SPORTS
Dominican Baseball
Baseball or “la pelota” as this sport has been named by the national culture, is one of the great passions and favorite pastimes of Dominicans, arousing great joy and enthusiasm in fans that really enjoy the “king sport” in which oneach winter season six teams compete for the glory of the victory, that starts in mid October and ends in January.
The baseball history is as old as varied are the theories describingits origin, among them the one that speci!ed that in 1891 baseball began in Santo Domingo; another one indicates that by 1886 already the game was played in “San Pedro de Macorís” and another says that it arrived in the DominicanRepublic with the U.S. occupation of 1916.
The truth is that the !rst teams that we have knowledge were “Ozama” and “Nuevo Club” as well as “Licey” which was formed in 1907 to confront the !rst two, which later disappeared.
By 1923 was held the !rst o”cial championship between teams rep- resenting Santo Domingo, Santiago and San Pedro de Macoris. In 1936 was organized the rst national base- ball tournament with teams “Licey”; “Escogido”, “EstrellasOrientales” and “Sandino” which later changed its name to “Aguilas Cibaeñas”.
In 1955 was inaugurated the !rst baseball park with a lighting system: “El Estadio Quisqueya” which marked the beginning of modernity of the sport and its entrance to the organized baseball.
Dominican baseball has leading gures that have excel with great merits in the Major Leagues: Felipe Rojas Alou, Tony Peña, George Bell, César Cedeño, Ricardo Carty, Juan Marichal, Julio Franco, Moisés Alou, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols, Manny Ramírez, Vladimir Guerrero, Julián Javier, Alex Rodriguez and many, many more.
In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic has been the most successful country in the tournaments of the Caribbean Series where we have competed against Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico obtaining more than 18 crowns so far.
If you want to go to one of the games or need any information, visit the web page of the Baseball League of the Dominican Republic: www.lidom.com
Golf
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAS BECOME THE GOLF DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR BOTH EXPERTS AND BEGINNERS OF THIS SPORT.
THE GOLFER’S PARADISE IN THE CARIBBEAN HAS A NAME: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOR HAVING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF COURSES AND FOR THEIR QUALITY AND STANDARDS DESIGNED BY THE FAMOUS LEGENDS OF THESPORT AS PETE DYE, JACK NICKLAUS, ROBERT TRENT JONES SR., GARY PLAYER, TOM FAZIO, NICK FALDO, NICK PRICE AND GREG NORMAN, AMONG OTHERS. IF YOU LOVE GOLF YOU ARE WELCOME TO TRY YOUR GAME INONE OF THESE COURSES THAT MAKE THE FOLLOWING ROUTES:
GOLF COURSES
Santo Domingo
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SANTO DOMINGOCOUNTRY CLUB | H. N. HANSARD | 27 | THIS CLUB HAS TWO COURSES: THE SENIOR AND THE MOST RECENT “LOS ROBLES” WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY MANY TREES, HILLS AND SAND TRAPS. | |
CAYACOAGOLF CLUB | PETE DYE AND JACK CORRIE | 18 | SURROUNDED BY LAGOONS, ITS LAST NINE HOLES ARE SPECTACULAR AND IN SOME OF THEM YOU WILL CERTAINLY FELL THE PRESSURE OF THE GAME. |
JUAN DOLIO
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NACO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB | CARLOS GRULLÓN AND RICARDO ORELLANA | 18 | THIS COURSE IS SURROUNDED BY A HOUSING PROJECT OF TOURIST RESIDENCES. | |
GUAVABERRY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB | GARY PLAYER AND WARREN HENDERSON | 18 | IN THIS COURSE THE DESIGNERS INTEGRATED THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE AREA INTO THE COURSE INCLUDING A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL. | |
LOS MARLINS GOLF COURSE | CHARLES F. ANKROM | 18 | AN EXCELLENT COURSE FOR ALL TYPES OF GOLFERS, FROM BEGINNERS TO EXPERTS. | |
COSTA BLANCA GOLF COURSE | GREG NORMAN | 18 | LOCATED WITHIN THE TOURIST PROJECT “COSTA BLANCA”,HAS EIGHT HOLES BORDERING THE CARIBBEAN SEA. |
