Golf is right on course on three main islands
The Bahamas are an attractive destination to skippers for many reasons, starting with their nearness to Florida, not to mention the 70-degree temperatures when much of North America is knee-deep in snow. But there are many others, such as the gin-clear waters, golf, easy navigation, golf, great marinas and, of course, golf.
The problem is that a golf course, unless it’s miniature golf, takes up a considerable amount of acreage, which is something that most of the 700 Bahamas islands simply do not possess. So golf is limited to three main islands—Grand Bahama, New Providence, and Eleuthera—and, even then, one course achieves 18-hole status by having nine holes with alternative tees so you play each link differently. But don’t let that dissuade you from turning your boat into a glorified golf cart to carry you, a quiver full of clubs, and your friends to faraway tees. At 80-ish miles from West Palm Beach, Florida, Grand Bahama is the closest Bahamian island with golf, so let’s start there.
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Grand Bahama Golf Courses
Grab a mooring at one of the many marinas in either Freeport or Lucaya harbors, and each is an easy taxi ride to the two links.
Fortune Hills Golf & Country Club
This is a nine-hole course that offers golfers the chance to enjoy 18 holes by changing direction of play. Whichever way you’re playing, it’s a challenging course that has the longest par-5 in the Bahamas at 530 yards, so bring your driving skills.
Designed by Joe Lee and Dick Wilson, it stretches 3,458 yards with (like all Bahamas courses) great scenery. Don’t let that distract you on the third hole, where water hazards are your nemesis in all directions.
Reef Course at Grand Lucayan Resort
This Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course, said to be one of the toughest in the Bahamas, stretches 6,909 yards. Experienced “Reefers” say that it is a shot-maker’s course, where accuracy is rewarded because it is dotted with bunkers and grassy roughs, not to mention water hazards on 13 of the 18 holes. Tip: Bring plenty of spare balls.
Close to Grand Bahama Yacht Club, which is a 24-hour port of entry that can handle yachts to 175 feet, it is part of the Grand Lucayan Resort with all the amenities you’d expect.
Eleuthera, Great Exuma Golf Course Options
Sandals Emerald Bay
Once a Four Seasons Resort and now owned by Sandals, the huge all-inclusive resort chain, the Emerald Bay course was designed by golf legend Greg Norman to stretch for one yard over 7,000. With five sets of tees to handle all skill levels, it stretches out a peninsula that offers epic views and even more epic distractions from your game.
The front nine holes wander through seaside dunes and mangroves, while the back nine make full use of the rocky peninsula into Emerald Bay. This back nine, in particular, has itsy-bitsy greens that drop away so, again, keep a stock of balls in your bag. Adding to the smallish greens on the back nine are the sometimes hang-onto-your-hat ocean breezes that can give strange arcs to your drives.
The nearby Emerald Bay Marina has floating docks with slips to 240 feet, fuel, on-site immigration, and 14-foot MLW (mean low water) depth, although the entry channel to the harbor can be “interesting” at times.
New Providence Golf Courses
It should come as no surprise that New Providence, with the Bahamian capital of Nassau, has no less than three superb courses, considering that Nassau is a port of call for nearly every cruise ship in the area. That’s a way of hinting that you need to get reservations and tee times early.
Albany
In the headlines recently for the Hero World Challenge, the PGA Tour event hosted by Tiger Woods, this course is part of the once-private Albany Resort just minutes from the Nassau international airport.
Designed by Ernie Els who, along with Woods and Justin Timberlake, are part-owners, the 7,309-yard course combines windswept dunes and challenging water features, with five par-5s and five par-3s using multiple tee areas. Of note is the 14th hole that begs golfers to hit the green from the tee, but that is offset by the seventh, a par-3 that is renowned for the lake that penalizes errant balls.
Skippers will find much to like in the recently built (2010) Albany marina with floating docks for yachts to 300 feet, making it one of the largest such facilities in the Caribbean. Port of entry and on-site fuel make it attractive to yacht owners, as does the 16-foot draft, with the golf course dunes created from the harbor dredging.
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Royal Blue, Baha Mar
This is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, his first in the Bahamas, at the huge Baha Mar resort outside of Nassau. A long course at 7,189 yards, it is considered by regulars to be two courses in one because the layout has several elevation changes as well as distinctly different scenery during a round.
The front nine feature dramatic glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean, plus white sand dunes bisected by undulating fairways and brackish salt ponds to add challenges. The back nine, on the other hand, wind through limestone “moonscapes” with dense jungle and some downhills on the way to the 16th hole, which is balanced on the edge of Lake Cunningham, a watery grave for many balls.
A unique feature of Royal Blue is its club rental program, where you play with the likes of PXG (costing up to $8,000/set) to Itobori, Callaway, and TaylorMade. Check out the “All In” package that includes greens fees, cart, clubs, two sleeves of Pro V1 balls, and a forecaddy to keep an eye on your drives.
Another twist is the movable tee boxes. The golf pros at Royal Blue change the location of these from day-to-day, giving you a different starting point so you never get bored. And you can always lie about a bad score: “Aw, they moved the tee on me!”
Baha Mar has 40 restaurants and no marina, but there are several in nearby Nassau and Paradise Island across from Nassau. A popular choice is the Bay St. Marina, which is essentially in the center of Nassau, a short taxi ride to Royal Blue, and the attached Green Parrot restaurant has coconut shrimp and fish tacos to die for.
Atlantis Ocean Club
Located on Paradise Island just a bridge away from Nassau, the Ocean Club course is a part of the Four Seasons Ocean Club, which 007 fans recognize as the location for James Bond to do his spying in Casino Royale.
The good news is that anyone staying at the massive Atlantis Resort marina has access to the Atlantis Ocean Club course, a Tom Weiskopf-designed 7,100-yarder with spectacular views on each side of either the turquoise Atlantic or the pale Nassau Harbor.
Known to golfers for “The Spyglass,” its 208-yard 12th hole that crosses an ocean inlet (the bottom is paved with balls!) to a green that slopes backward, allowing you to moan as your great green shot rolls back toward you.
The arched-tower Atlantis provides you dockage in its spectacular marina, which can handle up to 240-footers as well as offer you entry to its 141-acre water park with slides, river rides, 11 swimming pools, plus marine habitats, and a dolphin pond. Brave? Try the Power Temple water slide. Having this access from your boat is guarantee that no one will notice that you’ve left to play golf!
Whichever island and course you choose, bring lots of sunscreen, ample fluids (adult beverages don’t count!), and remember not to throw your clubs, especially if they’re rentals!
-by Chris Caswell
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