Golfers have all felt it. When the Canadian winter sets in, the golf travel bug hits and each day the yearning strengthens to get your clubs out of storage, book the next flight south and tee-it-up. When that urge strikes—and trust me, it will—the fairways and sights of Jamaica will cure all that ails you. It certainly did for us.
Golf in Jamaica is a delight for travellers, plus convenient for both long and short golf vacations. Home to several world-class golf courses, and for those golfers who love golf history, Jamaica is home to the Caribbean’s oldest. The Manchester Club, founded as a country club in 1865, is the oldest course in the entire Caribbean. The course stretches over 55 acres of rolling hills near the resort town of Mandeville.
For the best golf courses on the island, and ones that may awaken your spirit more than the rum, focus on the Montego Bay area or you will hear the locals say “Mo Bay”: White Witch, Cinnamon Hill and Half Moon.
Using the Half Moon Luxury Resort in Montego Bay as our home base, each course was only a short and convenient shuttle bus drive away.
Carved into the rolling countryside of Jamaica’s historic Rose Hall Estate is the White Witch golf course, an 18-hole championship course designed by Robert von Hagge and Rick Baril. Head Golf Professional Jamie Breendon and Director of Golf Course Operations Keith Stein welcomed us to the club.
To our surprise, we learned that both Keith and Jamie were fellow Canadians. Keith was from Listowell, Ontario and his family owned /operated golf courses around Ontario for many years.
Jamie was recently the assistant golf professional at the Port Carling Golf Club in Ontario. Both are now living a nice lifestyle in Jamaica while guiding two of the top golf courses on the island: White Witch and Cinnamon Hill.
Although they miss a few things back home, the challenge to operate and market two golf clubs and promote golf in Jamaica is all worth it. At the time of our visit, there was no Tim Horton’s at the entrance and no poutine on the menu, but give them time. However, and to our delight, at our accommodations at Half Moon they did show the hockey game. Now that was a first!
White Witch is named after the former sugar estate’s beautiful but wicked mistress, Annee Palmer. Legend has it that Annee’s ghost still haunts the estate, creating an alluring mystique that has fascinated people for generations. The caddies at White Witch enhance the mystical atmosphere when your ball sails out of bounds or into the water. It was not your swing or lack of ability but “the Witch got your ball, Sir”.
Unfortunately, the “Witch” followed us for most of the round, but what a round. With magnificent views of the Caribbean Sea, White Witch stretches over 6,700 yards, par 71 with five tee boxes on each hole. White Witch will challenge all golfers’ abilities, and rightfully so, as it’s considered one of the finest golf courses in the Caribbean.
And speaking of caddies, they are mandatory for each round and they add to the overall experience of golf in Jamaica. Most are good golfers in their own right, and know the courses and slopes of each green. They will tell you stories, give some history, make you laugh, compliment you on shots, and at times, blame the “Witch”.
provide golfers with an incredible golf experience.
Complementing our White Witch experience and part of our Triple Play, Cinnamon Hill offers its own unique set of challenges and vistas. Hank Smedley’s original 1969 design of Cinnamon Hill was updated in 2001 to a brilliant redesign by Robert von Hagge and Rick Baril, the same architects as White Witch.
This challenging par 72 layout plays just over 6800 yards from the tips, and has four sets of tees that offer a great experience for all levels of players from juniors to seniors. Cinnamon Hill’s diverse elevations offer a great combination of both links style and inland golf.  From the fifth and sixth holes along the sea, to the 17th tee box 350 feet above the shore, no golf course in the Caribbean offers more variety of holes than Cinnamon Hill.
Another mythical haunting supposedly takes place at the Cinnamon Hill Great House, the second home for 30 years of country music legends, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.
Other highlights of the Cinnamon Hill course include a centuries-old burial plot for the family of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning near the fourth tee-box, an ancient aqueduct used to grind sugar cane in the plantation era visible over the course and, near the 15th green, a gentle waterfall, site of an exciting scene in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die.
The third course on our journey and our home base was Half Moon. Half Moon in Montego Bay is complete luxury and is the best place to stay for Jamaican golf travel, or for that matter, any vacation.  Half Moon’s prime location and fabulous restaurants with incredible views and amenities, allow you to play all the top Jamaican golf courses while enjoying a complete Jamaican vacation. Regularly visited by royalty and dignitaries over its 60-year history, Half Moon is truly one of the most legendary and cherished destinations in Jamaica.
Half Moon is situated on 400 acres of manicured grounds with two miles of beachfront. It offers individually-appointed rooms and suites, and villas, most of which have views of the Caribbean Sea. Guests can enjoy extensive offerings including the largest spa oasis in the Caribbean, an 18-hole championship golf course, the Sugar Mill (awarded Jamaica’s best restaurant), state-of-the-art fitness facilities, water sports and wellness activities. Villas at Half Moon offer the ultimate retreat – relaxation on the terrace with a view of the ocean, and a dip in your own private pool. Each well-appointed villa is staffed with a cook, housekeeper and butler.
Half Moon’s 18-hole par-72 championship golf course is acclaimed by industry experts and amateur golfers alike. The course was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr. and modernized by Robert Rulewich, creating a masterpiece of sheer beauty and game-raising challenges. PGA tournaments also have been held at Half Moon, including the European PGA Senior Tour, and since 2007, the Jamaica Open.
During our stay at Half Moon, we experienced the hospitality and friendliness of all of the staff – the one key ingredient that sometimes is missed at resorts. From frontline staff to ground crews, to maintenance workers and more, all made you feel welcome and secure, and were willing to do anything to help make your stay more enjoyable.
I mention this to our host, Guy Stewart, whose family was one of the original families that started the resort in 1954. He told me they work on hospitality each day with staff and understand the importance. It did not go unnoticed.
Jamaica’s golf courses and hospitality provide memorable rounds in a tropical paradise. Their culture, vibe, mouth-watering food, music and much more, make this island a cure for all the Canadian winter blues.
