The true colors of Jamaica: red, green and golf

Jamaica is blessed with all the qualities of a world class golf destination. In addition to the excellent year-round climate, the topography, lush vegetation and scenic beauty of our tropical island also encourage creative golf course designs by imaginative golf course architects. Jamaica is also famous for its caddies: vivacious, entertaining, experienced, dedicated, with an uncanny ability to track down deflected shots and read breaks on even the trickiest of greens. We invite you to play our courses for yourself for an unforgettable golf experience:

Montego Bay is the golf capital of the island, boasting five championship golf courses, world-class hotel accommodations, an international airport served by several major airlines, beaches, and other recreational, shopping, and entertainment facilities.

Ironshore super clubs

The former Ironshore Golf & Country Club is a par 72 links-style course. Once known as Jamaica’s gem in the rough, it’s a demanding course with plenty of doglegs and bunkers to challenge your A game. Since January 2000, SuperClubs have been polishing that gem. A beautifully appointed new clubhouse was built and a massive course renovation was completed. The greens are in their best condition in 20 years, say the locals. The 6,570-yard layout offers what you’d expect: an entertaining golf experience, with several on-water encounters and several interesting blind shots. The fairways are separated by tall frilled Australian pines, as well as flowering hibiscus and branches.

Half Moon

Designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course opened in 1961 and has since been firmly established as one of the prized courses the Caribbean has to offer. With an impressive 7,119 yards from the back tees, it has been selected to host several professional and amateur tournaments, including the Jamaica Open and the Dunhill Cup. The course boasts some of Jones’ trademark features, including fairway tees and the use of earth motion or “figure eight” routing that deftly changes angles just enough to cause bewilderment in windy days. The greens also demand special attention: while highly playable, their shape and contour often force the better golfer to work the ball to approach embedded pins, while leaving an opening for the novice player to hit the ball.

cinnamon hill

One instinctively marvels at the plot of land on which Robert von Hagge designed Cinnamon Hill GC (formerly Three Palms), at the Wyndham Rose Hall. On an island blessed with lushness and topographical character, and with little acreage, the layout moves from an open, windswept front to the lower elevations of the Blue Mountains on the back nine, where dense foliage traps the fairways of the incoming holes. Named interesting, serene, descriptive and sometimes downright intimidating, each hole has its own intriguing characteristics and is sure to leave a memorable experience. The surrounding scenery at #15 “Mountain Falls” is so striking that a scene for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die was filmed here. The course is built on what was once a 400-acre plantation, and remnants of the area’s history, including aqueducts, tombstones, and ruins of historic houses, offer a crumbling reminder of a land that once breathed a life of its own, much before golf.

White Witch

Locals are quick to say that Annie Palmer still frequents Rose Hall Great House and the estate, including the field built there on the grounds. The White Witch Course, designed by the team of Robert Von Hagge, Rick Baril and Mike Smelek, opened in August 2000 as the centerpiece of the new Ritz Carlton Rose Hall Resort. Instead of the traditional tropical terrain, the layout is hilly and rugged. The 6,718-yard course clings to high ground where there are cool breezes and ocean views on 16 holes. This elevated route can be intimidating, winding its way through jungle terrain, but the course intertwines with the mountains and provides golfers with some of the best views on the coast.

try everything

Tryall’s 18-hole championship course, designed by Ralph Plummer, has hosted such prestigious international events as the Johnnie Walker World Championship, last won by Fred Couples in 1995. With holes that kiss the shoreline and flirt with the edges of jungle ravines, it is probably the most celebrated golf course in the Caribbean. The course stretches 6,772 yards from the seaside up wooded hills, past coconut palms and back to the sea along a path lined with flowering plants and magnificent trees. The unique par-three 4th hole incorporates the natural challenges of the Caribbean Sea and the Flint River, while the memorable par-4 7th hole offers a spectacular tee shot through the stone pillars of the historic aqueduct that feeds the wheel. adjacent hydraulics. Tryall’s owners, many associated with the club for generations, have retained the atmosphere of charming gentry that has been ‘revamped’ from many other historic properties.

negril hills

Nestled in the foothills minutes from Negril’s famous seven-mile white-sand beach, golf enthusiasts will find the hidden gem of this laid-back resort: Negril Hills Golf Club. Famous for its elevated tees and greens, undulating fairways, and emerald ponds, this layout promises an enjoyable round that’s a perfect break from Negril’s sand and sea. Built in 1993 by Robert Simmons, this 18-hole course spans 6,333 yards, cut into the low, rolling hills of Negril. This topography makes for a fast game, with winding fairways and slightly sloping greens. It also reveals glimpses of Negril’s distant golden sands and calm seas. Along the fairways, coconut palms and other tropical trees dance in the gentle sea breeze blowing in from the coast. This course is characterized by water hazards, with nine ponds coming into play. Bogs and sand traps also lurk along the course, waiting to claim stray balls.

