Contributed
Golf course architect Robert von Hagge follows his ceremonial drive off the fourth tee at the opening of the Wyndham's Three Palms course.Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
JAMAICA'S DREAM of becoming a golf tourism destination will get a sharp reality check this week when the island hosts the 2001 Caribbean Golf Classic.
Three 'sister' courses on the north coast will accommodate more than 200 amateur golfers from nine other Caribbean nations as well as a healthy local contingent of about 100-as Jamaica attempts to establish itself as a premier place to whack little white balls.
Service, sun and scenery will all play their parts but the decisive factor will fall into the laps of the three courses: the Ritz Carlton's White Witch, the Wyndham's Three Palms and SuperClubs' Ironshore. All are within a few useful drives of each other and comprise a golfing belt just outside the second city, Montego Bay.
The first two are unabashed destination resort courses.
White Witch is, with little doubt, the most picturesque course in the island, possibly the region and maybe the hemisphere.
Three Palms, formerly known as Wyndham Rose Hall, has received a facelift which would make a Hollywood actress blush.
Ironshore is also undergoing a major revamp - within its limitations.
All three may be at different stages of 'playability' but they have a single objective from this Wednesday through Friday: woo dem.
Classic tournament director David Mais has few fears about the running of the event - logistically probably the biggest since the Johnnie Walker Classics of the '90s - and is confident the courses will sell themselves.
"White Witch is in magnificent condition and has recovered superbly from the flooding of a few months ago," said Mais of the course set next to the notorious Annie Palmer's Rose Hall abode.
"Three Palms gets better and better each day. The greens are still a little bumpy it is a super place to play," he said of the 'sister' course of White Witch although they, through ownership, are more likely stepsisters.
"Ironshore is a different kind of golf course. The layout is different and it's about 40 years old. The greens are in excellent shape and it provides different challenges. You can't compare it to the other two but it is really improving," said Mais.
Without downplaying Ironshore, White Witch and Three Palms are the current 'jewels' in Jamaica's golf crown, to paraphrase Junior Minister for Sport and Tourism, Wykeham McNeill at the recent reopening of the latter.
Both were designed by golf course guru Robert von Hagge and inspired by the beneficent Svengali-like figure of John Rollins whose fruits have blossomed in St. James after his death.
Silver/blond-haired von Hagge has designed about 250 courses in 37 countries but is particularly proud of his Jamaican babies.
"It's a bitter-sweet day for me," he said at the christening of Three Palms late last month. "It's the beginning of the end and that's tough. We have built two of the most exceptional courses, side by side, in the entire Caribbean," the emotional architect said.
"Less than 10 and a half minutes in a player's four and a half hour round are spent hitting balls," von Hagge said. "The rest is theatre. If you don't get into his gut, you have failed.
"It is hard to compare a destination course with a Tour course but this is definitely among the best I have been involved with and it will, along with Jamaica, always have a place in my heart, I hope I can come back again," the Texas-based designer said.
Fittingly, von Hagge struck the ceremonial first ball off the elevated fourth tee at Three Palms; a par three which has the minor obstacle of a lake in front of the green. He hooked wide but safe.
Minister McNeil followed soon after and his ball went splash. He may be the first but definitely not the last of many, many, many to get wet on the fourth as the island tries to add a new facet to the diamond known as tourism.
