The golf courses of the Caribbean offer perfect manicured greens and sweeping fairways bunkered by white sands - with panoramic views the only distraction.
With its idyllic palm-trimmed powdery beaches, fabulous sunshine, cloudless skies and lengthy golf pedigree, the Caribbean is considered a golfing utopia by golfers used to cooler climes. Conditions are near-perfect, with rich, green fairways and impeccable hibiscus-lined greens with plenty to do well away from the greens for non-golfing spouses or family. Jaw-dropping views ensure that every player, from novice hackers to scratch golfers, relish the experience and have a good time.And, should a ball stray off the straight and narrow, it’s fun to watch the lizards scurry under coconuts and foliage. There’s no worry about the weather, thanks to 360 days of sunshine - the only ice you’ll find is in a drink at the 19th.
The promise of warm Caribbean sun on the greens each morning remains as seductive as ever with all of the main golfing destinations home to a recognized course, from(A-to-Z) Anguilla to Turks & Caicos. Many golf facilities are linked to hotels or residential communities, with the remaining facilities standalone, ensuring an interesting mix of styles and layouts, many built by pro golfers such as Tom Lazio and Colin Montgomery. According to the recent reports there are nine new courses in development with an additional 21 now at the planning phase and earmarked to open before 2025.
Some of the newest facilities include the Baha Mar set on Nassau’s famous Cable Beach in the Bahamas.Five ritzy hotels, a villa designed by rock star Lenny Kravitz, a 30,000 sq ft luxury spa, 40 restaurants and a casino of epic proportions has been built at a cost of well over $3.5billion but has redefined top-notch golfing holidays in the Caribbean.A state-of-the-art Tournament Players Club (TPC) facility - the first ever in the Bahamas - boasts a Jack Nicklaus signature design with tournament-hosting capabilities. Offering “two courses in one,” a dramatic front nine is framed by ocean views and other water features while the back nine meanders through inland forest. The Baha Mar’s 16th hole has an Island Green deserving of a sharp intake of breath.
Other notable developments in the Caribbean include a doubling of the number of golf courses in St Kitts & Nevis with the addition of a Tom Fazio course at the Christoph Harbour Resort and an 18-hole course at Kittittian Hill.Other lesser-known gems include a club in The Out islands that has “Sip Sip’ comfort stations after the 4th and 16th greens and the 12th tee - Bahamian-style lounges equipped with washrooms and well-stocked shelves of candies, cookies, cocktails and other treats.On Great Guana Cay, the Baker's Bay course is the recipient of rave reviews and, at a touch over 7,327 yards, this Tom Fazio designed Par 72 is notable for its dramatic water views from 11 of the 18 holes. The Out Islands, loosely defined as everything excluding Nassau and Grand Bahama, welcomed the opening of Baker’s Bay in 2010. Watch out for the 18th - it’s an oceanside par-five dramatic finisher with a prevailing winter wind that belches the ball out to sea. Green fees: £65-£75, www.bakersbayclub.com
The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is characterized by the two Piton Mountains on its western side and has a trio of golf facilities that offer a total of 45 holes. The 9-hole par 33 La TOC course at Sandals Regency Resort is undoubtedly the most fun holiday course. Hotel guests can play unlimited rounds without paying green fees with priceless views from high on the bluff over the bay. Fees are highly competitive off-peak. Green fees: All inclusive, www.sandals.co.uk
The original 9-holes at the Cedar Valley Golf Course opened in 1970 with a further nine added in 1977. Today, as Antigua’s only 18-hole championship golf course, this par-70 tropical layout renowned through the Caribbean region for its classical design. Stretching 6,157 yards through mature bird-filled woodlands, and offering gasp-inducing hilltop views across the Caribbean Sea, the Cedar Valley is a nature-lovers delight - but as it sits in an airless valley players here should be prepared for sauna-like sweltering heat.Green fees: £55-£65http://cvgolfantigua.com
Of all of the courses in Barbados, it is Tom Fazio's modern marvel The Green Monkey that steals the limelight in its commanding location in the parklands of the island’s most famous five-star resort - the Sandy Lane Country Club. Five lakes and three par 5s and three par 3s on the back nine characterize this lush tropical layout: a 72 par, 7,343-yard course carved from an old limestone quarry that creeps along the shore. Other-worldly exposed rock faces form dramatic contrasts to the lush, rolling greens of the fairways and offer tremendous elevation change - a heady, one-in-a-lifetime golfing thrill.Green fees: £75 - £155. www.sandylane.com
