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)
3. Diamante Cabo San Lucas (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)
5. Apes Hill Championship Course 7.38
St. James, Barbados; Ron Kirby (2022)
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)Â
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)
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)
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)
T37. Quivira 6.19
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Jack Nicklaus (2014)
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
Grand Reserve Golf Club 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)
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)
47. Grand Reserve Golf Club (Championship, formerly Coco Beach)* 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)
50. Lyford Cay Club 5.92
New Providence, Bahamas; Dick Wilson, Rees Jones (1959)
