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APES HILL, Barbados - When people plan a visit to the Caribbean to get away, they immediately start thinking of booking a stay on the beach.
Golfers going to Barbados would be wise to go up instead, where Apes Hill spoils vacationers with slightly cooler temperatures and glorious views at 1,000 feet above sea level.
Apes Hill is among the top Caribbean golf resort communities experiencing the strongest growth and reinvestment post-pandemic. An impressive golf course restoration project, a new short course and exquisite new four-bedroom villas (perfect for a foursome) are just waiting for lucky guests and home buyers.
Barbados ranks among the Caribbean's safest and most luxurious islands. Golfers will feel right at home in this country club setting that's also splashed with local culture. Barbados is popular and reachable with direct flights for both Americans and Europeans. It is located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, situated in the most southeastern part of the Caribbean surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west. We ranked the island among the World Top 100 Golf Destinations several years ago, and my recent visit validated that claim. There are spots at Apes Hill where you can see the Atlantic and Caribbean.
Golf on Barbados
Barbados is home to four courses good enough for even the most spoiled golfer - the Green Monkey and Country Club course at Sandy Lane resort, Apes Hill and Royal Westmoreland, plus the Barbados Golf Club that can be hit or miss on conditioning but has the bones to be good.
Apes Hill looks and plays fantastic after a 2022 renovation by Ron Kirby, who passed away a year later. It's a wonderful venue for a Legends Tour event hosted by Ian Woosnam, an Apes Hill ambassador and former Masters champion who lives on the island part-time. This year attracted some old-timers you'll remember ... Michael Campbell, Stephen Gallacher, Thomas Levet and Paul McGinley.
The front nine explores flatter terrain before the wild back nine explores the jungle. The renovation work cut back overgrowth to expose grandiose rock formations and thrilling corridors through the jungle. The run of holes 12-14 feel like you're teeing it up in an Amazon rain forest. The par-3 16th, flanked in front by a pond and in back by a natural cave, couldn't be more inspiring and scenic. Although the little monkeys wandering about are a nuisance to islanders, traveling golfers love what they add to the whole experience. I'd rank Apes Hill among my three favorite Caribbean golf courses out of more than 20 I've played across 10 different islands. It's that good. There's even a bonus 19th hole ending at an island green if you want to take (hopefully) one more swing.
The Sandy Lane Country Club isn't blessed with the same dynamic elevation changes as Apes Hill. It's simply a "country club" in every way ... a wonderful pro shop, restaurant and really good conditions. The par 3s deliver its most memorable holes, especially the 18th, a long poke over a pond into a green site tucked into a hillside below the clubhouse.
Sandy Lane will always be known for two things in the golf world - it's where Tiger got married in 2004 and the crazy green fee to play the Green Monkey. Hotel guests can play the exclusive Tom Fazio design for around $400, but non-guests must pay roughly 10 times as much: $4,000 for a foursome, plus caddies. I haven't played a single hole or stayed at the resort, so I couldn't tell you if the splurge is worth it. Maybe next time.
What's new at Apes Hill
After years of fits and starts, Apes Hill is coming into its own. I stayed in one of the hilltop villas overlooking the new Little Apes course and 19th hole that are as stylish and luxurious as Caribbean life gets. They look like modern California homes featured on HGTV where the lucky inhabitants can live inside or out simply by opening up all of the sliding doors, leading to an expansive patio and 24-foot infinity pool. We watched an NBA playoff game on the patio one evening in shorts and t-shirts, drinking a few cold ones while relaxing in the comfy outdoor furniture. Another night, our group dressed up for a wonderful catered meal in the same space.
You can rent or buy these villas, opening up access to all of the community's other amenities. Golf carts are parked at each villa for easy transportation throughout the 475-acre resort. Hilltop Villas start from $2,300 per night.
The new Littles Apes short course, consisting of nine holes ranging from 70- to 145-yard holes, couldn't be more fun. The performance center, home to a large range, putting green and indoor hitting bay with all the latest launch monitor tech, could fix your game or help someone take it up for the first time.
Off the course, there's so much to do. Hiking the trails in natural gullies can make you feel swallowed up by the towering trees. Tennis courts, a fitness center and sunrise yoga provide reinvigorating exercise. The clubhouse cooks up wonderful meals in The Noisy Cricket, a bar and restaurant that celebrates ‘Farm to Fork’, or outdoors at The 20th Hole, where we had breakfast every morning. The resort is home to 60 acres dedicated to organic farming, 40 beehives supporting pollination and 17 acres of fruit trees. Sustainability on such a small island remains an evolving priority.
A 10-minute shuttle ride can take families to that coveted beach day everybody needs while relaxing on vacation. More investment and real estate offerings are planned.
“This is still just the beginning,” said Woosnam. “Apes Hill is in its infancy, but the future is very bright.”
On our final evening, we put our sand in the toes at La Cabane, a restaurant right on the beach. As the live music and dinner service wrapped up, a handful of small crabs began migrating to the water. We had to lift up our feet under the table to let them pass. What a fun, spontaneous moment witnessing how nature and tourism co-exist in such a beautiful setting. It left one final impression of Barbados: You'll never be too crabby here.
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