runaway bay GC

The par 72 course was designed by Britain’s Major John Harris and opened in 1960. From the Blue Tees, the course is 6870 yards long with a slope of 124. Combining wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, Long undulating fairways with large, flat greens and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, ensure that golfers can look forward to an exhilarating experience, whether they are beginners or experienced players. The PGA-quality golf course has hosted many international events, including the UK vs. West Indies MatchPlay games, the Jamaican Open and World Cup of Golf qualifying tournaments.

Ocho Rios Sandals

Formerly known as Upton Golf Club, Sandals Golf & Country Club was established in 1951 as a 9-hole course located 700 feet above sea level in Upton, just a few miles east of Ocho Rios. The original 9 hole layout which, designed by PK Saunders, was expanded in the early 1960’s to 18 holes. In June 1992, Sandals Resorts purchased the property and set out to create one of the most elite golf courses in Jamaica. The greens were rebuilt with Bermuda Tifdwarf grass and the fairways were resurfaced with Bermuda grass. Although comparatively short, 6,311 yards, par 71 from the Blue Tees, the course has a challenging 128 slope.

Manchester

Carved out of the hills near Mandeville over a century ago, the Manchester Country Club is the oldest golf course in Jamaica and the Caribbean. With 140 years of history, it is easily the most exclusive in Jamaica with its nine greens and 18 tee boxes. Founded as a Country Club in 1865 and shortly after the Scots invented the game of golf, a golf course was built on the site. It is situated in the city center of Mandeville, the capital of Manchester, and has one of the most impressive scenic wonders, provided by the course’s 2,201-foot elevation. Although it is a private members club, it is open to the public and is one of the main tourist attractions in Mandeville.

caymanas

Located 9 miles outside of Kingston, Caymanas GC rests on the foothills of St. Catherine and overlooks the parish’s verdant sugarcane fields, which stretch all the way to Kingston Harbor. Designed by the well-known Canadian architect, Howard Watson, in the 1950s, the hilly setting of the course is brilliantly incorporated into the design. Several of the 18 tee boxes are elevated while the fairways undulate according to the topography of the rugged limestone hills. Majestic cotton and guango trees line the fairways and protect the greens along the 6,844-yard course, creating daunting natural hazards. Strategically placed bunkers and ponds also make the game more challenging. Host to several Caribbean Championships including the Jamaica Open, Jamaica Classic and Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the Club has a slope of 123 from the Blue Tees and measures 6,844 yards.

constant spring

Located in the heart of one of Kingston’s most pleasant residential areas, Constant Spring was built in 1920 by Scottish architect Stanley Thompson, a mentor to Robert Trent Jones, making it one of the oldest golf courses in Jamaica. It’s a short, tight course with an impressive view on the 13th hole and the challenge of driving up a narrow plateau of fairway past a steep valley. It has hosted all the best players on the island, many from the social elite and more than a few concerts during its long
history.

The Jamaica Golf Association, made up of individual golf members and golf clubs from across the island, is at the forefront of the drive to develop the game of golf for a better Jamaica.

David Leadbetter Golf Academy – Half Moon

The Academy combines the best golf instruction available on one of the most challenging courses in Jamaica. Created by one of the masters of the art of teaching the golf swing, David Leadbetter has a unique ability to communicate and a deep dedication to the game. He is known for recreating Nick Faldo’s legendary swing and has worked with Ernie Els, Greg Norman and Nick Price, and has developed an exclusive group of teaching professionals to deliver “tour-tested” advice to ambitious golfers at all stages. developmental.

National Cable & Wireless Golf Academy

Kingston’s bustling shopping and entertainment hub, New Kingston, is also fast becoming the capital city’s sports and recreation hub thanks in part to the addition of the Cable and Wireless National Golf Academy. Located on grounds overlooking the towering buildings of New Kingston and the distant Blue Mountains, the National Golf Academy is the island’s first public putting green and driving range. Spanning an impressive 240 yards, the driving range plays like a real golf course with undulating fairways, 6 manicured greens and well-placed holes, bunkers and ponds. From the Academy’s 23 bays you can practice your swing and drive, or on the adjacent green, you can hone your short game skills.

**for more information, visit http://www.jam-boree.com/, Jamaica’s visitor website, the complete source of travel and tourism information featuring carefully curated deals on vacation packages, hotels, villas, flights and car rentals**