A RARE TRIPLE TREASURE - JAMAICA TOURIST ISSUE 10
Written by Don Jozwiak, Senior Editor of PGA Magazine and the PGA Professionals' Guide to Travel. He lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
I’ve had the good fortune to play some of the best-known courses in the world, from Pebble Beach to the Old Course at St. Andrews – with many stops in between. When I recently visited Jamaica for the first time, I discovered first-hand the fantastic combination of Jamaica’s easy-going atmosphere and the three outstanding golf courses of Rose Hall.
In fact, I’d say that Rose Hall makes an ideal spot for a golf vacation because of the way the sport and the surroundings enhance each other. The Cinnamon Hill, Half Moon and White Witch golf courses all offer creative architecture, natural beauty and outstanding service. Better yet, a round of golf is always a stress-free experience – tee times are easy to arrange, the courses are just minutes away – meshing smoothly with a post-round Red Stripe at a jerk pit on the beach. Any golf traveler who has had a vacation ruined as they suffered through an overcrowded, over-sold round or had to travel an hour or more from their hotel, will wonder why they ever went anywhere other than Jamaica.
Adding to the allure of staying and playing within the Rose Hall area, is the distinctive personality of each golf course. While the White Witch plays through high hills with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea, Half Moon has a more traditional country club feel whereas Cinnamon Hill meanders from the hills to the beach and back again.
Each course features outgoing golf professionals who oversee the course, the instruction and the caddie programs. Scotsman Ewan Peebles is at the helm of Half Moon golf course, while Cinnamon Hill boasts Trinidad native Robert Ames – brother of and former caddie for PGA Tour star Stephen Ames – as the head Golf Professional. Meanwhile, the White Witch recently appointed Michigan native and PGA member Mike Cole as its new Director of Golf. Cole first came to the White Witch and The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort as a college intern in 2000 and played a key role in the opening of the course. After stints as Golf Shop Manager and Head Professional, he is now in charge of the famous course named No. 1 golf resort in the Caribbean by Travel + Leisure Golf. “The allure of ‘the Witch’ is amazing. I fell in love with the course when I first came to Jamaica, and I haven’t looked back since,” says Cole. “Our Golf Concierges epitomize true professionalism and I feel honored to work with them every day on such a spectacular course.”
The White Witch is a true test of golf, weaving its way through the foothills high above the coast. The first tee offers an endless view of the Caribbean Sea, setting a tone for the beauty of the 17 holes that follow it. The highly skilled crew of Golf Concierges helps visitors navigate the undulating Robert Von Hagge design and serves as storytellers of the area’s rich history. This includes the story of the real ‘White Witch’ – a 19thcentury beauty named Annie Palmer who owned the sugar plantation on which the golf course now stands. Palmer, who is believed to have possessed magical powers, is said to have killed three of her husbands in the plantation’s infamous Rose Hall Great House, located near the White Witch Clubhouse. Now open for guided tours, locals believe the spirit of the White Witch still haunts the Great House, though it is the work of Robert Von Hagge that provides the mystery on the golf course.
Adjacent to the White Witch, the Cinnamon Hill golf course takes full advantage of an amazing swath of land that runs from the mountain foothills down to the beach and back up to the hills. Rose Hall’s second Von Hagge design boasts three front nine holes along the Caribbean Sea and the old sugar plantation’s aqueduct. The par-4 fifth and par-3 sixth holes are right on the beach, and bring the water and wind into play. Playing downhill into the prevailing ocean breezes, you’ll not easily forget the sight of your shots soaring out toward the deep blue water on the fifth hole. The fifth green sits right on the beach, close enough for you to hear the waves crashing, spy several sunbathers and smell the nearby jerk pit. With a tee box that juts out into the sea, you have to carry the water to hit the right side of the sixth hole green. Winding through dense jungle foliage and more historic plantation ruins, the back nine includes a waterfall that can be seen in the James Bond film Live and Let Die. Be sure to bring your camera when you play Cinnamon Hill.
Just down the new, smooth road from Cinnamon Hill, you’ll find the Half Moon Golf Club. This classic Robert Trent Jones Sr. design which makes great use of the naturally undulating terrain of the foothills, has been revitalized by a recent $2 million renovation. You have plenty of room off the tee, but be sure to trust your experienced caddie when he or she gives you strategic advice on how to approach shots and subtle greens. Always well-conditioned, the course may be the most fun for less-experienced golfers or families. But for serious players who want a challenge, teeing it up at Half Moon from the back tees is no easy round. With a classic golf shop and Clubhouse with an outdoor bar, the course features the outstanding Sugar Mill restaurant for a post-round meal to remember.
Visitors staying at The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa, Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Half Moon and the soon to be open Solís The Palmyra Resort & Spa have access to tee times at all three Rose Hall golf courses – a unique arrangement that I look forward to enjoying on many future trips to the Rose Hall area of Jamaica.
