Royal St. Kitts Golf Club features three thrilling new ocean-side holes on the back nine. (Image: Royal St. Kitts Golf Club)
Tired of waiting for the warm weather to arrive in Canada? Look south to the lovely Caribbean island of St. Kitts, where a balmy forecast is practically guaranteed for the 32nd Johnnie Walker St. Kitts Open May 17 to 19.
The two-day, 36-hole stroke play tourney is hosted by the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, a layout brilliantly rebuilt several years ago by top Canadian golf architect Tom McBroom. Added during the reconstruction were three thrilling new ocean-side holes on the back nine. At the par-three 15th, McBroom memorably flanked the green with a cascade of bunkers designed to mimic the waves crashing ashore in the background.
Players compete for prizes in their respective flights (Championship, Men, Senior Men, Super Senior Men, and Women). Entry is $275 for visiting golfers and includes two rounds of golf and complimentary lunch on both days of play.
Golf and hotel packages are offered by The Golf Connection, a U.S.-based golf marketing company that hosts a string of popular winter tournaments throughout the Caribbean — including the Admiral’s Cup Pro-Am (Feb. 2 to 6, 2014), played in St. Kitts and on the neighbouring island of Nevis. Four-night packages for the Johnnie Walker St. Kitts Open start from $625 per person based on double occupancy. Included is one practice round, daily breakfast, a welcome dinner, and a sunset dinner on the final night. The booking deadline is May 1.
Located southeast of Puerto Rico in the Leeward Islands, St. Kitts is an emerging golf destination, with two new courses under construction: a hillside Ian Woosnam design at Kittitian Hill; and a Tom Fazio-designed layout at Christophe Harbour.
The former British colony also offers hiking trails through tropical rain forests, a scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, and historic Brimstone Hill Fortress, the only man-made World Heritage Site in the eastern Caribbean.