John Harris, who designed the course at Breezes Runaway Bay Resort in Jamaica, apparently was a big fan of the long ball. He installed seven par 5s. They've since shortened the layout but it still has some very long par 4s; some are even longer than the par 5s. (This is Caribbean golf, we don't stick to no rules here, mon.) The bottom line, though, is that it's a joy to play.
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Originally built in the early 1970s, SuperClubs Ironshore Golf & Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica has an excellent layout over mildly rolling terrain with occasional glimpses of the sea. All it needs is a little more attention to maintenance, and it'd be a superb Caribbean golf course.
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Everywhere you look, from nearly any vantage point at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, you see either distant, cloud-shrouded mountains and volcanoes or the deep blue sea. Sometimes you see the deep blue sea from on high, sometimes you see it from the down low, but make no mistake, you will see it, and of course, if you're not careful, you'll be in it — or at least your tee shot will.
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Riddell's Bay is the oldest golf course in Bermuda, built back in 1922, back before they started building them in the hills to give tourists views of the ocean and bays. The result is that the course is more flat, and the views — there are plenty — are more up close and personal.
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Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design with oleander-lined fairways, good elevation changes and colorful in that Bermuda way. What's not to like? Add to that the fact it's a public course, and now you have something.
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Formerly known as Castle Harbour and dating to the 1930s, Bermuda's aging Tucker's Point Golf Course came in for some criticism in recent years for poor design and conditioning. But since a 2002 rehab by Roger Rulewich, golfers are happy as, well, bluebirds with it.
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While you may miss out on a 'Wow' view of the ocean, St. Lucia Golf and Country Club makes up for it in many other ways, writes TravelGolf.com National Golf Editor Tim McDonald. Taking advantage of the natural landscape, St. Lucia's gives golfers a wild ride through the islands, replete with wildlife, coconut-shell tee markers and rum truffles at the coffee shop. It's also a course with a 139 slope rating, so bring extra balls.
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The Sandals Regency course was designed by Richard Colon, a man who never met a tight fairway he didn't like. Tighter than Uncle Harry's hat band, it’s a claustrophobic little track that keeps your driver in the bag, or should. And while it many not compare to the St. Lucia Golf and Country Club course, at just $40 for 18 holes, it makes for a pleasant day of island golf, writes National Golf Editor Tim McDonald.
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Inhabitants of the small Caribbean island of Nevis swear the mountain that towers over their home is a "she." Nevis Peak, a dormant volcano wrapped in tropical vegetation, is usually shrouded by mysterious, swirling clouds. The Four Seasons Resort golf course that lies at its base may not have a gender, but it definitely has teeth. And it’s full of island mysteries, like Green Vervet monkeys that can sometimes be seen scuttling around in the deep foliage.
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Royal St. Kitts, laid out on a sandy peninsula, tries for a links-style feel; it's much flatter and the experience with the sea and ocean is much more intimate: you can hear the roar of the surf in your ears and you're likely to deposit one, two or several of your golf balls in salt water. After opening in 1976, the course on the grounds of the Marriott began earnest renovations in 2002, with well-known Canadian architect Thomas McBroom doing the re-design.
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