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ISSUE #11

Mel Sole has 30 years experience teaching golf and is co-founder of Ritson-Sole Golf Schools, USA
www.ritson-sole.com

Excerpts from:
"Jamaica's Tryall Club and its golf course are still world class"
By Dale Leatherman, Associate Editor for TravelGolf.com
Photos by Donnelle Oxley

The Texans built family vacation villas throughout the estate, simple but elegant houses with lots of guest rooms, lots of outdoor dining and entertainment areas and, of course, swimming pools. And they engaged architect Ralph Plummer to route a golf course along the coastline and up into the hills above the Great House.

Tryall and its golf course, one of the best in the Caribbean at the time, became famous throughout the world. It still is today.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a shareholder to stay at the resort and play the course. When not occupied by family, many of the 56 fully staffed estate villas are available for rent, ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 per week, depending on the season. A row of 13 luxurious suites adjoining the Great House go for $250 to $400 a night depending on the season, with lower weekly rates.

Tryall has all the amenities you'd expect at a fine resort -- a highly regarded tennis center and program, a bird sanctuary, a full complement of water sports, an outstanding children's program, and fine dining -- often out under the stars.

Today there are many rivals for the title of best golf course in the Caribbean, many of them fresh off the drawing board and built using the latest technology. In the face of that competition, most aficionados would agree that Tryall still remains one of the top 10 island courses. It is a classy, classic track that will rear up and bite you if you don't show it proper respect.

A few years ago the golf course trotted out shiny new carts and rental equipment and opened an 8,000-square foot practice green, a new practice bunker, and a second driving range which invites players to hit balls into the sea (this is good practice for the fourth hole). On the course proper, many tees and bunkers were renovated, and more flowering plants were added to the already lush layout. Last year an all-encompassing irrigation system was installed, and many holes were rebuilt and replanted with tiff-eagle grass.

Although the course has kept up with the times, it hasn't changed -- not in the ways that count. At 6,721 yards (6,221 from the tees most golfers will play), it is short by modern standards. It was not designed for Tiger and will never give up its personality to do so.

It may be the longest 6,221 yards you ever play. Remember Curtis Strange and his hapless Johnnie Walker opponents. Scores in the mid-80s. Don't get cocky. If the wind blows you are fodder for the Tryall gristmill.

That said, Tryall is actually user-friendly. You don't have the feeling after a few holes that you should gird your loins and prepare for battle. But while you're happily enjoying the oceanfront holes, the sashay past a lily pond, the tee shot that passes through the stanchions of a functioning 18-century water wheel, and the frequent views of the ocean at the resort's feet, the course is chipping away at your score. Quick, undulating and well-bunkered greens exact their toll.

There are plenty of places you can get into trouble, starting with the par-3 fourth hole, which plays from ocean-side tees across the Flint River to a generous sloping green. The fifth hole requires a rifle-shot drive down a 200-yard, tree-lined chute to a viable position in the left dogleg for an approach shot.

The back nine is shorter but no less tricky, with its many elevation changes, canted fairways and doglegs to subtle, table-top greens like those on holes 11 and 13. The last five holes drop back toward the sea, offering views of the ocean and the Great House along the way.

Caddies are required on the Tryall Course, and you'll be grateful for their company. Many have been at the resort for most of their lives and play to single-digit handicaps. They know the wind, the lay of the grass and every nuance of the greens.

After golf and a swim, I'll probably sit on the verandah with a cold drink, watching other golfers on the course below, and reveling in my experience as a temporary member of the Club.

Although other resorts in MoBay (Half Moon, Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall, Wydham Rose Hall) offer opportunities to play Tryall, you'll want to stay at the Tryall Club to experience the full rush of contented living. Choose from an estate villa or a Great House suite. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

The Verdict

This resort has gone through many mindsets in the past 20 years, including an unfortunate off-putting clubby tone. It was also a bit ragged in service and facilities before the new generation of homeowners took charge. This is past history. Today it is in its best-ever, visitors-welcome state of mind. You will not feel like a peon; you will feel as if you own a piece of Tryall, an extraordinary place. You'll also discover that the resort is claiming a piece of your soul.

The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.

The full article from which the above excerpts were extracted can be found at www.caribbeangolf.com/course-reviews/tryall-golf-club-122.htm

If you are considering a golfing holiday in the Caribbean, call (US toll-free) 888-383-3633 or visit www.caribbeangolf.com for a FREE Caribbean package quote.