Jamaica is blessed with all the qualities of a world-class golf destination. In addition to excellent year-round weather, the topography, lush vegetation and scenic beauty of our tropical island also encourages creative golf course designs by imaginative golf course architects. Jamaica is also famous for its caddies: lively, entertaining, experienced, dedicated - with an uncanny ability to track down wayward shots and to read the breaks on even the trickiest greens. We invite you to play our courses for yourself for an unforgettable golfing experience:
Montego Bay is the island's golf capital boasting five championship golf courses, premium hotel accommodations, an international airport served by several major airlines, beaches and other recreational, shopping and entertainment facilities.
SuperClubs Ironshore
The former Ironshore Golf & Country Club is a links-style, par-72 course. Once referred to 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 has been polishing that gem. A beautifully decorated new clubhouse was built and a massive course renovation completed. The greens are in their best condition in 20 years, locals say. The 6,570-yard layout delivers what is expected - an entertaining golf experience, with several water encounters and a number of interesting blind shots. Fairways are separated by tall, frilly Australian pines, as well as flowering hibiscus and bough.
Half Moon
Designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course opened in 1961 and since has firmly established itself as one of prized courses that the Caribbean has to offer. Measuring a massive, 7,119 yards from the back tees, it has been selected as host venue for several professional and amateur tournaments, including the Jamaican Open and the Dunhill Cup. The course boasts some of the trademark Jones features, including runway tees and use of the land's movement or the 'figure eight' routing that cleverly changes angles just enough to cause bewilderment on the windy days. The greens also demand special attention: while they are very playable, their shape and contour often force the better golfer to work the ball to get their approaches close to tucked pins, while leaving an opening for the novice player to run the ball in.
“Wonderful golf!”
Half Moon is a five star resort with I'd say a 4-star golf course. Jamaica is great for one important thing: CADDIES! When god invented the game, he meant it to be played with someone else carrying the bag on his shoulder ;-)
Caddies usually expect anywhere from $10 to $20 per day. Usually you keep the same caddie every day unless he drives you crazy of course...mine was just fine + he learns to club you really fast.
Cinnamon Hill
One instinctively marvels at the parcel 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 short on acreage, the layout moves from an open, windswept front nine into the lower elevations of the Blue Mountains on the back nine, where dense foliage traps the fairways of the incoming holes. Boasting interesting, serene, descriptive and sometimes downright intimidating names each hole has its own intriguing characteristics and is sure to leave behind a memorable experience. The surrounding scenery at #15 "Mountain Falls" is so striking, that a scene was shot here for the James Bond film Live and Let Die. The course is built on what was once a 400-acre plantation, and remnants of the area's history, including aqueducts, gravestones, and ruins of historic homes, offer a crumbling reminder of a land that once breathed a life of its own, long before golf.
“What a Gorgeous and Challenging Course”
I just left Jamaica June 30, 2008 and played Cinnamon Hill twice. We received a great discount price of $99.00 including green fees, carts, and caddy fees as a guest of the new Iberostar Resort. The front nine is a good and long challenge to get you warmed up. Spectacular views on 5, 11 and 12. I eagled on the Par 4 10th on my first day. USE and TRUST your caddies. They know the course, especially the greens, and will know your golf game after a few holes. I am a 15+ handicapper and my friend is a 10+. The course was challenging for both of us but I think it is playable and will provide a good challenge for all levels. Lots of hills, drops in elevation and unduIating greens. I have played White Witch and Ironshore Courses. Cinnamon Hill was in great condition except for the 17th hole that they are repairng because of storm damage. Not as difficult as White Witch and a better challenge than Ironshore.
White Witch
Locals are quick to say that Annie Palmer still haunts the Rose Hall Great House and the estate- including the course 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 traditional tropical terrain, the layout is mountainous and rugged. The 6,718-yard course sticks to the high ground where there are cool breezes and ocean views on 16 holes. This elevated route can be intimidating, with its carries over jungle-like terrain, but the course intertwines with the mountains and provides golfers with some of the best views of the coastline.
“Best of the Best!!! MUST PLAY!!!!!!! Perfect 10!!!”
