Families can come together to experience endless activities and sporting adventures at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic. From horseback riding along the Chavon River, polo lessons at the Equestrian and Polo Club, catamaran sailing at the Marina, and shooting at the Safari Club, Casa de Campo activities read like a life’s bucket list rather than resort options. Additionally, families can enjoy more traditional resort sports together such as golf on five Pete Dye courses featuring Teeth of the Dog, the No. 1 course in the Caribbean. Sounds like too much to cover in one vacation? I think not! I did it all in four days.

Our scenic, family-friendly horseback ride led us through the picturesque resort, along famed golf courses, and through luscious green fields with views of the Caribbean Sea and Dominican mountains. We had opportunities to walk, trot, and canter on the horses and bask in the golden Caribbean sun. With a minimum 1.5 hour duration, you really get a feel for horseback riding in the Dominican Republic.

“Donkey Polo” is a casual game for families, where donkeys are hired for light-hearted stick and ball tournaments. With trained instructors by your side, it is fun for the entire family. Besides, what other resort gives you the opportunity to try “Donkey Polo”?

The Casa de Campo Marina extends over more than 90,000 square meters and is the most modern marina in the Caribbean. While at the Marina, I experienced a catamaran sunset sail, toasting the beautiful Dominican sunset. The catamaran is so massive that sea sickness is unlikely, making it friendly for families with children or without.

Amid tropical sunshine and sparkling turquoise waters, Casa de Campo is home to a 245-acre Shooting Club nestled in the dense foliage of the Dominican jungle. Casa de Campo’s Shooting Club offers more than 200 stations for trap, skeet, and sporting clays, as well as pigeon rings and an open-air Safari Club Bar with artifacts. The first station I experienced projected clay targets away from us as shooters to stimulate a bird in flight, fleeing from a predator. Next up was sporting clays that provided a realistic hunting simulation of rabbits. All clays moved at different heights and speeds to test our range of skill. While I have zero desire to shoot actually animals, the skeet shooting adventure was one of my favorite all-inclusive experiences. A team of instructors offer basic shooting orientation for guests ages 12 and up, as well as advanced instruction if requested.

On my final day at Casa de Campo, I took a golf lesson from professional Jim McLean. Nestled among 7,000 acres of the Dominican Republic southeastern coast, Casa de Campo features five world-class courses designed by internationally-renowned golf course architect and World Golf Hall of Fame member, Pete Dye, as well as the only Jim McLean Golf School in the Caribbean. With 63 holes of awe-inspiring golf – including legendary Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore courses – Casa de Campo offers a dynamic experience on the greens challenging both the highly-skilled golfer, as well as novice or casual weekend players. Although I am a sports enthusiast (I’ve coached basketball, volleyball, and soccer at the high school level and played high school basketball), I’ve never played golf. My lesson was beyond my wildest expectations. It was calming and affirming and beautiful. I had never felt that way in sports before. Jim was a fantastic coach and within less than an hour, I was hitting the ball and feeling confident. Whatever expectations I had for a professional lesson were passed a thousand times over. I’d even recommend lessons for experienced golfers. What a difference in perspective! My lesson saved me hours of stress and got me hooked on a sport I may not have enjoyed otherwise.

Casa de Campo focuses on the sporting life. I left feeling refreshed and excited about all of my new, unique experiences. Rather than just relaxing at the pool or hanging out on the beach, Casa de Campo gets you out of the chair and into your list. The opportunities are endless; my list just got a lot shorter at Casa de Campo.