Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America

Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2023 list of top golf courses in Mexico, the Caribbean, the Atlantic islands and Central America.

The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final, cumulative rating. Then each course is ranked against other courses in the region.

This list focuses on the golf courses themselves, not the resorts as a whole or other amenities. Each golf course included is listed with its average rating from 1 to 10, its location, architect(s) and the year it opened.

*New or returning to list

Other popular Golfweek’s Best lists include:

• Best public-access courses in each state
• Best private courses in each state
• Top 200 modern courses in the U.S.
• Top 200 classic courses in the U.S.
• Top 100 public-access courses in the U.S.

Nos. 1-10

Puntacana’s Corales Courses in the Dominican Republic (Courtesy of Puntacana)

1. Playa Grande Golf & Ocean Club* 8.01
Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic; Robert Trent Jones Sr., Rees Jones (1997)

2. Cap Cana (Punta Espada) 7.72
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Jack Nicklaus (2006)

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3. Diamante (Dunes) 7.57
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Davis Love III (2009)

4. Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog) 7.53
La Romana, Dominican Republic; Pete Dye (1971)

Book your trip to Casa de Campo today

5. Apes Hill Club 7.38
St. James, Barbados; Chris Cole, Jeff Potts (2009)

6. Punta Mita GC (Pacifico) 7.28
Nayarit, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (1999)

7. Mid Ocean Club 7.24
St. George’s, Bermuda; Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor (1921)

8. Sandy Lane (Green Monkey) 7.19
St. James, Barbados; Tom Fazio (2004)

9. Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales) 7.15
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Tom Fazio (2010) 

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10. Punta Mita GC (Bahia) 7.07
Nayarit, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (2009)

No. 11-20

Baha Mar’s Royal Blue in the Bahamas (Courtesy of Baha Mar)

11. Royal Westmoreland 7.04
St. James, Barbados; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1994)

T12. Cabo del Sol (Cove Club, formerly The Ocean) 7.01
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (1994)

T12. Chileno Bay 7.01
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Tom Fazio (2015)

T14. Querencia 6.94
San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Tom Fazio (2000)

T14. TPC Danzante Bay 6.94
Loreto, Mexico; Rees Jones (2018)

16. Vidanta Puerto Penasco (Nicklaus) 6.91
Puerto Penasco, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus, Jack Nicklaus Jr. (2006)

17. Baha Mar (Royal Blue) 6.74
Nassau, Bahamas; Jack Nicklaus (2017)

18. Solmar Golf Links (formerly Rancho San Lucas) 6.72
Los Cabos, Mexico; Greg Norman (2020)

19. El Dorado Golf & Beach Club 6.70
San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (1999)

20. Abaco Club on Winding Bay 6.64
Abaco, Bahamas; Donald Steel, Tom Mackenzie (2004)

Nos. 21-30

Twin Dolphin in Mexico (Courtesy of Twin Dolphin/Evan Schiller)

21. Twin Dolphin 6.63
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Fred Couples, Todd Eckenrode (2018)

22. Mayakoba (El Camaleon) 6.60
Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Greg Norman (2004)

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23. Vista Vallarta (Nicklaus) 6.57
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (2001)

24. Casa de Campo (Dye Fore) 6.50
La Romana, Dominican Republic; Pete Dye (2002)

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25. Albany 6.40
New Providence, Bahamas; Ernie Els (2010)

26. Diamante Cabo San Lucas (El Cardonal) 6.39
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Tiger Woods (2014)

27. Port Royal 6.37
Southampton, Bermuda; Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1970)

T28. Rose Hall (White Witch) 6.35
St. James, Jamaica; Robert von Hagge, Rick Baril (2000)

T28. Peninsula Papagayo (Ocean) 6.35
Guanacaste, Costa Rica; Arnold Palmer (2004)

30. Vista Vallarta (Weiskopf) 6.33
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Tom Weiskopf (2001)

Nos. 31-40

Quivira in Mexico (Courtesy of Quivira)

T31. Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal (Reserva Conchal) 6.28
Guanacaste, Costa Rica; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1996)

T31. TPC Dorado Beach (East) 6.28
Dorado, Puerto Rico; Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1958)

33. Aurora Anguilla (formerly CuisinArt) 6.26
Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla; Greg Norman (2006)

34. Tryall Golf & Beach Club 6.25
Montego Bay, Jamaica; Ralph Plummer (1958)

T35. Ocean Club 6.21
Paradise Island, Bahamas; Tom Weiskopf (2001)

T35. Iberostar Playa Paraiso 6.21
Playa del Carmen, Mexico; P.B. Dye (2005)

Book your trip to Iberostar Playa Paraiso today

T37. Quivira 6.19
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (2014)

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T37. Bahia Beach Resort & GC 6.19
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2008)

39. Palmas Athletic Club (Flamboyan) 6.14
Humacao, Puerto Rico; Rees Jones (1998)

40. Puerto Los Cabos (Norman & Nicklaus) 6.13
San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman (2007)

Nos. 41-50

Coco Beach in Puerto Rico (Courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico)

41. Costa Palmas 6.11
La Ribera, Mexico; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2019)

42. Cabo del Sol (Desert) 6.08
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Tom Weiskopf (2001)

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43. Royal Isabela 6.06
Isabela, Puerto Rico; David Pfaff (2011)

44. Sandy Lane (The Country Club) 6.05
St. James, Barbados; Tom Fazio (2002)

45. Royal St. Kitts GC 6.04
Bassaterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Thomas McBroom (2004)

46. Casa de Campo (La Romana) 6.02
La Romana, Dominican Republic; Pete Dye (1990)

Book your trip to Casa de Campo tody

47. Coco Beach (Championship)* 6.01
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico; Tom Kite (2007)

48. Rose Hall (Cinnamon Hill)* 5.97
St. James, Jamaica; Robert von Hagge, Rick Baril (2001)

49. Puntacana Resort (La Cana: Hacienda/Arrecife) 5.95
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; P.B. Dye (2001)

Book your trip to La Cana today

50. Lyford Cay Club 5.92
New Providence, Bahamas; Dick Wilson, Rees Jones (1959)