LA ROMANA – BAYAHIBE
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TEETH OF THE DOG (DIENTE DE PERRO) | PETE DYE | 18 | ONE OF THE FAVORITES IN THE COUNTRY. IT WAS RANKED AT POSITION NO 8 IN THE LIST OF THE BEST GOLF COURSES IN THE WORLD FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS BY GOLF MAGAZINE. | |
DYE FORE | PETE DYE | 18 | THIS COURSE IS IN THE REEFS FACING THE “CHAVON” RIVER WITH A BREATHTAKING VIEW, HIS 7,770 YARDS MAKES IT ONE OF THE LONGEST. | |
THE LINKS COURSE | PETE DYE | 18 | A SHORT COURSE WITH GREENS PROTECTED BY SAND TRAMPS DESIGNED SCOTTISH STYLE WITH MANY SMALL HILLS AND A LOT OF UNDULATIONS. | |
LA ESTANCIA GOLF CLUB | P. B. DYE | 18 | ITS DESIGNER USED THE NATURAL SETTINGS OF THE IRREGULAR TOPOGRAPHY TO CREATE A SPECTACULAR COURSE WHERE THERE IS NOT AN EASY HOLE. |
PUNTA CANA – BÁVARO
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PUNTA ESPADA | JACK NICKLAUS | 18 | HAS HOSTED SEVERAL PGA CHAMPIONS TOURS. AS PER THE PLANET GOLF MAGAZINE IS #46 IN THE TOP 100 COURSES OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE SECOND BEST IN THE COUNTRY. | |
LAS IGUANAS | JACK NICKLAUS | 18 | 14 HOLES ARE PLAYED ALONG THE COAST AND THE WIND IS THE ENEMY IN THE GAME. | |
LA CANA GOLF CLUB | P.B. DYE | 18 | 4 HOLES FACING THE SEA, ITS HOLE 7 WAS NAMED “GOLFER PURGATORY” AND THE PAR 3 HOLE 12 AS “GREEN ISLAND”. | |
LOS CORALES | P. B. DYE | 18 | NOTHING TO ENVY TO THE BEST COURSES IN THE WORLD. IS COURSE HAS SEVEN OCEANFRONT HOLES ON CLIFFS AND WITH SHOTS OVER WATER. | |
HARD ROCK GOLF CLUB CANA BAY | JACK NICKLAUS | 18 | IN 2012 WAS THE O CIAL HOST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PGA TOUR LATIN AMERICA. E COURSE IS SURROUNDED BY STUNNING TROPICAL SCENERY AND NATIVE WILDLIFE. | |
CATALONIA CARIBE GOLF CLUB | ALBERTO SOLÁ | 18 | NARROW FAIRWAYS AND LAKES BECOME THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES THROUGHOUT THE GAME. | |
GOLF CLUB CABEZA DE TORO | ALBERTO SOLÁ | 9 | A SMALL COURSE WITH MANY LAKES AND LUSH TREES. | |
BARCELÓ THE LAKES GOLF COURSE | JUAN ML. GORDILLO. REDESIGN BY: P.B. DYE, 2010 | 18 | P. B. DYE, ADDING YARDS TO MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING. IT OFFERS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. | |
COCOTAL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB | JOSÉ “PEPE” GANCEDO | 27 | HAVE WIDE FAIRWAYS BUT THE WIND IS A FACTOR THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF EFFORT FROM PLAYERS. | |
IBEROSTAR BÁVARO GOLF CLUB | P.B. DYE | 18 | COURSE COMBINES THE GREEN OF THE COURSE WITH THE NATURAL STONES OF THE AREA. | |
PUNTA BLANCA | NICK PRICE | 18 | ITS GREENS HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND ARE SURROUNDED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF NATURAL LAKES. | |
WHITE SANDS | JOSÉ “PEPE” GANCEDO | 18 | DESIGNED KEEPING THE NATURAL CONDITIONS OF THE TERRAIN WITH A MARKED VARIATION IN THE STYLE OF ITS HOLES. | |
THE FALDO LEGACY COURSE | NICK FALDO | 18 | THIS COURSE IS MIXED THE STRATEGIC GAME WITH THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW TO THE OCEAN, THE BEACH, THE MANGROVES AND THE “MORRO” OF “MACAO”. |
PUERTO PLATA
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PLAYA DORADA GOLF COURSE | ROBERT TRENT JONES SR. | 18 | ITS VIEW TO “LOMA ISABEL DE TORRES” IS SPLENDID, HAS MANY MAHOGANY, SEA GRAPES, ALMONDS, CAYENNE, COCONUTS PALMS AND “FLAMBOYANES” TREES. | |
PLAYA GRANDE GOLF COURSE | ROBERT TRENT JONES SR. | 18 | CALLED THE “PEBBLE BEACH OF THE CARIBBEAN” AND OFFERS A VIEW WHERE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, ITS LUSH TREES AND THE TALL PALM TREES MIXED. |
JARABACOA – SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS
Course | Website | Designer | Holes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
JARABACOA GOLF CLUB | LUIS DE POOL | 9 | THE ONLY COURSE SET IN AN AREA OF MOUNTAIN TOURISM; AMONG LARGE PINE TREES. | |