White Witch Golf Club
When I first got there the golf staff was extreamly friendly. They brought me to the range where you hit balls off an elevated tee area about 6-10 stories high (later to find out the importance of that). The caddy had asked me to hit a few shots so he can get a better understanding of my game. I was impressed with that. My caddy's name was ODEAN (he built confidence in me ALL day)and asked me what my HCP was and I told him it was a 10 and he said you should play from the Blue Tees and I had agreed. We started the round. WOW!!!! There is not a flat hole on this course. Every hole was MAGNIFICIENT!! The par 3's were mouth dropping (from the blue tees about 8-10 story elevation drop over water)!! With ODEAN's GREAT read on 18 I was a to birdy it with a final round of 83. Here are my tips: Trust your caddy (yardage/greens). Play in the AM (less windy). Play an NXT instead of a ProV (better control in the wind). Bring a camera!! The BEST course I have ever played!!!!!
Also, you MUST eat dinner at the White Witch!!!
I also played Half Moon (good starter round flat course I give it a 6 out of 10)and Cinnamon Hill (second hardest 8 out of 10 also nice views).
Tryall
Tryall's 18-hole, Ralph Plummer-designed championship course has played host to 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 ocean-side up into forested hills, past coconut groves, and back down to the sea along a route lined with flowering plants and magnificent trees. The signature par-three 4th hole incorporates the natural challenges of the Caribbean Sea and the Flint River, while the memorable par-four 7th hole provides a dramatic tee-shot through the stone pillars of the historic aqueduct that feeds the adjacent waterwheel. Tryall's homeowners, many associated with the club for generations, have preserved the atmosphere of charming gentility that has been "modernized out" of many other historic properties.
Negril Hills
Nestled in the hills minutes away from Negril's famous seven-mile white-sand beach, golf enthusiasts will find this relaxed resort's hidden gem- the 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 Negril's low, rolling hills. This topography makes for fast play, with snaking fairways and mildly sloping greens. It also reveals fleeting views of Negril's distant golden sands and calm seas. Along the fairways, coconut and other tropical trees dance in the soft sea breezes wafting in from the coast. This course is characterized by water hazards, boasting nine ponds that all come into play. Marshlands and sandtraps also lurk throughout the course, waiting to claim wayward balls.
Runaway Bay GC
The par 72 course was designed by Major John Harris from Britain and opened in 1960. From the Blue Tees, the course measures a long 6,870 yards with a slope rating of 124. The combination of the wind gusting up to 35 miles per hour, long rolling fairways with large flat greens and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, guarantee that golfers can expect an exhilarating experience whether they are beginners or accomplished players. The PGA-quality golf course has hosted many an international event including the MatchPlay games between the United Kingdom and the West Indies, the Jamaica Open and the World Cup of Golf Super-qualifier tournaments.
Sandals Ocho Rios
Formerly known as Upton Golf Club, the Sandals Golf & Country Club was established in 1951 as a 9 hole course located 700 feet above sea level in Upton, a few miles east of Ocho Rios. The original 9-hole layout which, designed by P.K. Saunders, was expanded in the early 1960s to 18 holes. In June 1992, Sandals Resorts purchased the property and set about creating one of the most elite golf courses in Jamaica. The greens were rebuilt with Tifdwarf Bermuda grass and the fairways resurfaced with Bermuda grass. Although comparatively short- 6311 yards, par 71 from the Blue Tees, the course makes for a challenging 128 slope.
Compared to the St. Lucia course, Sandals Golf and Country Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, is a more formidable test characterized by narrow fairways and minuscule, drop-off greens. A par-71 18-hole layout measuring 6502 yards, it stretches out over a verdant, rolling landscape with sweeping views of sparkling sea and mountains cloaked in dense vegetation. While there are no major forced carries and few fairways bunkers, precision is key; ten holes are flanked by out-of-bounds stakes. Particularly vexing is the unassuming-looking par-3 13th hole on the course, but it packs a wallop with its treacherously shallow green fronted by a steep slope and backed by a hidden bunker.
Forgot your clubs? To borrow a favorite Jamaican saying, "No problem, mon" full sets by Nike can be rented from the well stocked golf shop, which also features the latest styles from the impressive Nike Golf collection. Don’t forget to try our world’s famous Authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken at our Sweet Spot Jerk Shack located at number 10 green.
