JetBlue has announced plans to take off from Boston Logan to Santo Domingo as of 19 June. The airline will run three weekly flights to Boston on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Depending on how the flight goes, the airline could continue it year round. JetBlue feels the route will be especially attractive to Boston airport travelers in the cold winter months, and hopes the flight can be carried out daily in the winter.
JetBlue has also announced Boston to Santiago flights starting 17 June.

This summer, 2011, 28 golf courses will be in operation in the Dominican Republic. This total includes five 9-hole golf courses, two courses operating with nine holes but expanding to 18 holes within the next few months, and three 27-hole golf courses and eighteen 18-hole golf courses. The golf courses are located in the eastern half of the country.
The Punta Cana coastline has the largest number of golf courses in the Dominican Republic, with 10 courses in operation, including one 27-hole course, the Cocotal (by Jose "Pepe" Gancedo), and one 9-hole golf course, the Catalonia Cabeza de Toro. Others with 18 holes are the Cana Bay Palace (Jack Nicklaus and Mark Meijer), the Punta Blanca (Nick Price), Iberostate Bavaro (PB Dye), Barcelo Golf de Bavaro (by Juan Manuel Gordillo and renovated by PB Dye), Catalonia Caribe, Corales (Tom Fazio), La Cana (PB Dye) and Punta Espada (Jack Nicklaus).
Golfing took off in La Romana at Casa de Campo in 1971, and now the resort has recently completed the renovation of the legendary 18-hole Teeth of the Dog course. Others at Casa de Campo are The Links with 18 holes, and the 27-hole Dye Fore at Altos de Chavon and the for-members La Romana Country Club with 27 holes. La Estancia, with 18-holes, is another golf course in the La Romana-Bayahibe area.
In the southeastern beach resort of Juan Dolio, there are three golf courses: Guavaberry by Gary Player with 18 holes, Los Marlins by Charles Ankrom, and Costablanca by Greg Norman that is starting off with 9 holes of its 18 holes.
Nearby is the new Naco Golf (Carlos Grullon and Ricardo Orellana-designed) members' country club, which will be especially attractive for tourists staying in the Boca Chica beach area.
The city of Santo Domingo has three golf courses, the membership Santo Domingo Country Club (H. N. Hansard), Las Lagunas (Pete Dye and Jack Corrie) and Isabel Villas (Ricardo Orellana-designed) golf courses, where play can be contracted by non-members.
On the northeastern coast, the only course is the 18-hole Playa Grande Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones. To the west, in north-central Puerto Plata, there are two golf courses in operation - 18-hole Playa Dorada (also designed by Robert Trent Jones) at the hotel complex of the same name, and the 9-hole Los Mangos in Costambar, that primarily caters for hotel guests in nearby Cofresi.
In the central mountain area of Santiago, there is 18-hole Las Aromas, designed by Pete Dye as he began his career as a golf designer. There is the 9-hole Jarabacoa Golf Club, and the 9-hole Bonao Golf Club open to play by visitors.

For more on ongoing and upcoming events, see www.dr1.com/calendar

Dutch airline KLM has announced the start of flights to the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) from Amsterdam as of October. The airline says the flight is an alternative for travelers who don't want to fly KLM to the DR via the USA. The new flight will be especially attractive for passengers connecting through the Schiphol International Airport, already a major international hub for connections. The flight will leave Amsterdam at 10am with a stopover in Havana, in time to arrive in Punta Cana at 7:30pm. Return flights will be non-stop to Amsterdam, leaving at 8:30pm and arriving at 10am the following morning.
KLM president and chief executive officer Peter Hartman said "The Dominican Republic is a wonderful holiday destination and is in great demand in the Dutch market. We are looking forward to working with our partners in the travel world to make this destination a success."

"The gorgeous blend of white, sandy coastline and lush rainforests provide ample opportunity to see the local beauty and culture of the Samana area. The popularity of the Dominican Republic is soaring with the addition of destinations to our ever-expanding Caribbean network, in combination with WestJet Vacations' reputation for offering low-cost, high-value vacation packages."
WestJet will fly between Toronto and Samana once weekly until 30 October 20 10. The flight departs Toronto on Saturday at 10am, arriving in Samana at 2:10pm. The return flight leaves at 3pm, arriving in Toronto at 7:05pm.
One-way fares, available in both directions on non-stop flights only, are available from $199 plus applicable taxes and fees.

As part of its 2010 summer schedule, WestJet continues to offer year-round services from Toronto to two other Dominican Republic destinations - Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.

