With a unique blend of high style—a vibrant vestige of its British colonial past—and plenty of laid back Caribbean charm, Barbados makes the perfect destination for an island getaway. The fabulous array of accommodations includes the Almond Beach Resorts, with long stretches of quiet Caribbean beaches, the Savannah Hotel, offering a more cosmopolitan feel, and for a truly luxurious resort experience on par with anywhere in the world, the spectacular Sandy Lane.

Golfers will find that the island also offers ample reason for packing their sticks. First there is Barbados GC, located minutes from the airport. Though it opened in 1974, the course has been completely renovated by American Ron Kirby and is a pleasure to walk, with the most memorable holes coming on the back nine. Next up is Royal Westmoreland, a Robert Trent Jones design that winds through the rolling hills overlooking the west coast. It provides breathtaking views of the island and the Caribbean Sea, as well as an 18th hole that deserves special mention as one of the great finishing holes anywhere. And then there is Sandy Lane, home not just to the world class resort, but also 36 holes by Tom Fazio which, after a few false starts, are now open for play. The premier course is indisputably The Green Monkey—named for the island’s co-habitants who cavort in the nearby trees—which displays Fazio at his most ambitious. Though the most exciting holes are located in and around the quarry, what separates the course from others is its amazing bunkering—reminiscent of Alister Mackenzie’s finest work, which Fazio no doubt studied while remodeling Augusta. barbados.org ––Jennifer King

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