The Faldo Legacy Course at Roco Ki, Dominican Republic

The Faldo Legacy Course at Roco Ki Golf Club (in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic) demands the very best your game has to offer, this par-73 course, designed by Nick Faldo, stretches to 7,118 yards from its championship tees with approximately 100 bunkers strategically integrated into 3 significantly different landscapes. The championship golf course traverses a lush mangrove forest and four inland lakes before winding uphill into highlands, flanked by rocky cliffs and the magnificent Caribbean Sea; equally challenging as rewarding its layout it is invitation to experience the most uniquely dramatic course in the Caribbean.

Roco Ki is infused with scenic and strategic variety; the course opens with breathtaking views of the sea then winds its way through a tropical sanctuary where 100-year old mangrove trees and lagoons line the fairways before climbing into the highlands for holes 7 through 12; the 9th hole features a double dogleg that opens to spectacular views of Roco Ki’s pearl-white beach; as the course rises to the backend of 15, you will be set up for a dramatic return to the headlands. The layout eases back into the mangroves for a trio of holes, then concludes with an unforgettable sequence: No. 16 is a 416-yard par 4 with Pinehurst-style sand swatches along the fairway; the plunge at the tiny 104-yard 17th calls to mind Pebble Beach’s 7th and Doonbeg’s 14th, the green backdropped by water so clear you can see the coral; and the stunning par-5 18th zigzags around inlets of the sea.

This is the first golf course in the Caribbean designed by Nick Faldo, the 2008 Ryder Cup captain. “Roco Ki is a course designer¹s dream. There is so much variety across the 18 holes leading up to an absolutely stunning finish. It was a thrill to build,” Faldo said in a statement in response to the rankings. The Faldo Legacy Course at Roco Ki Golf Club was choosen by Golfweek as one of the best Caribbean courses for 2009. They wrote: “Roco Ki seemingly rises out of the Caribbean Sea, promising to become one of the most inspiring residential and resort communities in the Dominican Republic.”, the course was also recently selected by Travel & Leisure GOLF as one of the world’s ten best new courses.