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This year Casa de Campo had the honor of the Teeth of the Dog golf course, designed by Pete Dye, serving as the selection for the second edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship, LAAC. The first edition took place in Pilar Golf in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In last Thursday’s press conference, Mike Davis, USGA Executive Director, deemed Casa de Campo as one of the greatest golf destination in the world, qualifying Teeth of the Dog as legendary.
“The number one thing the LAAC look for when choosing the venue is the golf course. They are always different; the quality of each course and the architecture, are all key to providing a great championship and champion,” explained Mike Davis. Martin Slumbers, R&A’s Chief Director mentioned that during a luncheon with Matias Dominguez he said, “The field was good last year and I had to really play well to win, but the field is much better this year.” Proof herein that the course helps players improve and develop their game, something Teeth of the Dog was able to deliver, a challenge.
Hospitality was another topic addressed in the press conference when LAAC members went into choosing a golf destination of this magnitude. Not only the National Golf Federation’s willingness to participate, but the country itself: its people, infrastructure, and location. We, Dominicans do pride ourselves on being one a top tourist vacation spot in Latin America!
LAAC’s expanded coverage across five continents provided a great opportunity for its exposure, reaching 140 countries around the world, and being televised on Golf Channel, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, CNN, Golf Latino, Golf Week, Panamá TVMax, La Tercera de Chile, and La Nación Argentina just to name a few.
The beautiful scenery and skill required to play on this renowned course are showcased in the following video, featuring Manuel Relancio, Casa de Campo’s Golf Head Professional, as is the course’s jagged coral rock shoreline, from which it cleverly derives the name, “Teeth of the Dog”.
Along with the many activities the players, teams, and delegations attended, last Saturday night encompassed a Reception Party in Altos de Chavón under the stars with a vivid firework show that lit up the sky over St. Stanislaus church in the plaza. A day’s work can be hard, but when you do it from such a beautiful place, can it even be called work?
The Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) is a partnership between the Masters Tournament, the United States Golf Association and The R&A, and is dedicated to promoting golf in the Latin America region. Next year’s Latin America Amateur Championship will take place in Panama. See the video of the announcement here!
Casa de Campo’s LAAC weekend was a memorable one, complete with clear skies and close competition. See the final Round 4 pictures below!
The following collection of photos were taken by Enrique Berardi in Round 4 of the Latin America Amateur Championship, Sunday January 18th:
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Header picture courtesy of the Latin America Amateur Championship’s facebook page.