Nevis remains
a classic, rural
Caribbean island
By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor
NEVIS, West Indies, Caribbean (June 4, 2005) - You cannot help but
appreciate the irony when a big resort lures you to its "undiscovered"
Caribbean paradise.
How can a place be "undiscovered" when thousands of tourists are coming
and going? Obviously, it's been discovered by someone other than Christopher
Columbus, namely a chain resort and its accountants.
That isn't to say the Four Seasons Resort hasn't been a positive force
for the tiny, Caribbean island of Nevis in most ways. A sprawling complex
on Pinney Beach, the resort grounds are immaculately groomed, taking the
lush, tropical foliage of the island and showing it off in a well-mannered
and garden-like display, so different from the natural and unruly growth
elsewhere on the five-by-seven mile island.
"When I'm here, it makes me forget I'm on Nevis," said Nevis native
Sylvia
Thomas.
Before the Canadian-owned resort arrived, unemployment hovered at around
20-25 percent on the island, a short ferry ride away from its sister
island
of St. Kitts. Nevisians were leaving the island in droves, in search of
work. The sugar industry was kaput.
The Four Seasons arrived in 1991 and now there is work for virtually
everyone who wants it. Of the approximately 11,000 people on the island,
the
resort employs a whopping 700.
The boost has sent out ripples affecting the entire island. Small
businesses
are flourishing. Expatriate Nevisians are returning to their native
isle,
assured of employment. The economy, in almost every way, has improved.
The
small but clean bustling waterfront of Charlestown, the island capital,
is
home to thriving shops, restaurants, bars and vendors selling their
wares.
Even the sociology of the island has improved; with more males returning
home, two-parent households are becoming the norm once again.
But, not all of the island's residents are happy about the changes,
which
are expected to become even more acute. Growth always brings concomitant
problems and Nevis is no different: increased traffic and crime, to name
two
negative impacts.
"I used to leave my key on a hook outside my door," said Jim Johnson,
who
arrived on the island in the 1960s with the Peace Corps and stayed.
"That
meant I wasn't home, and you could come in if you needed anything. I
can't
do that any more."
Other Nevisians tell similar stories. "There wasn't any crime when we
first
came here," said Hamilton Estates resident Adell Howell, who has also
lived
on the island for years. "We never locked our doors. Now, we have
to."
 Of
course, that is probably true of most places on earth nowadays, especially
those that have gone through the sort of changes Nevis has. And even though
some crime has increased, Nevis is still one of the safest islands in
the Caribbean. If you took a poll, the majority or Nevisians would most
likely tell you the Four Seasons has been a life-saver for the island.
The resort tries hard to blend in, and it appears as though it has
succeeded
for the most part. Johnson, a biologist, has even credited the resort's
strict policies for helping with the island's environment. Guests are
asked
to respect that.
And it isn't as though Nevis has turned into a commercial,
tourist-loaded
Carib isle, like St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nevis is still a
classic, rural Caribbean island, where the cab drivers know many of the
wandering goats by name.
The friendliness, both from the locals working on the resort staff and
those
who don't, is genuine - not the forced pleasantries you sometimes find
in
Caribbean tourist destinations. And of course, the resort's security
staff
keeps even the petty crimes at bay.
Island politics are typically Caribbean: one party always accusing the
other
of various shenanigans, the other countering the accuser of trying to
incite
violence. Nothing usually comes of it, but more talk. Like most
multi-island
states in the Caribbean, there has been talk of secession - in this
case
from St. Kitts - but neither has anything come of that.
Most of this is good news for traveling golfers, who have their choice
of
several options, including one great 18-hole course at the Four Seasons.
On
St. Kitts, there is a very good nine-holer and a very bad nine-holer you
wouldn't want to take a donkey to.
Must plays
The course at the Four Seasons was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.,
and
it's a classic Jones Jr. layout: options galore. Backed by the
implacable
Nevis Peak, the course takes you up the mountain's base and back down,
and
there are wide and distant views of the Caribbean Sea and neighboring
St.
