Apes Hill Barbados was once again a star performer at the World Golf Awards in Madeira, with the Caribbean resort and residential community winning in five categories, including ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ and the ‘Caribbean’s Best Golf Course’.
Improving on its four category wins at last year’s ceremony, the venue was also named as having the ‘Best Golf Clubhouse’ in the Caribbean, as well as winning ‘Barbados’ Best Golf Course’. The title of ‘World’s Best Golf Academy Venue’ completed an impressive quintet of wins with recognition for Apes Hill’s state-of-the-art Performance Centre.
The 11th annual World Golf Awards ceremony was hosted at the at the exclusive Savoy Palace, Funchal, Madeira on the evening of November 22, 2024. With the event rewarding excellence in the golf tourism market, Apes Hill Barbados’ success is yet more recognition for one of the world’s most exclusive and luxurious golf destinations.
The ceremony brought together industry leaders from more than 65 nations across Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, North America and Oceania.
A long-standing staple of the Caribbean golf scene, Apes Hill Barbados has undergone an extensive transformation since investment from Canadian entrepreneur Glenn Chamandy in 2019. The late Ron Kirby was entrusted with overhauling Apes Hill’s original golf course and the new-look, par-71 layout reopened to rave reviews at the end of 2022, including being rated No 72 in the “Top 100 International Courses” (from among 35,000 globally). The award-winning design was Kirby’s final work before he passed away in August 2023.
The layout has consistently been commended for its fun and playability for all levels of golfer and singled out as one of the sport’s most aesthetically pleasing new courses. Kirby’s design makes full use of native Barbadian flora and tropical landscape that is enhanced by views that stretch across the Caribbean Sea and out to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Performance Centre, designed with the latest technology and equipment to develop every aspect of a golfer’s game, has further established Apes Hill as the Caribbean’s leading destination for passionate players. Meanwhile, a short par-3 course – Little Apes – is now open for families and more casual players, and a ‘19th hole’ island-style par three, paying homage to the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, opened earlier this year.
The World Golf Awards also recognized the pioneering sustainability efforts carried out across Apes Hill’s 475-acre resort with the ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ honor. Apes Hill’s championship golf course is irrigated exclusively with recycled rainwater from a 58-million-gallon reservoir, reducing resort-wide water usage. Turf and vegetation is carefully selected and maintained to reduce the need for fertilizers and other harmful chemicals, leading to the resort receiving prestigious Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf certification in 2023.
Away from the fairways, Apes Hill is committed to farming produce and growing fresh ingredients on-site, which in turn contributes to a vibrant ecosystem – this includes crops, herbs, fruit and even honey from the resort’s own beehives.
Sunil Chatrani, executive chairman of Apes Hill Barbados, said: “We care deeply about these awards, as we strive to establish one of the region’s leading destinations. They are affirmations from objective critical judges that we are succeeding in our mission.”
Attending the awards in Madeira, Apes Hill’s director of golf, Jody Addison, who personally oversaw the development of the Performance Centre, was effusive about the facility receiving the award for ‘World’s Best Golf Academy Venue’.
“There is no other teaching centre like it anywhere and this award is a reflection of the planning and detail that has gone into its development. Whatever your level in the game, the Performance Centre is the perfect place to improve – and we are proud to have it at Apes Hill.”
