IBEROSTAR, Jamaica Pro-Am review
05 Dec 2012
by Benjamin Larsen of AmateurGolf.com
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"Once you go, you know."
That's the marketing slogan the country of
Jamaica presents to tourists
seeking a great place for
a vacation.
After my own recent trip to the country, and a
stay at the first-class
IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel
Rose Hall near Montego Bay during the 7th
annual Jamaica Pro-Am
Invitational, I'm convinced
that the same slogan can be taken on by the
resort, and event.
Owned by the Spain-based
IBEROSTAR Hotels &
Resorts, IBEROSTAR Grand
Hotel Rose Hall was
the host of the 250 amateurs and professionals
taking aim at the title of the
Jamaica Pro-Am,
otherwise known as 'Annie's Revenge'.
The name, of course, refers to the legend of
Annie Palmer, known as the
'White Witch of Rose Hall'.
And while the chilling tales of
Palmer are sure to
frighten most, the story behind 'Annie's
Revenge' is quite happy --- and filled
with ultimate
relaxation, endless sunshine and fantastic golf.
Cinnamon Hill |
The event was held over three days at
The White Witch Golf
Course and
Cinnamon Hill Golf Club -
-- two spectacular layouts showing off the
best the island has to offer.
At 6,859 yards, the par-71 White Witch is full
of elevation changes and
absolutely stunning
views. The mountainous terrain, constantly
changing winds and jungle-like
layout made for a pair
of difficult rounds. Those rounds were saved,
of course, by the helpful local
knowledge brought
by our caddies, who read the greens like the
back of their hands and gave
first-time visitors like
myself plenty of room for error on the many
challenging holes that make up
the White Witch.
Poolside at Grand Hotel
|
Our group played its second round at Cinnamon
Hill. While The White Witch
took you through the
hills of Rose Hall, Cinnamon Hill brought you
back towards the Caribbean Sea
with two holes
bordering the crashing waves. Much different
than White Witch, Cinnamon Hill
offered a unique
experience that rewarded players with the
ability to excel at target golf ---
myself not included!
The winner of the weekend, however, was the
IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Rose
Hall. One of three
connected IBEROSTAR resorts in Rose Hall, the
Grand Hotel was as
picturesque a host as any
imaginable. The elegant, spacious and spotless
rooms were the perfect place
to relax after each
challenging round of golf.
View of oceanfront room
|
IBEROSTAR's all-inclusive offering made the
most of my stay as it was easy to
take advantage of
the Grand Hotel's buffet restaurants, and lunch
or dinner at its four a la carte
restaurants
specializing in Italian, Gourment, Japanese and
Steak/Seafood meals.
Of course, the beachside relaxation area,
which includes three separate pools
and a plethora of
lounging areas, along with outdoor --- and
even 'swim-up'! --- bars, wasn't a
bad place to spend
some time, either!
The event was put on by
The Golf
Connection, which
hosts and offers
marketing services for a
number of golf-related events and
destinations. In conjunction with
IBEROSTAR, The Golf
Connection put on a stellar event, complete
with a post-golf awards gala and
dinner that
could've doubled for a red carpet event.