I’ve had the good fortune to play some of the best-known courses in the world, from Pebble Beach to the Old Course at St. Andrews – with many stops in between. When I recently visited Jamaica for the first time, I discovered first-hand the fantastic combination of Jamaica’s easy-going atmosphere and the three outstanding golf courses of Rose Hall.
In fact, I’d say that Rose Hall makes an ideal spot for a golf vacation because of the way the sport and the surroundings enhance each other. The Cinnamon Hill, Half Moon and White Witch golf courses all offer creative architecture, natural beauty and outstanding service. Better yet, a round of golf is always a stress-free experience – tee times are easy to arrange, the courses are just minutes away – meshing smoothly with a post-round Red Stripe at a jerk pit on the beach. Any golf traveler who has had a vacation ruined as they suffered through an overcrowded, over-sold round or had to travel an hour or more from their hotel, will wonder why they ever went anywhere other than Jamaica.
Adding to the allure of staying and playing within the Rose Hall area, is the distinctive personality of each golf course. While the White Witch plays through high hills with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea, Half Moon has a more traditional country club feel whereas Cinnamon Hill meanders from the hills to the beach and back again.
Each course features outgoing golf professionals who oversee the course, the instruction and the caddie programs. Scotsman Ewan Peebles is at the helm of Half Moon golf course, while Cinnamon Hill boasts Trinidad native Robert Ames – brother of and former caddie for PGA Tour star Stephen Ames – as the head Golf Professional. Meanwhile, the White Witch recently appointed Michigan native and PGA member Mike Cole as its new Director of Golf. Cole first came to the White Witch and The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort as a college intern in 2000 and played a key role in the opening of the course. After stints as Golf Shop Manager and Head Professional, he is now in charge of the famous course named No. 1 golf resort in the Caribbean by Travel + Leisure Golf. “The allure of ‘the Witch’ is amazing. I fell in love with the course when I first came to Jamaica, and I haven’t looked back since,” says Cole. “Our Golf Concierges epitomize true professionalism and I feel honored to work with them every day on such a spectacular course.”
The White Witch is a true test of golf, weaving its way through the foothills high above the coast. The first tee offers an endless view of the Caribbean Sea, setting a tone for the beauty of the 17 holes that follow it. The highly skilled crew of Golf Concierges helps visitors navigate the undulating Robert Von Hagge design and serves as storytellers of the area’s rich history. This includes the story of the real ‘White Witch’ – a 19thcentury beauty named Annie Palmer who owned the sugar plantation on which the golf course now stands. Palmer, who is believed to have possessed magical powers, is said to have killed three of her husbands in the plantation’s infamous Rose Hall Great House, located near the White Witch Clubhouse. Now open for guided tours, locals believe the spirit of the White Witch still haunts the Great House, though it is the work of Robert Von Hagge that provides the mystery on the golf course.
Adjacent to the White Witch, the Cinnamon Hill golf course takes full advantage of an amazing swath of land that runs from the mountain foothills down to the beach and back up to the hills. Rose Hall’s second Von Hagge design boasts three front nine holes along the Caribbean Sea and the old sugar plantation’s aqueduct. The par-4 fifth and par-3 sixth holes are right on the beach, and bring the water and wind into play. Playing downhill into the prevailing ocean breezes, you’ll not easily forget the sight of your shots soaring out toward the deep blue water on the fifth hole. The fifth green sits right on the beach, close enough for you to hear the waves crashing, spy several sunbathers and smell the nearby jerk pit. With a tee box that juts out into the sea, you have to carry the water to hit the right side of the sixth hole green. Winding through dense jungle foliage and more historic plantation ruins, the back nine includes a waterfall that can be seen in the James Bond film Live and Let Die. Be sure to bring your camera when you play Cinnamon Hill.
Just down the new, smooth road from Cinnamon Hill, you’ll find the Half Moon Golf Club. This classic Robert Trent Jones Sr. design which makes great use of the naturally undulating terrain of the foothills, has been revitalized by a recent $2 million renovation. You have plenty of room off the tee, but be sure to trust your experienced caddie when he or she gives you strategic advice on how to approach shots and subtle greens. Always well-conditioned, the course may be the most fun for less-experienced golfers or families. But for serious players who want a challenge, teeing it up at Half Moon from the back tees is no easy round. With a classic golf shop and Clubhouse with an outdoor bar, the course features the outstanding Sugar Mill restaurant for a post-round meal to remember.
Visitors staying at The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa, Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Half Moon and the soon to be open Solís The Palmyra Resort & Spa have access to tee times at all three Rose Hall golf courses – a unique arrangement that I look forward to enjoying on many future trips to the Rose Hall area of Jamaica.
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