Sanctuary Cap Cana is as good as it gets

My just-completed visit to Sanctuary Cap Cana, on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, was sensory overload in every capacity.

The resort hotel is laid-back but luxurious, two separate structures (one in Spanish Colonial style, the other built to resemble a fortress) separated by a bougainvillea-filled path, restaurants, shops, pools and bars dotting the conduit between. The unmatchable beauty of the Caribbean Sea is close-at-hand, befitting a resort that’s mostly open air.

The nearby golf course, an ethereal Jack Nicklaus signature design called Punta Espada, is a seaside venue with few equals in the hemisphere. And the real kicker? We were sharing the grounds with some of the biggest names in sport, all on property for the inaugural David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic. “Big Papi,” a Dominican native who has become a legendary Boston Red Sox clutch slugger in the past five-odd years, had all kinds of pals on hand. They included A-Listers like A-Rod, Pedro Martinez, Ryan Howard, the star slugger of the recently-crowned world champion Philadelphia Phillies, Vladimir Guerrero, Mariano Rivera, Andres “Big Cat” Galarraga, former Red Sox stars like Luis Tiant and Jim Rice, Boston icons like the Bruins Bobby Orr, and the Celtics John Havlicek.

Everything about the weekend was first-rate—the accommodations, the weather, the parties, the golf event, which raised significant funds for Ortiz’ pet charities.

Here’s the advice for the day: Save your nickels, dimes and dollars. Get yourself to Sanctuary Cap Cana asap, because with or without the professional athlete mega-wattage on property, the hotel is the real star.