Kitts along the way.
This isn't a course built just for the scenery, although many people use
it
for that. Nor is it built for the timid: Elevation changes, tight
fairways,
forced carries - try the back tee at No. 15 for a 240-yard carry over a
mammoth ravine that seems to drop off to the center of the earth - and
other
hazards make this a course to be reckoned with. Wait until after the
round
for your rum punch; this course will sober you up.
Solid seconds
The Royal St. Kitts Golf Club on nearby St. Kitts, at Frigate Bay, is
dramatically different than the Four Seasons course. It's flat, for one
thing, and the views of the ocean are more intimate here, so close you
can
hear the roar of the pounding surf on the reef. So close, you will most
likely lose one of two of your golf balls in saltwater.
And, unlike the Four Seasons, there is plenty of water here at the
Marriott
course. Most of the water is on the right - bad news for right-handers
with
a slice.
The nine holes underwent an extensive renovation recently, and another
nine
is scheduled to open in November, hopefully in time for the busy
December
schedule, putting the course in more direct competition with the Four
Seasons.
No plays
The nine-hole Golden Rock Golf Club lays adjacent to the airport on St.
Kitts. Although heavy rains made the course actually look green on a
recent
visit, locals say ordinarily it's so bad that after you hit your tee
shot,
the rule here is to hunt for a patch of grass to drop for your second
shot.
 Off
course
St. Kitts is clearly the more cosmopolitan of the two islands, with a
casino
and nightlife in Basseterre, capital of the two-island independent
state.
Nevis is where you want to go to unwind, particularly if you're into
water
sports. The Caves is an intricate series of coral grottoes 40 feet deep
for
scuba divers and there are plenty of opportunities for snorkelers. For
surfers, try Windward beach on the Atlantic side. There is also sailing,
windsurfing, horseback riding and guided nature hikes up the
mountain.
For the more sedate, there is the Museum of Nevis History, the Alexander
Hamilton House (Hamilton, the U.S. politician who shot Aaron Burr, was
born
on Nevis), and the Fig Tree Church, which has a record of the marriage
between Admiral Horatio Nelson and Fanny Nisbet on Nevis.
For the truly adventurous, a stop on Nevis is not complete until you
visit
Sunshine's Bar - with its potent Killer Bees - next to the Four Seasons,
on
the beach.
Dining out
The Four Seasons dining room is a 140-seat, open air restaurant with a
view
of the sea. It offers Caribbean dishes, with "French and Asian
influences."
The food is excellent; try the lamb chops - made from Australian lambs.
Don't
ask my why they're Australian.
Neve is the more informal restaurant on the grounds, serving breakfast -
including a remarkable buffet - and dinner. For dinner, it's a mix of
Italian and local food.
At the pool cabana, the Cobb salad with chicken is a great, light
meal.
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| Four Seasons Resort
P.O. Box 565, Pinney's Beach,
Charlestown
(869) 469-1111
fourseasons.com/nevis/
index.html
Nisbet Plantation
St. James Parish
(800) 742-6008
NisbetPlantation.com
Oualie Beach Hotel
Oualie beach, Nevis
(869) 469-9735
oualie.com
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Stay and play
The Four Seasons is definitely worth the price of admission - rates
start at
$295 a night and go up to $635.
The resort offers a "Caribbean Golf Vacation" a seven-day package that
includes: accommodations, unlimited golf with cart, breakfast and dinner
for
two each evening, practice range and golf clinic privileges and
unlimited,
non-motorized water sports. Rates start at $525 and go to $1,819
depending
on the season.
The resort's rooms are spacious and open to the sea, with private
patios.
Luxury villas are also available. Thankfully, there is a "quiet" pool
for
adults. The resort grounds are lush and well-manicured and the service
is
unrelentingly friendly and efficient.
The resort has won more than its share of hospitality awards, and is
rated
highly by the Zagat's Survey.
There are other accommodations on the island, including the Nisbet Plantation,
which dates back to 1778, and, for a cheaper alternative, the Oualie Beach
Hotel.
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.
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