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Royal Westmoreland was recently voted Caribbean 'Resort
of the Year' for its combination of first-class golf and
some exceedingly luxurious villas. It was not, at first,
easy to get on to the golf course and the tale is told of
lan Woosnam, who wanted to play a few holes, being refused
entry because he did not own a house. He soon solved that
one. He bought a villa, which he still has, looking down
on to the Caribbean.
 It
is still not simple to get on to Royal Westmoreland and
it is definitely not cheap. But it is possible, and the
best way is to buy a package from a travel agent. Whichever
route you choose, it is well worth it. The course, built
on rugged country that once featured a quarry, has some
spectacular holes and is a layout that will test every club
in your bag.
Take lots of balls. There are plenty of what the late Alister
Mackenzie would describe as "heroic carries",
and thus plenty of chances to find the jungle. The 18th
offers one such opportunity, so much so that the course's
designer, Robert Trent Jones Jnr, has caused a plaque to
be placed by the tee, which reads: "May the wind be
at your back and your shot-making skills tested when you
play this challenging hole."
 The
short 3rd offers no less of a challenge, a carry to a green
known as the Monkey's Table, because of the many green monkeys
that live in the area. The par-threes are, in fact, a delight.
The 7th is played all across water, there are more monkeys
in the jungle between tee and green at the 12th, and the
15th is all downhill, but with perdition to the right of
the green. The club seem to be quite proud of the fact that,
in an exhibition match, Nick Faldo took six and Tom Lehman
a five on this hole.
The 6th is a quarry hole, where the green is surrounded
by rock faces up to 80 feet high. It is called the Hermit's
Hole because, so they say, a man made his home in an old
cement mixer in the quarry.
Despite a few serious carries, this is an eminently playable
course and it offers, at the long 13th, the opportunity
to hit a golf ball farther than you have ever done. It is
downwind, downhill and has a firm fairway. Although it measures
600 yards, during the recent Barbados Seniors Open, it was
commonplace for the professionals to be hitting mid-irons
to the green.
Barbados, then, is open and available to the touring golfer.
It may have taken its time, but the wait has been worth
it.
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David Davies is the golf
correspondent of The Guardian
and travelled to Barbados with 3D Golf (tel: 08701
253989 - or visit www.3dgolf.com).
You can contact them for details about flights and
golf accommodation packages.
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