Golf in Barbados
Barbados is known throughout the Caribbean as being home to some of the best championship golf courses in the region, so visitors to this Creole paradise should waste no time and should pick up their clubs the minute their plane touches down.
Of all the Bajan golf clubs, the most well known is possibly the Barbados Golf Club itself, and this premier venue, which is situated in Christ Church Parish, offers visitors a stunning 18-hole course designed by the world-renowned Fellow of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Ron Kirby.
http://barbadosgolfclub.com/index.cfm
There is also the Royal Westmoreland Golf and Country Club, and, although this is a private club, guests are welcomed if they first make a reservation. This 6,780 yard long course has 18 gorgeous holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr and sports a par 72.
http://www.worldgolf.com/courses/barbados/royal-westmoreland-golf-countr...
Last but most certainly not least is Rockley Golf Club, and, here, beginners can take lessons before they tackle this engaging 9-holer, which has been described as 'a true test of a golfer's abilities'.
http://www.rockleygolfclub.com/go/
Most of the golf courses in Barbados - those that are not located at the exclusive golf clubs - can be found at the luxury resort and hotel complexes that dot the island, particularly along the Platinum Coast in the Bajan western quarter.
The courses that are available - usually to both hotel guest and casual visitor - range from the fairly pedestrian to the epitome of a golfing enthusiast's wildest dream, and avid golfers would benefit from doing a spot of research before planning their trip. The elegant Provo Golf Club, for instance, is affiliated to The Regent Grand Resort and hosted the 2009 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship, and then there is the almost disarmingly simple 9-hole course situated at the Almond Beach Club and Resort.
http://www.theregentgrandresort.com/index.php?menuitem_id=90
The cherry on top of the Bajan golf course parfait must, however, surely be Sandy Lane, which offers three superb courses - The Old Nine, The Green Monkey and The Country Club - to both the public and the privileged Sandy Lane guests.
Golfing enthusiasts should run - not walk - to Sandy Lane to ensure they will have their turn to play within sight of The Green Monkey's limestone quarry, which is surely unique among golf courses, The Old Nine's rolling, verdant hills and The Country Club's five sparkling lakes.
