Top 10 Golf Courses in Barbados
Barbados sits at the top of Caribbean golf. The island's combination of consistent trade winds, dramatic coral-limestone terrain on the west and gentle rolling hills inland gives its courses a variety that most Caribbean islands simply cannot match. The west coast has long been the address of choice for the wealthy, and the golf courses that developed alongside the great plantation estates and modern beach resorts reflect that aspiration — they are maintained to a standard that competes with the best in the world. The playing season runs year-round, with the hurricane season from June to November bringing more rain but rarely disrupting golf for long. Trade winds from the east moderate the heat throughout the day, making walking entirely manageable even in summer.
1. Royal Westmoreland, St James
Royal Westmoreland is the course that defined Caribbean residential golf in the 1990s. Robert Trent Jones Jr designed the layout across a ridge above the west coast, and the site's elevation — up to 325 feet above sea level — gives players views across the Caribbean Sea that are as distracting as any water hazard. The par-72 stretches to nearly 6,900 yards from the tips, and the course plays through mahogany trees and flowering tropical plantings. The par-3 9th, a downhill one-shotter to a green framed by tropical vegetation with the ocean in the distance, is one of the Caribbean's great short holes. Royal Westmoreland is a private members' club and access for visitors is possible only as guests of residents or through specific villa rentals within the estate. Green fees are commensurate with the exclusivity.
2. Sandy Lane (Country Club Course), St James
Sandy Lane's Country Club Course is the publicly accessible sibling to the resort's two private courses, and it is by any measure a fine golf experience. The parkland layout occupies the estate's flatter terrain, threading between mature trees and playing at a comfortable length for resort guests. The condition of the turf — irrigated and maintained to hotel standards — puts it a level above most resort courses in the region. Guests of Sandy Lane Hotel and Day Membership holders can book tee times. The course is popular with the hotel's winter season guests and early morning rounds are recommended to beat both heat and traffic.
3. Sandy Lane (Green Monkey Course), St James
The Green Monkey is Sandy Lane's showpiece and one of the most talked-about courses in the Western Hemisphere. Tom Fazio carved the par-72 layout from a disused quarry and the surrounding plantation land, using the quarry's sculpted limestone walls as dramatic backdrops on key holes. The course is named after the vervet monkeys introduced to Barbados in the seventeenth century, which are still seen on the property. The quarry holes — particularly the par-4 5th, where the tee shot must carry across the quarry void — have no equivalent in Caribbean golf. Access is restricted to Sandy Lane Hotel guests and members, with green fees among the highest in the Caribbean.
4. Apes Hill, St James
Apes Hill occupies the highest ground in Barbados, at approximately 1,100 feet above sea level in the Scotland District. Ron Kirby's design takes full advantage of the elevation and the island's dramatic eastern escarpment, with panoramic views extending in both directions on clear days. The layout is a parkland course with distinct character — cooler temperatures, more wind, and a rawness to the surroundings that distinguishes it from the manicured resort courses on the western coast. The par-71 plays to around 6,600 yards and features several blind shots where local knowledge is an advantage. Apes Hill is a private residential club but accepts visitors who book through the estate.
5. Barbados Golf Club, Christ Church
The Barbados Golf Club is the island's most accessible course and the venue that most visiting golfers without Sandy Lane budgets choose. Located in the south of the island near the airport, it is a Ron Kirby design from the late 1990s built on relatively flat terrain. The par-70 plays to around 6,700 yards from the back tees, and while it lacks the elevation drama of Apes Hill or the exclusivity of Sandy Lane, the conditioning is sound and the atmosphere welcoming. The club hosts the Barbados Open on the Caribbean's professional circuit and is fully open to visitors throughout the year.
6. Rockley Golf & Country Club, Christ Church
Rockley is Barbados's oldest golf club, established in 1946 on land that was once a wartime airfield. The nine-hole course — played as 18 from two sets of tees — is compact and relatively flat, but it fills an important role as the most affordable golf on the island. The course plays through residential Rockley and the mature trees give it shade that the newer resort courses lack. Green fees are the lowest in Barbados, and the club's informal atmosphere makes it popular with expats and budget-conscious visitors.
7. Almond Beach Resort Golf (Belle Crescent)
The former Almond Beach Resort on the west coast incorporated a small resort course within its grounds. The layout is not of championship standard but served the hotel's guests for casual rounds. Following changes to the resort property, access and status have varied; visitors should verify current conditions before planning around this facility.
8. Heywoods Park Golf Club
Heywoods Park, in the north of the island near Speightstown, operated as a resort course serving the condominium and hotel development on the site. A nine-hole layout, it was designed primarily for residential guests and offers a gentler introduction to Barbados golf than the island's major venues. Northern Barbados is drier and hotter than the south, and the trade winds are more persistent, giving the course a distinctly breezy character.
9. Hole in One Crazy Golf, Christ Church
A miniature golf facility near the south coast tourist strip, Hole in One provides evening entertainment for families and groups not focused on full-length golf. It is not relevant to serious golf tourism but represents a component of the island's broader leisure infrastructure.
10. Barbados Polo Club (Supplementary Golf)
The polo-centric Barbados Polo Club has at various times operated practice golf facilities on its grounds near Holder's Hill. The facilities are informal and practice-oriented, but the club's social calendar makes it an engaging backdrop. Access is typically through membership or social invitation.
The ideal time to visit Barbados for golf is December through March, when the trade winds are consistent, temperatures hover around 27°C, and the island's social season is in full swing. Visitors should book Sandy Lane courses several months in advance. Transport between the south coast hotel belt and the west coast courses takes 30 to 45 minutes, and taxis are the most practical option as rental cars require driving on the left on narrow plantation roads. Open the map to see every golf course mapped on Barbados and plan the ideal routing for your stay.