Golf in Jamaica
What follows is a description of golfing opportunities available to our guests. If you want only pro-shop numbers and greens fees, click here.
The vacationing golfer takes many forms.
There is the enthusiast who hopes that by cleverly booking a family vacation somewhere close to a golf course, a quick 9 or 18 holes can be grabbed in the middle of an otherwise crowded schedule.
There is the golfer who gathers a bunch of friends together for total immersion golf, playing 18 or 36 holes a day in the indulgence of the royal and ancient passion.
Then there are couples, several couples perhaps, who share a love of the game and want to play frequently together but also want to do other things on their vacation.
And then there are families of golfers who … but you get the idea …
Whenever golfers think about vacations, they think about golf, sunshine, good food, and … more golf.
So now you perhaps are thinking of golf too. If so, consider this: a private villa with its own staff, pool, and luxurious ambiance, on some of the world's best golf courses … with dedicated staff taking care of every need and loving local nannies caring for little ones, allowing adults the free time they need to golf with a clear conscience. To cap it all, a wide variety of sports and leisure options awaits non-golfers as does the inviting prospect of doing nothing whatsoever in the finest style!
Sound interesting?
Jamaica Villas offers 33 golf villas on or near Jamaica's top golf courses which bear names of international renown including The Tryall Club, Half Moon, Cinnamon Hill at Rose Hall, and the superb White Witch.
If you are not familiar with these wonderful courses, here is a short guide.
The Tryall Club - Currently only open to villas with Tryall Club membership
Designed by Ralph Plummer in 1958 this has traditionally been regarded as the best course in Jamaica, perhaps one of the top courses in the Americas. The 6,221-yard par 72 courses have hosted international tournaments such as the Johnnie Walker World Championships, the Mazda Champions, the Jamaica Classic, and Shell's Wonderful World of Golf. The mixture of flat seaside holes and (sometimes severe!) slopes hold something for everyone. A huge 200-year-old water wheel, dating back to Tryall's colonial plantation past, stands astride the 7th tee and still turns to this day. One of the special pleasures of a round at Tryall is a caddie slicing the top off a coconut to provide you with a refreshing milk drink. Rubber spiked golf shoes are allowed on the Tryall golf course....NO metal spiked golf shoes.
Golf pro: Nelson Long
Director of Golf: Ewan Peebles
OPEN FOR MEMBER VILLAS ONLY - Contact your concierge for green fees.
Half Moon
The course at Half Moon is a classic Robert Trent Jones layout, following the contours of the flat lowlands between the hills and the sea. The two nines are laid end-to-end, ribbon-like, alongside each other, offering a 7,119-yard challenge whose signature hole is the 535-yard par-5 3rd. The design tempts the big hitters to take a shortcut over a deadly stand of trees or take the safer but longer route via the open fairway.
Golf pro: Byron Bernard
Contact your concierge for green fees.
Cinnamon Hill at Rose Hall
By the same architect who designed White Witch, Cinnamon Hill is another course that takes advantage of the varied terrain between mountains and the seashore. Watch out for the tricky 8th, Chinaman's Reef, whose inspiration was Pebble Beach. The dogleg hugs the sea to a lonely green that perches over the crashing surf below. Heaven! The course was recently redesigned by Robert von Hagge, who also built the White Witch (see below).
Golf pro: Gary Slatter
Contact your concierge for green fees.
The White Witch (Reopening in November 2023)
This new von Hagge course is named after Annie Palmer, a legendary local figure who was dubbed The White Witch for the havoc she made with local men folk in colonial times. The course is rapidly becoming a modern classic, earning accolades throughout the golfing world. It is filled with drama and delight and those who eschew carts in favor of walking may soon regret it after laboring up and down the 700-foot drop between hillside holes and the seaside. The double fairway on the 15th offers the same kind of choice as Half Moon's 3rd. Faint hearts take the safe route along the dogleg for a manageable 335 yd par 4. Yet who could resist the lure of a direct shot to the green, just 220 yards away across a lovely pond and waterfall? A birdie just waiting to be taken! It is easy to lose one's head - and ball - in the face of such an enticing prospect. The White Witch can be a demanding temptress indeed.
Golf pro: Ken Depew
Contact your concierge for green fees.
Sandals Golf and Country Club
A further 35 minutes along the coast from Breezes, this resort course is also very accessible to our Discovery Bay and Runaway Bay guests. Often described as an "unexpected surprise" by reviewers who expect the quality of golf to be compromised at a mass-market tourist spot, it has won many plaudits for being a splendid, varied, and interesting course. It is blessed by a cooling breeze. Majestic palm trees marching the fairways make it pleasing to the eye and it is graced by an excellent clubhouse. Bring your dive gear (and a plentiful supply of balls!) for the 373-yard par 4 3rd, which demands a 200-yard carry from the tee across a deep and tempting pond...
Golf pro: Ewan Peebles
Contact your concierge for green fees.
Golf Courses and Pro Shops
All rates below are quoted in US dollars and are subject to change without notification.
The Tryall Club (876) 956-5681 - OPEN FOR MEMBER VILLAS ONLY
Tee Times are required and should be booked 24 hours in advance. Golf attire and golf shoes are obligatory.
Green Fees Policy: Note that green fees for 18 holes are PER DAY. If an additional round is played on the same day, there is no further fee payable except caddies/cart rentals. All rates are quoted in US dollars and attract 16.5% government tax and are subject to change.
Cinnamon Hill at Rose Hall (876) 953-2984/953-9381
A par 72 championship course designed by the same team as the neighboring world-class White Witch course.
Green Fees Policy: Rates include green fees, cart, caddy fees, and use of the driving range up to an hour before play; taxes are also included.
Half Moon Golf Club (876) 953-2560
The award-winning 18-hole par-72 championship course is renowned as one of the best walking courses.
Green Fees Policy: Rates are quoted in US dollars and inclusive of applicable government tax, caddy fees, and golf carts (Golf carts are complimentary). Caddy tip is not included. The rates are subject to change without notice. Dress code in effect. Children under 13 years of age must be playing with an adult. Golf carts are allowed only with an adult.
White Witch Golf Course (876) 632-7444
The projected reopening date for the White Witch Golf Course is November of 2023.
A par 71 championship course situated on the historic Rose Hall Estate with spectacular ocean views from 16 of its 18 holes.
Green Fees Policy: Rates include green fees, cart, caddy fees, and use of the driving range up to an hour before play; taxes are also included.
Sandals Golf & Country Club (876) 975 0119
Located in Ocho Rios, this par 71 resort-style course stretches out over a rolling landscape with sweeping views of the sea and mountains.
On request, the Pro Shops will recommend the level of tipping.
- Check with the pro shops in advance on which credit cards are preferred and bank on paying cash for caddies and tips in most instances.