Caribbean golf can
be safe if you choose the locations well

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

(June 25, 2004) - We've told you about some Caribbean places to avoid when you go golfing.

Here are some of the safer places in the beautiful islands to our southeast to enjoy a few rounds, and feel relatively safe.

This doesn't mean you can be a dumb tourist, going into bad neighborhoods waving a $100 bill and asking for change. Even in these relatively low-crime areas you should take the usual precautions: don't walk in bad areas after dark; don't keep valuables on you; and avoid obvious situations where crime could occur.

If you're smart, you shouldn't have many problems in most of the Caribbean. You should have even less of a risk in the following places:

• Cuba. Nothing to fight crime like a hard-nosed, hands-on dictator. Fidel Castro knows tourism is big business, and he's trying to make sure tourists can get around Cuba fairly safe so they can spend money.

Of course, it's hard to get an accurate picture of crime in the country, since the government doesn't keep much crime data.

But, anecdotal evidence strongly suggests Cuba is one of the few Caribbean countries where you can walk alone in neighborhoods and feel safe. Even those beggars, prostitutes and black marketeers who hang around tourist areas are usually as non-violent as Hare Krishnas.

With good reason: The government can impose prison sentences of up to 70 years for Cubans who attack tourists.

The problem, of course is twofold: It's hard to get there for Americans, and there aren't many golf courses.

There is the Varadero Golf Club, located near what used to be the DuPont Mansion. It's an 18-hole course, built for $1.3 million in 1930.

The course has hosted the European Challenge Tour Grand finals twice, and has sweeping sea views, with water hazards on eight holes. It opened the first golf academy operated by PGA pros, and instructors from the Cuban Golf Federation. The club serves French cuisine and has an extensive wine cellar.

Havana has the only other playable course, a nine-holer.

• Grand Cayman. Some readers felt this island is one of the safest in the region.

It's true that Grand Cayman may be one of the safest of all Caribbean islands. As for golf, the Hyatt Regency has the Brittania Golf and Beach Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed layout that can be played as a regular or "executive course." You can use Nicklaus' "restricted flight ball" to make it interesting.

Also, The Links at Safe Haven has 15 holes where water comes into play and three of the par-3s carry over water.

It's seven miles from downtown George Town, adjacent to the Seven Mile Beach. The par-71, 6,605 yard course feels longer because of the near-constant wind, and was picked by Caribbean World magazine as the best Caribbean course five straight years. It was designed by Roy Case of Florida.

There are also plans for a Greg Norman-designed, nine-hole course to open this fall.

• Crime in St. Lucia is low, but the aggressive vendors and hustlers in Castries can be annoying. There have been criminal incidents reported, especially by those who don't stay in all-inclusive resorts, but common sense should be enough to keep you safe here.

St. Lucia has two courses, the St. Lucia Golf and Country Club, located in the rolling hills of Cap Estates, where - as on many of the islands - you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

There is also Sandals La Toc, an 18 hole, nine-hole par-3 course.

- Antigua and Barbuda together are the second-least populated country in the Americas. Although there is a drug problem, which fuels the relatively low crime that does occur, it's another fairly safe place.

• Want the real deal on Caribbean golf? Don't ask the PR writers • Caribbean golf: take your clubs, wallet and bodyguard • Strong alliance forms on Caribbean island

Antigua has two interesting courses. The best is the Cedar Valley Golf Club, just east of St. John's. Richard Aldridge designed the 18-hole course, and like other Caribbean courses, it has panoramic views of sea and coast. The green fees are low, $35, but carts cost $30. It's hosted the British ProAm and Eastern Caribbean Golf Championships.

The other is Jolly Harbor in the Shekerly Mountains. The course wraps around seven lakes, so it obviously has plenty of water.

• Barbados is another possible location. A U.S. travel advisory was almost issued in 1999, and crime is on the increase, especially in Bridgetown, but it is still considered a comparatively safe island.

The bonus is the golf. Barbados is home, of course, to the Royal Westmoreland, a Robert Trent Jones-designed gem. There are other courses, too: the nine-hole Rockley Golf Course, Barbados Golf Club, Sandy Lane and Almond Beach.

• Aruba. The good news is there are no terrorists or mafioso. The bad news is a sharp increase in armed robberies, according to the U.S. Consular information sheet.

Still, Aruba has the highest repeat-visitor rate in the Caribbean. Part of the reason is Tierra del Sol, on the northwest end of the island, another Jones layout. Tierra del Sol is consistently named one of the best in the Caribbean by a variety of golf magazines.

Rates are $133 and $88, depending on the season; you'll want to compare package deals offered by various resorts. But, the desert and boulder landscape, as well as GPS color screens on the carts, the well-stocked bar, grill and gourmet restaurant make it worthwhile for many golfers.

Also, the Aruba Golf Club has goats and astroturf on the greens, but it will only cost you $10.

• The Bahamas out-islands - or "family islands" as the PR people are now calling them - have low crime; once you step off New Providence and Grand Bahama Island, crime drops like a lobster trap in the clear, blue sea.

I've been to both many times and have met nothing but friendly, honest people. I once left my wallet at an Eleuthera grocery store: when I returned three hours later, it was still there, untouched.

Try Treasure Cay Golf Course on Abaco, a Dick Wilson, traditional design of 6,985 yards, and Cotton Bay Club Golf Course on Eleuthera, a 7,000-yard Jones course on a secluded resort.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.