Top places to golf in the Caribbean

There are few better places in the world for golfers than the Caribbean. While the wild, windswept links of Scotland might tempt some hardy souls, the Caribbean’s combination of warm, sunny weather, stunning beaches, and a selection of world-class championship courses overlooking a turquoise sea is hard to beat.

Thanks to the Caribbean’s utterly beautiful scenery and landscapes sculpted and defined by the ocean, the golf courses of the region (many built by some of the best players and most famous designers in the world) are an absolute treat to play.

So if you are looking for a vacation where you can play at some of the most beautiful golf clubs in the world, or you are planning to cruise the Eastern Caribbean and want to fit in a quick 18 holes during your trip, here are 11 of the best golf courses the Caribbean has to offer.

1. Cuisin Art Golf Resort & Spa, Anguilla

Badly damaged by recent hurricanes, the CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa has been restored to its former glory and is possibly even better than it was before. With splendid views across the sea all the way to St. Maarten, this is a course where the natural beauty is so intense it is almost distracting…but focus and attention is required at all times! The 72-par course was masterminded by Greg Norman and offers a challenging experience even for the lowest-handicap players.

2. Teeth of the Dog, Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic

Describing something as ‘the best’ or ‘the number one’ is always a risk…but we’re going to go out on a limb here and say Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog course is the top golf course in the Caribbean, end of story. And it is up there with some of the best courses in the world, with dramatic clifftop fairways and picturesque greens. The designer, Peter Dye, even gives credit for the design of some of the holes to God! This is a must-try course, a serious challenge even for top golfers, and an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

3. Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda

Although Bermuda isn’t technically in the Caribbean, the courses on this charming Atlantic outpost of tropical island beauty are too good to leave out. Mid Ocean is truly one of the best, with wide, expansive fairways, tricky, cunningly placed bunkers, and tough greens with steep run-offs, it is widely considered the epitome of Bermudan golf courses, and one that almost every other club on the island imitates in one way or another.

4. Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf, Aruba

While plenty of the championship courses in the Caribbean will prove tricky for the more casual golfers, Tierra del Sol offers something for everyone. With a forgiving 4 tees for each hole, as well as a superb selection of practice greens and a full driving range, it's ideal for golfers of every level. It also comes equipped with some exciting technological innovations, for example the Par View GPS yardage system which allows you to take a ‘pro’s eye view’ of each hole, as well as automatically keeping a tally of your score!

5. Corales Golf Club, Dominican Republic

Designed by the great Tom Fazio, Corales Golf Club at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is a gem, with pretty much everything you could ask for, and is one of the most flawless courses around. Surrounded by gorgeous dunes covered in yellow sand verbena, with stunning views out across the Caribbean, it is a sight for sore eyes, and pretty much every hole is a delight. There is some stiff competition for the title of ‘Best Golf Course in the Dominican Republic’, but Corales is always in the conversation.

6. Albany, The Bahamas

Drawing inspiration from the classic links courses of Scotland, Albany takes advantage of the natural beauty of its surroundings to make something genuinely special. It’s not your run-of-the-mill course either, with five par 5s and five par 3s, meaning it is unlikely to get boring! With towering sand dunes adding a serious touch of drama to the experience, this is a course that is well worth seeking out.

7. Royal Westmoreland, Barbados

While the majority of Caribbean golf courses are set on the beach, or on top of dramatic cliffs overlooking the sea, Royal Westmoreland in Barbados takes a different approach. Set inland, its altitude still allows for wonderful sea views, but the playing experience is completely different, with far more undulation and altitude thanks to the dramatic landscape of the island’s interior. It can be challenging at times, but offers some of the best holes of golf you will find in the region, with players having to navigate plunging ravines and steep green approaches. That said, the charming clubhouse makes for a wonderful place to relax after a tough round!

8. Royal Blue Golf Course, Nassau, Bahamas

Often overlooked in favor of the better known (and more exclusive!) Baker’s Bay or Abaco Club courses, Royal Blue is an under-the-radar favorite for many visitors to the Bahamas. This was Jack Nicklaus’ first venture in the Bahamas, and it has a special quality to it that’s hard to define as a result. The playing experience is incredibly varied, with the front and back nines differing so much that you might think you were playing two entirely different courses, and this only adds to the charm of this excellent Nassau club.

9. Moon Spa Golf Club, Cancun, Mexico

Unless you are lucky enough to be in receipt of a Panama Retirement Visa, Mexico’s Riviera Maya is one of the best places in the world to be an expat, and it boasts an array of stunning golf courses to keep aficionados happy in their new home. And while you might not think of Mexico as the Caribbean, it’s Caribbean coast runs from Cancun to the border of Belize, so we’re claiming it! Cancun’s Moon Spa Golf Club is the pick of the golf courses in the Mexican Caribbean, a wonderful example of a great resort course, with 27 holes designed by the incomparable Jack Nicklaus.

10. Green Monkey, Sandy Lane, Barbados

Another Tom Fazio special, Green Monkey is the pick of Sandy Lane Resort’s three courses, as well as being the most exclusive (available to Sandy Lane guests only). However, it is such a top-notch course that it is well worth making the trip purely to play. Carved out of the exposed rock of an abandoned limestone quarry, it makes full use of its dramatic setting to create a remarkable playing experience, with fairways flanked by towering cliffs. The delightful green monkey mowed into the grass on one of the holes is a quirky touch that just adds a memorable finishing touch to this wonderful course.

11. Cinnamon Hill, Jamaica

Considered by most in-the-know golfers and local experts as the finest course on the island of Jamaica, Cinnamon Hill offers a rigorous assessment of even the best golfers’ skills, while also being one of the prettiest courses in the Caribbean. The challenge at Cinnamon Hill comes from the fierce side-winds that can disrupt your game without warning, and you need a light touch alongside a powerful drive in order to conquer the course.