Couples shot a 62, breaking the course record at the 7,170-yard, par-72 Punta Espada Golf Club and winning the Cap Cana Championship on Sunday by two strokes.

He made 11 birdies in the final round and finished the tournament at 21-under 195. Corey Pavin finished second.

"It was an unbelievable day," said Couples who made five birdies in a row from the second through sixth hole. "The first six or seven holes, there was an eagle, birdies and putts going in from everywhere."

The new "elite" rooms feature a modern look, while maintaining the use of rich mahogany woods and Coralina stone. The rooms are equipped with 42 Led flat screen TVs and Blu-ray players and cable. Other features are alarm clock radios with dual dock for iPods and iPhones and high-speed, wireless Internet.

The new main area with its grand open spaces makes the absolute most of the surrounding natural Caribbean beauty in a minimalist design.
The main pool area has been completely renovated to include trellised platforms for early morning and late afternoon yoga classes, and shaded seating areas in natural woods and white canopies and cushions.

"Casa de Campo set the benchmark for luxury travel in the Caribbean" said general manager Alberto Grau, "and we are very excited to continue this fine reputation into the future."

The Iberostate golf course is packaged to tourists staying at the Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominicana and Grand of the Iberostar chain. The course has a driving range. It was designed by PB Dye. Course director is Fernando Cuesta. The course promises a perfect climate, finest and most carefully maintained installations, great care in the vertical movement of the course and interesting work wit h stone and rocky materials, to create the setting for enjoying a golf match and improving handicaps. The course promoters encourage their players to "allow yourself to fall under the spell of this new seaside golf course".

Also scheduled for opening this year in the area, are the 18-hole Los Corales private membership course at Los Corales in Punta Cana Resort & Club in October. Next the first 9 holes will be playable in late November at Cana Bay part of the Moon Palace resort complex, also in Arena Gorda, Punta Cana. Cana Bay was designed by Jack Nicklaus Design company.

Spirit begins flight to Santiago
Manuel Jaquez, Spirit Airlines Latin American director, is betting on becoming the preferred choice for connecting with Central America, Colombia, Peru and South America for those living in Santiago and the central Cibao area of the DR. Spirit recently began flights on the Santiago-Fort Lauderdale route, departing the Cibao International Airport in Santiago (STI) three times a week with very competitive fares. Alfredo Gonzalez, vice president, tourism and international business of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Fort Lauderdale traveled to Santiago to promote Fort Lauderdale to the Cibao travelers.

Performances take place at the Cristobal de Llerena auditorium, with a giant screen outside in the Cafe Teatro for those who prefer an informal setting to talk with friends. And there will be a special concert with Bryan Lynch from the US at the Plaza Bartolome de las Casas on Saturday, 4 July.

This year's schedule is: 18 June: Roberto Carcasse and his trio (Cuba); 25 June: Rafael Mirabal and Sistema Temperado (DR); 2 July: Patricia Pereyra (DR); 4 July: Bryan Lynch (USA); 9 July: Ossia Saxophons (France); 16 July: Natalia Calderon Quartet (Spain); 23 July: Guillo Carias and his group (DR); 30 July: Paula Shokron and trio (Argentina). Tickets are for sale for RD$350 for hall performance, and RD$200 for the Cafe Teatro.

At a press conference held to announce the tournament, PGA Champions Tour president Mike Stevens said that the tournament had been an unprecedented success in all senses of the word -- given the DR's hospitality and the extent that the players enjoyed the complete experience. Our players and our work team are looking forward to returning to Cap Cana in 2009," he said. Players will compete for a US$315,000 prize for the winner, and a US$2.1 million purse. The Cap Cana Championship will be transmitted by The Golf Channel for North America, Europe and the Caribbean and ESPN Latin America for Latin America. Golf Digest magazine has ranked the Punta Espada course among the 100 best courses outside of the US. Forbes also lists it among the 10 best golf courses in the Caribbean, and Robb Report's "Best of the Best" featured it as one of the most extraordinary golf courses around the world. The course opened in November 2006 and is operated by Troon Golf. The Champions Tour is open to golfers over the age of 50. In 2009, it will be in its 30th year.

Oktober Fest began when Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Theressa Von Sacasen-Hildburghausen of Bavaria married on 17 October 1810. Since then it has continued strong in Munich and in cities all around the world.

As he and his entourage survey the scene, a large passenger plane crosses above them on its descent into nearby Punta Cana International Airport. It's the world's only privately owned international airport - built and operated by the same Dominican consortium that developed Punta Cana Resort and Corales GC.