Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am
- Hole No. 1, Par-5
by Pete Wlodkowski, for amateurgolf.com
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (November 11, 2006) -- Add two hundred to the number
of golfers who know that Jamaica should be on any avid-golfer's short list
of "must play" destinations. That's the number of participants and VIP guests
who were lucky enough to attend the inaugural Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am, presented by Travel
+ Leisure Golf magazine.
Teams comprised of a professional and three amateurs represented clubs from
across the U.S., from New York's Bethpage to San Francico's Olympic Club
-- with golfing hotbeds like Chicagoland (Royal Hawk); Florida (winning
team Palm Beach Polo and several others); Houston (Pecan Grove) and St. George,
Utah (The Ledges) rounding out the mix. The majority of participants were making
their inaugural visit to a country which is better known for reggae music than
for golf. Judging player-reaction, all that is about to change.
Host courses Half Moon Golf Club and White Witch Golf Course at Rose Hall provided
an excellent lesson in the variety of the Jamaican terrain. Half Moon is a relatively
flat Robert Trent Jones Sr. design which was recently given a makeover
by Trent Jones' disciple Roger Rulewich. It's fun, fair, and not nearly as
easy as it looks at first glance. Just a few miles up a windy road sits White
Witch, part of the tournament host Ritz Carlton Rose Hall resort. White Witch
is a mountain course with jaw-dropping ocean views. It's remarkably
playable given the terrain (the cart paths have speed bumps) and you won't
find a better view from a clubhouse anywhere. Once players got a look at "The
Witch" they seemed to score better - the low pro on the final day shot 3-under-par
68 from the back tees and an amateur with a three handicap shot 66 on his own
ball from the whites.
After two days of counting one ball per foursome, the field was cut into two
groups, with the top half playing a cumulative round at White Witch and the
lower half playing a start-from-scratch consolation round at Half Moon. Florida's
Palm Beach Polo Club
edged Shady Valley of Arlington, Texas for the overall title at 43-under-par,
while Royal Hawk Country Club of St. Charles, Illinois captured the challenge
round at 11-under-par 133.
Tournament Notes:
- The White Witch Golf Course takes its name from the mistress
of the Rose Hall plantation, a beautiful woman named Annie Palmer who earned
the nickname by killing three of her husbands. Players and their guests were
treated to a Thursday evening show at the plantation's Great House, with a
Sean Connery-esque commentator orating the house's history against the backdrop
of special effects and a moonlit sky. He did such a good job telling the story
that more than a few people refused to take part in the house-tour provided
afterwards...
- Anything-but-scary was the greeting that players received prior to teeing
off at White Witch. An a capella chorus of 50 Jamaican caddies sang Bob Marley's
"Three Little Birds" in perfect harmony ("Don't worry, about a thing, 'cause
ev'ry little thing, gonna be alright") much to the players' delight.
-
The Jamaica Tourism Board was actively involved in the tournament. The country's
tourism slogan, "Once you go, you know," was the theme for the week.
My wife (who normally is less-than-excited about accompanying me to a golf
tournament) and I were believers even before our first sip of rum. Yeah mon!
* * *
Final results from the Inaugural Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am follow:
- Rounds 1 and 2: One best-ball net
- Round 3: One best-ball gross plus one best-ball net
| CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND |
|
|
|
|
| Club |
36-hole |
Rd3 |
Tot |
+/- |
| Palm Beach Polo |
115 |
127 |
242 |
-43 |
| Shady Valley |
124 |
120 |
244 |
-41 |
| Hartefeld |
121 |
125 |
246 |
-39 |
| Deer Island |
116 |
132 |
248 |
-37 |
| Ibis 2 |
113 |
135 |
248 |
-37 |
| Thomson |
120 |
130 |
250 |
-35 |
| Thanksgiving Point |
120 |
131 |
251 |
-34 |
| Suncadia |
119 |
133 |
252 |
-33 |
| Mill River 2 |
121 |
132 |
253 |
-32 |
| Wild Dunes |
124 |
129 |
253 |
-32 |
| Olympic Club |
119 |
135 |
254 |
-31 |
| Port Jefferson 1 |
124 |
130 |
254 |
-31 |
| Crestview |
120 |
135 |
255 |
-30 |
| N. Palm Beach |
118 |
137 |
255 |
-30 |
| Pecan Grove |
124 |
133 |
257 |
-28 |
| Polo Fields |
124 |
135 |
259 |
-26 |
| Brampton |
122 |
138 |
260 |
-25 |
| Rye |
124 |
136 |
260 |
-25 |
| Pelham 2 |
121 |
142 |
263 |
-22 |
| Woodholme |
124 |
141 |
265 |
-20 |
| Pelham 1 |
123 |
143 |
266 |
-19 |
| Nissequogue |
122 |
145 |
267 |
-18 |
| Bethpage |
123 |
145 |
268 |
-17 |
| |
| CHALLENGE ROUND |
|
|
|
|
| Club |
Score |
|
|
|
| Royal Hawk |
133 |
|
|
|
| Islands End |
135 |
|
|
|
| Mill River 1 |
135 |
|
|
|
| Ledges 1 |
136 |
|
|
|
| Carlisle |
137 |
| Southward Ho |
137 |
| Ledges 2 |
138 |
| Fenway |
140 |
| Oyster Bay 2 |
140 |
| Reflection Bay |
140 |
| Woodcrest 2 |
140 |
| Commonwealth National |
142 |
| Ibis 1 |
142 |
| Port Jefferson 2 |
142 |
| Eagle Watch |
143 |
| Oyster Bay 1 |
144 |
| Woodcrest 1 |
146 |
| Bloomington |
148 |