbean coastline in 1971, he created something that was genre-defining. It is part golf course, part natural wonder. Premier Golf has been bringing travelers here for years, and it holds a special place in our portfolio. As I spent the day on the course at the reopening, one thing became clear: this was the Teeth of the Dog Premier Golf’s guests have always loved, but better. That is exactly what a great restoration should deliver.
That’s the highest compliment I can pay to Jerry Pate and the entire Casa de Campo team. They didn’t just reimagine Teeth of the Dog. They restored it with meticulous precision and with an obvious admiration for what Pete Dye created.
The Reopening: A Gathering of the Golf World
The reopening was an intimate affair between a small gathering of golf industry guests, press, and the restoration team. Attending was Jerry Pate, the restoration’s lead architect, along with the Casa de Campo leadership, who guided this $15 million project from concept to completion. It was a room full of people who understood exactly what had been accomplished here, gathered on a course that had just been handed back to the world in better shape than it had seen in decades.
Faithfully Rebuild. Preserve the Essence.
I had the chance to speak with Jerry Pate during the event, and his framing of the project has stayed with me. The goal, as he described it, was to restore and elevate the conditions of the course while honoring Pete Dye’s original vision at every turn. In his words, the team’s role was to faithfully rebuild using modern techniques so that the essence of Dye’s design could live on. The character of the course above ground remains unmistakably Pete Dye. While the changes were extensive, they happened beneath your feet.
What was done:
Complete Re-grassing: Replaced mixed turf with uniform Dynasty Paspalum across all tees, fairways, and greens.
Drainage & Sand-Capping: Installed new infrastructure and applied extensive sand-capping (3–4″ on fairways; 7″ on greens) for superior playability.
Restored Greens: Returned green edges to their original Pete Dye dimensions.
Shoreline Protection: Implemented advanced coastal engineering to reinforce the “Heaven 7” shoreline
For a golfer, the single most significant change is one you feel immediately. The course now plays on one unified turf from tee to green. For years, Teeth of the Dog had accumulated a patchwork of grass varieties across its surfaces. Bermuda would cover some areas, various paspalum strains in others, even patches of zoysia. Dynasty Paspalum, built for coastal environments, now covers everything. The consistency underfoot is immediately noticeable, and it changes the way the course plays in ways that go beyond an aesthetic.
The greens in particular deserve mention. Seven inches of sand beneath the putting surfaces has produced surfaces that are noticeably quicker and firmer, and reward a proper trajectory and penalize anything that leaks offline. Pete Dye’s green complexes have always been strategic; now they’re playing to their full potential. And as the Dynasty Paspalum matures through the warm growing season ahead, both fairways and greens will only continue to improve. Any guest booking in the latter half of 2026 will find it playing at its absolute best.
The Seven Holes That Belong to the Caribbean
No amount of writing does The Heaven 7 justice. You simply have to stand there, with the winds coming off the water and the surf crashing below, to understand what Dye meant when he said God had a hand in this course. What the restoration has done is ensure those seven oceanfront holes will endure. Advanced coastal engineering has reinforced the shoreline in ways that protect both the physical course and the integrity of the playing experience for generations to come.
While playing at the reopening, I was reminded of why I got into this industry. Hole after hole, the ocean is present. The ocean is not merely a backdrop; it is a central part of the experience. The wind changes your club selection. The sound of the ocean changes your rhythm. And the new turf underfoot means the course holds its character in a way that makes every decision feel consequential. Those who have played here before will feel the same magic, but sharpened. For those making their first visit, there is simply nothing to prepare them for what awaits.
Casa de Campo: A Resort Rising to Match Its Golf
The resort is not standing still either. Phase two of the Premier Suites expansion begins in May, including a new swimming pool and an expansion of the Forbes Four-Star rated spa. As the only resort of this rating in the Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo is doubling down on its position as the Caribbean’s premier luxury destination.
As COO of Premier Golf, it matters deeply to me that we truly understand the places we send our guests. Teeth of the Dog has always been in a category of its own, and after seeing what the team has accomplished here, I can say with confidence: the legend is back, it’s already playing beautifully, and the best rounds are still to come.
Plan Your Teeth of the Dog Experience
Premier Golf arranges fully customized itineraries to Casa de Campo, including preferred tee times, resort accommodations, and insider access. Our team will handle every detail.
Ready to play Teeth of the Dog for yourself? Inquire with Premier Golf now.
Meet the Author: Jason Vallee
Jason serves as the COO for Premier Golf, leveraging over 25 years of executive experience in golf finance and technology to lead Premier Golf’s global operations and strategic growth across the U.S. and Europe.
He oversees the company’s domestic and international offices, and senior management team to deliver high-performance results in brand development, digital expansion, and client acquisition.
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