The Iberostate Bavaro Golf Club, located in Bavaro, Dominican Republic on the Iberostar Resort property, is a wonderfully designed and maintained golf course, perfect for a relaxing and enjoyable round of golf. The course sets up well for all handicaps and expect to experience great service from all the staff.
The Clubhouse:
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Practice Area (Grade: B+):
The driving range has a nice, wide hitting area that could potentially accommodate a large group of players. On the morning I played, I shared the range with two other golfers. The hitting area is all grass, well maintained and lush. Workers were attending to the other areas of the hitting area, watering and performing general maintenance, but it was just regular upkeep as the range was in excellent shape. There is a distance marker on the range and pins were placed on a raised green with bunkers, which provided a nice visual. The range is long enough to hit every club in the bag. I could have happily spent a lot of time hitting balls, but I had a tee time to get to.
The putting green has 5-7 practice holes on it and close to the first tee. The putting green was in similar shape and speed as greens on the course, so you can warm-up and get your feel for the greens with confidence. There is also a short game practice area, where you can practice 30 yard pitch shots, shorter chips around the green, along with well-maintained bunker.
The range:
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Course Conditions (Grade A):
Oftentimes the conditions of the practice area will give you a good idea of what to expect on the course. Fortunately, the course at Iberostate Bavaro is as nicely maintained as the practice area. Tee boxes were neatly cut and in nearly perfect condition. No need to worry about trying to avoid an uneven lie or divots. Fairways were in similarly great shape. I didn't see a lot of roll from the fairway, as I was playing in the morning and they had recently been watered. If you found the fairway off the tee, you are pretty much guaranteed a nice, fluffy lie. If you miss a fairway, the rough at Iberostate Bavaro is not overly punishing. It is a resort course, so the rough is far from US Open length. The rough was in a good shape and I saw bare or patchy areas off the fairway.
The sand traps are well maintained and one of the most important aspects to me in terms of judging sand traps is consistency. It can be frustrating playing a course and feeling like the type and amount of sand varies from bunker to bunker. I found the sand a couple of times while playing and the traps had a nice of amount in them--not too soft but not hard-pans either.
The greens were in excellent shape and rolled smoothly.
The long carry from the back tees on the par 5 #14:
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Layout (B+):
Iberostate Bavaro is a PB Dye course that features generally wide fairways, which should appeal to mid to high handicappers or someone who wants to swing away with the driver. There are a few tee shots that require precision off the tee, but that is exception rather than the rule and while there are lateral hazards on many holes, you have to fairly off target for those to come into play. Distance from the back tees is 6897 to white tees playing at 5654. Women's tee play 4864. A nice variety for all players.
Trouble comes into play around the greens more so than off the tee at Iberostate. Deep bunkers, sloping and raised greens, and hazards protect many of the holes at Iberostate, so finding the green and the right place on the green, offers a nice challenge to better players.
From the back tees, there is a nice mix of reachable par 5s in two and 2 longer ones, which playing into prevailing winds, will only be accessible for the longest of hitters. In terms of the par 3s, there is a nice mixture of short to long holes, with distances ranging from 146 to 222. Players will want to take a moment to notice the signature par 3 number 8's star shape green and the natural caves and deep bunkers on the par 4 3rd.
The caves and bunkers of #3:
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Pace of Play (A):
The Iberostate course is on the Iberostar property, so I imagine most of the play is from people staying at the resort. I booked my tee time for around 9:30 am on a weekday and joined two other players for company. There was hardly anyone on the course when we teed off. I played in early March, which while the busy season, it is approaching that time. I was a bit surprised the course was not busier and was fully expecting to be paired with someone. We did not have to wait on anyone the entire day, so we were able to go at our own pace. I didn't see any marshalls, but there was no need when we played. By the time we finished, around lunchtime, there seemed to be more activity, but the course wasn't crowded by any means.
I would recommend playing in the morning to avoid the heat and also the crowd.
The tee of #9:
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Price (B):
As part of the package of staying at the Iberostate Grand Bavaro, I received two complimentary rounds for 2 people, so I did not pay for greens fees. I forgot to ask what the green fees are while at the course. I did a google search and from what people have posted, green fees seem be around $170-140, though I have seen a few posts saying green fees were $75 and there are twilight fees available. Golf is fairly expensive in the Dominican Republic. By comparison, it is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. Consensus seems to be that Iberostate is a nice value for the area.
Club rentals are $40-65, with Titleist, Nike, and TayloMade options. The clubs were in great shape and were recent models.
Club rentals
Amenities (A):
The clubhouse is nice, modern, and clean. Restrooms were very clean. The pro shop does not have much equipment for sale, but they offer nice quality apparel for those seeking a souvenir. For cigar smokers, there is a nice selection available as well. There is also a bar and restaurant area, perfect for relaxing after the round to enjoy a sandwich and drink.
On the course, there were mutiple restrooms on the course. A very nice feature to your greens fee is that drinks, snacks, and sanwiches on the course are included. Beer and liquor are available. Be sure to bring some cash to tip though, as the service is excellent and always on point. It was hot when we played even though it was the morning and I was appreciative of the fact that we had a cold drink whenever it was needed.
Overall (A):
Overall, Iberostate Bavaro is a great golfing experience, excellently designed for resort golf. It is not the most difficult course, but it offers enough challenge to keep these interesting. It is well-maintainted and the service is outstanding. If you want to get in a quick round and still have the rest of the day to enjoy the resort or even get in 36, I would suggest an early tee time.
From the bag drop to the pro shop to the maintenance crew I encountered, there was not a single person who did not greet us with a smile and did not go out the way to make sure we had everything we needed. We even had a greens keeper drive by and give us all the golf balls he had found that day.
