Golf in the Southern Caribbean

[ohCanada]

We are planning a cruise aboard the Crown Princess on February 10, 2007. Our group consists of a group of first time cruisers. The itinerary includes Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Antigua, and St. Thomas. There are several avid golfers that are looking for your recommendations on some really great golf courses on these Islands. I would also like to know what makes the course so special? Would you suggest making your own booking or signing up for the excursion? Thanks

[rps2004]

Mahogany Run is the course in ST. Thomas. About 190-200US off the boat with transportation. Great ocean views. fun to play. More of a sightseeing event than a true resort quality course. But, good enough to be an enjoyable golf experience. Virtually impossible to book yourself in advance. Only take advance bookings up to two days in advance and only by phone - and you're usually at sea and can't call.

 

Well worth it if you haven't done it before.

 

Richard

[cruisingagainsoon]

I believe that there is only one course on St. Martian and that's at the old Mullet Bay resort. Barbados has the gold resort that Tiger was married at and a few others.

[glgolfer]

It's been over 10 years (1994) that we played the Southern Caribbean courses, but here's whet we found then. Mahogany Run is well worth playing once just for the three holes called the Devil's Triangle (spectacular views). We've played it twice and enjoyed it both times. I heard they installed a new irrigation system after the last time we played it, so it should be in good shape.

 

We played Sandy Lane on Barbados, but i believe they're playing the Barbados Country Club now, at least a different course than Sandy Lane. We would play Sandy Lane again, but thought it was a little overpriced.

 

Antigua is Cedar Valley. As the guy on the ship said, you could top a ball 200 yards. The only green on the course was the tees and greens. No rough and very hard ground. That being said, it was the most fun course of all of them to play. You just had to watch your ball for a long time after it hit ground.

The resort at Mullet Bay was destroyed and due to squabbling lawyers will not be rebuilt anytime soon. I think the golf course is open to locals and don't know if you can get a tee time or not. I don't think any cruise lines have an excursion there. It was a pretty (good views) and relatively easy resort course.

 

All of the above may not mean anything as I don't know what can be booked off a Princess ship.

 

If you ever do a precruise in San Juan, play the course the seniors did before they moved to the Dunes in Myrtle Beach. I think it was the East course at the Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort, but It may have been the West. Don't remember for sure.

Also, El Conquistador is a really good course with lots of elevation changes. And the putts always break toward the radio tower.

 

Hope any of this helps. As far as I'm concerned, any course is good to play at least once.

 

One last thing, if you ever get to Casa De Campo in the Dominican Republic,

play the Teeth of the Dog. The 7 holes along the ocean are great and (if it's still set up the same way) hitting your drive over the airport runway is fun.

[trish1c]

Every avid golfer I know dispelled me of the desire to even try booking an outing while cruising unless it's a golf cruise. It's expensive & I don't know anyone who managed to play 18 holes within the allotted time. Based on the bad / negative stuff I've heard, I've never tried it.

 

Also, bear in mind, what I'm typing here is pure rumor -- I have no 1st hand experience w/ golfing on a cruise.

 

I have played in Jamaica & in Cancun. I don't remember the names of the courses but found them to be well manicured; it was fun to play with palm trees. The ground was dry / sandy (gee what a surprise).

[glgolfer]

We've played 12 times off RCI ships and finished 18 holes every time from the Caribbean thru the Panama Canal and in Hawaii. We were told that we would only get in 14 or 15 holes on the Teeth of the Dog, but we got in all 18 there, too. We've even had time to shop in the pro shop afterwards every place but TOTD.

That's been our actual experience, no rumors.

We've also taken our own clubs every time and had no problem with space in our cabins.