Casa de Campo (Spanish for "Country House") is a Ponderosa-style tropical seaside resort in La Romana on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic. It was developed in 1975 by Gulf+Western on 7,000 acres (28 km2) of its Central Romana sugar mill's land.
The first to enjoy the luxuries of this enclave were friends of Charles Bluhdorn, Gulf+Western's founder and CEO, who built the retreat. One of Bluhdorn's Dominican friends, Oscar de la Renta, was hired to do interior design for Casa De Campo. After Bluhdorn's death, the Cuban-American Fanjul family (the world's top sugar barons), bought Casa and opened it to paying guests. Without compromising the feeling of exclusivity, they've developed it into one of the most complete resorts in the region.
Casa de Campo's golf has been internationally recognized for more than three decades. Golf architects Pete and Alice Dye have had a home at Casa de Campo since the early 1970s, when they guided 300 local laborers with machetes to blaze the Diente del Perro, (Teeth of the Dog, opened in 1971) through the jungle and along a rocky coast. It remains the only Caribbean course consistently in the world's top 100 courses (usually top 50). The Links Course (opened in 1974) and the members-only La Romana Country Club (opened in 1990) are inland layouts spiced with lakes. Dye's third course in Casa de Campo, Dye Fore, opened in 2000, and skirts cliffs 300 feet (91 m) above the Chavón River, with views of the village of Altos de Chavón, distant mountains and the new marina. Dye recently completed another course on the plateau next to Dye Fore, called the Dye Fore Lakes.
In addition to being considered one of the most prestigious resorts in the Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo also boasts over 1,700 private villas, which range in price from US$500,000 to US$24,000,000, making it also one of the countries' most affluent communities, comparable to the Hamptons.
Completed in 2000, Casa de Campo has a modern, 400-berth marina, complete with a shipyard designed by Italian architect, Gian Franco Fini to resemble Portofino. Surrounding this harbor are over 70 restaurants, shops, bars, and homes. In 2010, the Casa de Campo Marina played host to the prestigious Rolex Farr 40 sailing cup.
Casa de Campo is also host to Altos de Chavón, the replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village. Meticulously designed by Dominican architect, Jose Antonio Caro, and Italian master designer and cinematographer, Roberto Coppa, handcrafted by local artisans. The small village is a cultural center for residents, tourists, and working artists from all over the world. Active studios for artists of every medium from pottery to weaving, silk screening, and everything in between line the cobblestone streets alongside shops and boutiques showcasing their unique creations. Altos de Chavón is also home to the renowned Altos de Chavón School of Design, which is affiliated with the Parsons School of Design in New York. It owns a 5,000-seat amphitheater that was inaugurated by Frank Sinatra. Other artists that have performed here are Santana, Luis Miguel, Placido Domingo, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Air Supply, Miami Sound Machine, and many more. Also, at the heart of the village is the catholic church of St. Stanislaus, consecrated in 1979, Pope John Paul II sent the ashes of Poland's patron saint, St. Stanislaus, and a hand-carved statue from Krakow to commemorate the church's inauguration. The church is the site for weekly Catholic masses as well as a treasured destination for weddings.
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Notable golf championships held at Casa de Campo
- 1974 Eisenhower Trophy
- 1974 Espirito Santo Trophy
- 1994 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf (Raymond Floyd vs. Fred Couples)
- 2014 Dominican Republic Open
- 2016 Latin America Amateur Championship
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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