LAS AROMAS SANTIAGO GOLF CLUB | PETE DYE | 18 | LOCATED BETWEEN THE HILLS, PROVIDING AN UNPARALLEL LOOK INTO THE “CIBAO VALLEY” AND THE “YAQUE DEL NORTE” RIVER. |
The Dominican Republic is an ideal setting for extreme sports, as it has extraordinary conditions for these activities and where the more daring and adventurous may practice the sport of their choice, be it kite boarding, paragliding,ballooning, rafting, sur!ng or mountain biking, and live an experience that besides raising the adrenaline will allow them to be in full contact with nature.
KITEBOARDING
“Cabarete” ranked as the kite boarding capital of the world, is located approximately 30 kilometers of “Puerto Plata”, annually hosting thousands of amateur and professionals of this sport that have made this beach the epicenter fortourism of adventure because of the impetuous force of its wind and waves.
Its coastline besides kite boarding is ideal for surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding and many more, besides, Kite Beach is a small beach also visited for those who enjoy these practices.
Many hotels in “Puerto Plata and Cabarete” offer packages that include these sports. Here you will also !nd shops for selling and renting of equipment and also experienced trainers.
On the south coast of the island is “Playa Salinas” in “Bani” another place you may select to enjoy great waves with your board.
PARAGLIDING
With paragliding you can enjoy the multiple sensations that causes being suspended in the air, either in the mountains or in the coast, whatever your choice may be. No special requirements are needed to lean to fly, just enough to be able to run and climb small slopes carrying the equipment.
The destinations are diverse, choose the most convenient and be ready to enjoy in areas like “Jarabacoa and Constanza”. At each location you will find training centers and facilities.
HOT AIR BALLOONS
Flying on a balloon gives you a glimpse of the place like you never imagined, one of a kind experience that you may live at “Punta Cana and Bavaro”, seeing the sugar cane plantations, cattle pastures, the “Higuey Basilica”, miles of white sandy beaches and many more attractions.
These balloons have a capacity ranging from 2 to 14 people. To fly you need to wear comfortable clothing and sneakers. Before boarding, the Dominican Balloons staff , the company responsible for these flights, will give you safety instructions for the trip.
RAFTING
Jarabacoa will welcome aboard a raft where the adventure and fun into the cool waters of the “Yaque del Norte River” (the largest in the Caribbean), will make you live unforgettable moments fillled of pure sensations. Accompanied by professional guides you will go through the water rapids, where in addition to experiencing the speed of the currents, will be impressed by the stunning scenery of the region.
If you choose rafting, you will have to take into consideration some precautionary measures offered by the guides. Also you must know how to swim, be over 14 years old and be in good health and physical condition, among other requirements.
SURFING
Challenging the waves at gusty winds without losing balance is what makes this extreme sport one of the most interesting. From the north to the south and east coasts you will find excellent beaches for its practice, that provoke to fulfill the needs of any surfer who chooses to slide into the waters of each cardinal point of the Dominican Republic.
The best beaches for this sport are: “Cabarete and La Puntilla”, both in “Puerto Plata”. In the northeast: “Caletón Beach in “Cabrera” and “La Preciosa Beach in “Rio San Juan”.
MOUNTAIN BIKES
Traverse the mountains of the country on a mountain bike will be a totally different activity which will allow you to explore the most remote roads and pathways of our geography, enjoying the beautiful scenery at the same time that you exercise.
“Jarabacoa” is one of the most important destinations for this sport. You will have routes to select according to the level of diffculty you can handle.