If you are in the Punta Cana area, Iberostate is a course I would recommend playing.
The Clubhouse:
Practice Area (Grade: B+):
The driving range has a nice, wide hitting area that could potentially accommodate a large group of players. On the morning I played, I shared the range with two other golfers. The hitting area is all grass, well maintained and lush. Workers were attending to the other areas of the hitting area, watering and performing general maintenance, but it was just regular upkeep as the range was in excellent shape. There is a distance marker on the range and pins were placed on a raised green with bunkers, which provided a nice visual. The range is long enough to hit every club in the bag. I could have happily spent a lot of time hitting balls, but I had a tee time to get to.
The putting green has 5-7 practice holes on it and close to the first tee. The putting green was in similar shape and speed as greens on the course, so you can warm-up and get your feel for the greens with confidence. There is also a short game practice area, where you can practice 30 yard pitch shots, shorter chips around the green, along with well-maintained bunker.
The range:
Course Conditions (Grade A):
Oftentimes the conditions of the practice area will give you a good idea of what to expect on the course. Fortunately, the course at Iberostate Bavaro is as nicely maintained as the practice area. Tee boxes were neatly cut and in nearly perfect condition. No need to worry about trying to avoid an uneven lie or divots. Fairways were in similarly great shape. I didn't see a lot of roll from the fairway, as I was playing in the morning and they had recently been watered. If you found the fairway off the tee, you are pretty much guaranteed a nice, fluffy lie. If you miss a fairway, the rough at Iberostate Bavaro is not overly punishing. It is a resort course, so the rough is far from US Open length. The rough was in a good shape and I saw bare or patchy areas off the fairway.
The sand traps are well maintained and one of the most important aspects to me in terms of judging sand traps is consistency. It can be frustrating playing a course and feeling like the type and amount of sand varies from bunker to bunker. I found the sand a couple of times while playing and the traps had a nice of amount in them--not too soft but not hard-pans either.
The greens were in excellent shape and rolled smoothly.
The long carry from the back tees on the par 5 #14:
Layout (B+):
Iberostate Bavaro is a PB Dye course that features generally wide fairways, which should appeal to mid to high handicappers or someone who wants to swing away with the driver. There are a few tee shots that require precision off the tee, but that is exception rather than the rule and while there are lateral hazards on many holes, you have to fairly off target for those to come into play. Distance from the back tees is 6897 to white tees playing at 5654. Women's tee play 4864. A nice variety for all players.
Trouble comes into play around the greens more so than off the tee at Iberostate. Deep bunkers, sloping and raised greens, and hazards protect many of the holes at Iberostate, so finding the green and the right place on the green, offers a nice challenge to better players.
From the back tees, there is a nice mix of reachable par 5s in two and 2 longer ones, which playing into prevailing winds, will only be accessible for the longest of hitters. In terms of the par 3s, there is a nice mixture of short to long holes, with distances ranging from 146 to 222. Players will want to take a moment to notice the signature par 3 number 8's star shape green and the natural caves and deep bunkers on the par 4 3rd.
The caves and bunkers of #3:
Pace of Play (A):
The Iberostate course is on the Iberostar property, so I imagine most of the play is from people staying at the resort. I booked my tee time for around 9:30 am on a weekday and joined two other players for company. There was hardly anyone on the course when we teed off. I played in early March, which while the busy season, it is approaching that time. I was a bit surprised the course was not busier and was fully expecting to be paired with someone. We did not have to wait on anyone the entire day, so we were able to go at our own pace. I didn't see any marshalls, but there was no need when we played. By the time we finished, around lunchtime, there seemed to be more activity, but the course wasn't crowded by any means.
I would recommend playing in the morning to avoid the heat and also the crowd.
The tee of #9:
Price (B):
As part of the package of staying at the Iberostate Grand Bavaro, I received two complimentary rounds for 2 people, so I did not pay for greens fees. I forgot to ask what the green fees are while at the course. I did a google search and from what people have posted, green fees seem be around $170-140, though I have seen a few posts saying green fees were $75 and there are twilight fees available. Golf is fairly expensive in the Dominican Republic. By comparison, it is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. Consensus seems to be that Iberostate is a nice value for the area.
Club rentals are $40-65, with Titleist, Nike, and TayloMade options. The clubs were in great shape and were recent models.
Club rentals
Amenities (A):
The clubhouse is nice, modern, and clean. Restrooms were very clean. The pro shop does not have much equipment for sale, but they offer nice quality apparel for those seeking a souvenir. For cigar smokers, there is a nice selection available as well. There is also a bar and restaurant area, perfect for relaxing after the round to enjoy a sandwich and drink.
On the course, there were mutiple restrooms on the course. A very nice feature to your greens fee is that drinks, snacks, and sanwiches on the course are included. Beer and liquor are available. Be sure to bring some cash to tip though, as the service is excellent and always on point. It was hot when we played even though it was the morning and I was appreciative of the fact that we had a cold drink whenever it was needed.
Overall (A):
Overall, Iberostate Bavaro is a great golfing experience, excellently designed for resort golf. It is not the most difficult course, but it offers enough challenge to keep these interesting. It is well-maintainted and the service is outstanding. If you want to get in a quick round and still have the rest of the day to enjoy the resort or even get in 36, I would suggest an early tee time.
From the bag drop to the pro shop to the maintenance crew I encountered, there was not a single person who did not greet us with a smile and did not go out the way to make sure we had everything we needed. We even had a greens keeper drive by and give us all the golf balls he had found that day.
If you are in the Punta Cana area, Iberostate is a course I would recommend playing.
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