Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/739845
Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Tom Weiskopf-designed course is open to golfers staying at the adjoining One&Only Ocean Club Resort or the nearby Atlantis Resort. Ranked as one of the very best courses in the Caribbean, this eye-candy layout juts out along a stunning peninsula. For several years the course hosted Michael Jordan's Celebrity Golf Tournament where guests ranged from Bill Clinton and Boris Becker to Wayne Gretzky and John McEnroe. If you have time, check out the local real estate scene. Last time I was in the area, I saw a listing for a US$20-million home—fortu- nately the price included dockage for a 35-metre yacht. A PRIVATE HIDEAWAY The Abaco Club on Winding Bay is another Bahamas location that boasts super model looks. A private, international sporting club and residential community that allows non- club members the chance to come and stay and play, the Club is home to a links-style layout designed by Donald Steel and Scott Mackenzie. (Steel is best known in Canada for his design of Redtail Golf Course, an exclusive layout tucked quietly away in horse and farm country around St. Thomas, Ontario. Guests at the Ontario club have ranged from Sean Connery to Queen Elizabeth.) The course at the Abaco Club is strong all the way through and is punctuated by a couple of stunning par threes on both nines. After the round, golfers unwind at the Club's glistening white beachfront, which stretches out for three kilometres. JAMAICAN JOY The first time I went to Jamaica, I snuck away from my foursome, found a piece of virgin sand, snapped open a Red Stripe beer and cranked up Bob Marley on my iPod. Bob promised me that, "Everything's gonna be alright" and I believed him. Eventually though, I did rouse myself long enough to rejoin my pals for a round at Cinnamon Hill Golf Course on Jamaica's Montego Bay. MoBay is dotted with terrific golf. Within a five-minute radius of Cinnamon Hill are another three courses— White Witch, Half Moon and Ironshore. A fourth course, Tryall is about 35 minutes away on the other side of the bay. CUBAN FLAVOUR Good golf is all about rhythm so it was fit- ting to find a good course in Cuba. After all, this is the place where the cha-cha, mambo and bolero first crossed the dance floor and where such dreamy cocktails as the daiquiri, mojito and Cuba libre were invented. The Varadero golf course in Cuba was designed by Canadian Les Furber. It begins gently but on the back nine, Furber turns the screws, making golfers hit ticklish shots over salt water ponds. Even if you don't play, check out the clubhouse. Built in the 1920s by the head of the wealthy DuPont family, Xanadú was a three-storey dream house perched on the crags overlooking the beach. The family lived in the home for more than 30 years and today it doubles as the club- house with a bar and restaurant, which is open to both golfers and non-players. DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2016 52 TOP LEFT: The Abaco Club on Winding Bay in the Bahamas allows non-club members the chance to come and stay and play. Courtesy of Spicers Balfour Hotel BELOW: A couple of holes on the front nine at the Royal St. Kitts edge the Caribbean Sea while a series of holes on the back nine flank the Atlantic shores. Courtesy of Royal St. Kitts TRAVEL PLANNER For more information on the Caribbean's classic courses and stay and play packages, try the following sites: Atlantis, Bahamas: atlantisbahamas.com Cap Cana, Dominican Republic: capcana.com Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, Dominican Republic: casadecampo.com.do CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, Anguilla: cuisinartresort.com Royal St. Kitts Golf Club: royalstkittsgolfclub.com Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas: sandals.com Sandy Lane, Barbados: sandylane.com The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, Bahamas: theabacoclub.com Varadero Golf Club: varaderogolfclub.com DS