---
title: "The Old Airport Runway on Teeth of the Dog®"
url: https://www.casadecampo.com.do/blog/2020/05/06/old-airport-runway-on-totd/
date: 2020-05-06
modified: 2026-09-02
lang: en
author: "Gitti"
description: "“It was so cool when golfers out playing on Teeth of the Dog® would look up and see a huge American Airlines Boeing 727 jet either taking off or landing just a few yards off the course. It was spectacular!” reminisced Gilles Gagnon."
categories:
  - "Blog"
image: https://www.casadecampo.com.do/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Aeropuerto-Punta-Aguila-10.jpg
word_count: 667
---

# The Old Airport Runway on Teeth of the Dog®

## Key Takeaways

- Teeth of the Dog® runs beside the old Punta Aguila International Airport runway, with the back nine holes Nos. 15 to 17 on one side and the course interior on the other.
- Punta Aguila International Airport becomes La Romana International Airport (LRM) after a 1995 runway extension to 2,000 meters and a 2000 move to its current location just north of the resort.
- American Airlines starts a daily direct flight from Miami International Airport to La Romana Airport on December 5, 2024.
- Casa de Campo guests and residents gain easier access to the resort’s world-class golf courses, including Teeth of the Dog®, through the new Miami to La Romana route.

#### It was amazing to be on the tee-box of No. 12 and see a 727 coming right at you

“It was so cool when golfers out playing on Teeth of the Dog® would look up and see a huge American Airlines Boeing 727 jet either taking off or landing just a few yards off the course. It was spectacular!” reminisced Gilles Gagnon.

Gagnon is the senior golf sales director at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas as well as “director of golf emeritus.” Often called “the face of Caribbean golf,” he has seen it all in his four decades plus at the superlative Caribbean destination but loves discussing the old airport and its unique runway which were an oddity in the golf world, to say the least.

![American Airlines plane lands at original Casa de Campo airport](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Aeropuerto-Punta-Aguila-10.jpg)American Airlines plane lands at original Casa de Campo airport

The single runway of the old Punta Aguila International Airport ran parallel to the [incredible oceanside holes on the back nine of Teeth of the Dog® ](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/golf/teeth-of-the-dog/) (Nos. 15 – 17) on one side and the interior of the Pete Dye-designed masterpiece on the other. The only separation between the landing strip and the course was a white picket fence and gates built alongside the 12th and 18th holes which would lower and lock after the airport control tower rang a bell notifying all in earshot that a plane was either taking off or landing.

![The Old Runway at Casa de Campo](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Aeropuerto-Punta-Aguila-Casa-de-Campo-4.jpg)
“It was amazing to be on the tee-box of No. 12 and see a 727 coming right at you,” said Gagnon while laughing about how absurd the situation was. Golf carts and pedestrians would line up right along the fence for the spectacle. “Everybody at the resort stopped whatever they were doing to watch the flights take off and land,” continued Gagnon. “Occasionally the tower staff would forget to sound the bell and surprised golfers or pedestrians crossing the runway would find a plane about to land on top of them. Thankfully, there was never a mishap.”

The old runway dated back to the mid-1960s before Casa de Campo was born. The original landing strip was simply a long dirt path flanked by cans filled with oil that could be lit to help pilots see where they were going in less than ideal flying conditions or at night. It serviced small private aircraft as well as cargo and fumigation planes. In 1978, it was officially named the Punta Aguila International Airport (LRM) when it began commercial operations.

![The Old Airport Runway at Casa de Campo](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Original-LR-Airport-2.jpg)
In 1995, the runway was extended to 2,000 meters and the airport started accepting regular flights to La Romana from Puerto Rico and Miami. The new extended runway was long enough for aircraft as large as the Boeing 727. In 2000, the airport moved to its current location just north of the resort as Casa de Campo and the Dominican Republic became a celebrated tourist destination with millions visiting the country annually. Now called the La Romana International Airport (LRM), the full-service facility receives flights and visitors worldwide.

“People loved watching the planes and were upset when we took the old runway and airport away,” concluded Gagnon. Today, a remnant of the old runway remains just in front of the 18th tee as a reminder of one of the most unusual spots to land and takeoff in the world of golf and aviation.

 

Exciting news for Casa de Campo guests and residents! Starting December 5, 2024, American Airlines will once again offer a convenient daily flight directly from Miami International Airport to La Romana Airport. This new route provides even more accessibility to Casa de Campo, making it easier for U.S.-based travelers to enjoy the resort’s world-class golf courses, including the legendary Teeth of the Dog®. With just a short drive from La Romana Airport, guests can quickly immerse themselves in the luxury, beauty, and unique experiences that Casa de Campo has to offer. Book your trip now and experience the ultimate Caribbean escape with the ease and convenience of this new direct connection!

![American Airlines flight attendant serving a passenger](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AA-2230901-NARROW-BODY-1.06P-MEAL-SERVICE-2293-F-1500x1000-6b42342-300x200-1.jpg)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why was the old runway on Teeth of the Dog so unusual for golfers?**
A: The runway ran parallel to the back nine of Teeth of the Dog®, with Nos. 15 to 17 on one side and the course interior on the other, so golfers could literally watch planes taking off and landing beside a Pete Dye-designed course. A white picket fence and gates near the 12th and 18th holes were the only separation. That setup made the old Punta Aguila International Airport one of the strangest golf-and-aviation pairings anywhere.

**Q: How did golfers know when a plane was about to land or take off at Casa de Campo?**
A: The airport control tower rang a bell before any takeoff or landing, then the gates by the 12th and 18th holes were lowered and locked. That mattered because pedestrians and golf carts gathered right along the fence to watch. The system worked as a warning, but the article also notes that tower staff occasionally forgot, which is why people could end up surprised by a plane on approach.

**Q: What was the old Punta Aguila International Airport used for before commercial flights?**
A: Before it became a commercial airport in 1978, the runway was just a long dirt path from the mid-1960s. It was flanked by cans filled with oil that could be lit for pilots in poor visibility or at night. The strip handled small private aircraft, cargo planes, and fumigation planes, so it started as a practical airfield long before it became part of Casa de Campo history.

**Q: What changed when the runway was extended in 1995?**
A: The extension to 2,000 meters made it possible for regular flights from Puerto Rico and Miami to use the airport, and it was long enough for aircraft as large as the Boeing 727. That upgrade turned the old strip into a much more serious commercial operation. For anyone comparing eras, this is the key shift from a quirky local runway to an airport handling scheduled traffic.

**Q: Is there still any trace of the old runway at Casa de Campo today?**
A: A remnant of the old runway still remains just in front of the 18th tee. That detail matters because it is one of the few physical reminders of how close aviation once came to Teeth of the Dog®. If you want context for that stretch of course history, it pairs well with [the incredible oceanside holes on the back nine of Teeth of the Dog®](https://www.casadecampo.com.do/golf/teeth-of-the-dog/), which are part of the same landscape story.