So many places to play golf and so little time. Where should a motivated, intrepid golf traveler go?
At 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, Barbados offers luxury golf resorts and top-rated courses within minutes of one another, including Apes Hill, Sandy Lane, and Royal Westmoreland.
In addition to golf, the gorgeous Island, Bajan culture, beautiful beaches, rum shops, and tasty cuisine await visitors. Barbados is a discerning traveler’s dream destination, from historic places to contemporary luxury. The following are five reasons why.
Golf
Apes Hill Barbados, the burgeoning new luxury resort and residential destination sits upon one of the most remarkable high points in the Caribbean. Environmental and sustainability best practices are core to Apes Hill; the golf club is certified by Audubon International for its industry best practices in these hyper-important areas.
The 475-acre property hugs the Scotland District, a rare underwater mountain range above sea. From elevated perch, views spanning the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea unfurl panoramically. The club is home to 18 championship holes that were re-imagined in 2022 by Ron Kirby, his last constructed course before passing at 90 shortly after Apes Hill opened.
Kirby’s design highlights spectacular holes set against scintillating surrounds with thrilling, strategic features. It has been so well received that Golfweek ranked it No. 72 in its “Top 100 International Courses, 2024” (out of roughly 25,000).
Apes Hill includes a 9-hole short course, Little Apes, forecast to open in fourth quarter 2024; a 19th hole paying homage to the island green at TPC Sawgrass, state-of-the-art Performance Centre, padel courts, tropical hiking trails, restaurants with farm-to-table fare, fitness center, wellness activities, and more.
Head down from Apes Hill via a 5-minute drive to Holetown and find luxury shops, culinary delights, beaches, and vibrant culture. There’s also Royal Westmoreland and Sandy Lane – top-rated golf resorts nearby that are as diverse as they are complementary to Apes Hill. With four 18-holers and a short course between them, this trio of golf resorts combine elite experiences with superior service.
Staying at casually elegant Apes Hill in one of the sumptuous private rental villas is the only way to play all four Barbados’ “trophy courses”. The golf club is exclusive to members and guests otherwise. If another 18-hole option is desired, Barbados Golf Club is home to a very good one.
Barbados’ golf courses are top-shelf, with award-winning, strategic designs requiring players to display grit, resilience, and poise. Or as the Bajans would say “If greedy wait, hot will cool.” Meaning: Patience is important and will be rewarded.
Cultural heritage
Barbados has a rich cultural heritage as the “brightest jewel in the British crown – the richest colony in the empire,” as it was once heralded. That status included it being one of three major British transshipment points in the 17th and 18th centuries – Boston (MA), Bristol (England) and Bridgetown (Barbados). Its African and Euro-centric heritage and deep history include it being where sugar cultivation was perfected and transplanted across the region, and the architecture and cultural DNA are prevalent throughout the island today.
Bajan people
The people of Barbados are some of the friendliest anywhere. The island has a high repeat visitor rate, and the primary reason they return is for the Barbadian people. In Barbados, visitors are welcomed into communities and Barbadian homes, where you can really get into the essence of the destination by eating, living, and traveling like a Bajan.
Festival Island
Dance in the sunlight adorned in vibrant feathers, favorite drink in hand, and become lifelong friends with strangers – that is the Crop Over Festival experience in Barbados. The island has festivals year-round but Crop Over in the summer is the grandmaster. The Holetown Festival is in full bloom during February and for those on the South Coast Oistins Fish Festival is a culinary event to tantalize taste buds. In November, the Barbados Food and Rum Festival continues the celebration of food. Barbados may be small, but it has a lot to celebrate.
Birthplace of Rum and Rum Shops
Barbados was the first country to produce and bottle rum with Mount Gay Rum Distillery dating back to 1703. The uniqueness of Barbadian rum traces back to the quality of molasses (a by-product of sugar used to make rum) which was known as liquid gold due to the quality of the island’s water being of coral limestone formation leading to the cultivation of high-quality sugar cane. There are award-winning rum distilleries on the island that offer tours and boutique rums produced by one old sugar plantation still grinding sugar cane once in season. And there are as many as 1,000 to 12,000 rum shops in Barbados depending on how you define them. They range from village shops which provide a bit of everything including (groceries, breads, provisions, drinks), to those that sell only beverages and food.
George Washington and Other Fun Facts
Barbados was the only place George Washington ever visited outside of the continental United States, at age 19, on a trip designed to improve his health. Visitors can walk through the house and museum where he stayed, with rooms set up as they were in 1751. George’s visit to Barbados changed the course of history . . . Pop music star Rihanna was born in Barbados . . . It was the only colony to have founded another colony . . . the Scotland District is the only place where the Barbados Accretionary Prism rises above sea level between Trinidad and Puerto Rico (one of few accretionary prisms to do this in the world).
