The Abaco Golf Club on Winding Bay, Bahamas

[cary lichtenstein]

I heard that this course is now open, and wondered if any in the Treehouse have played it, and/or seen pictures/reviews.

Architect is Donald Steel.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

 The Abaco Club is the best course I've seen this year, anywhere." Lorne Rubenstein, Toronto Globe & Mail
"The golf course at The Abaco Club is being heralded as the world's first tropical links, a bold claim but one that is fulfilled. Indeed there is no course in the Caribbean quite like it. Without a doubt, the oceanfront closing will quickly take its place among the very best." Tom Dunne, The Golfer

www.theabacoclub.com

The website has reviews and pictures

[Tom Dunne]

Wow, did I really say all that?  

Anyway, yeah, I do think the members of the Abaco Club have a winner on their hands. I saw the course back in October (?), and the island had been hit pretty hard by the various hurricanes. The golf course was kind of rough around the edges, but it played well. There's plenty of wind, and sandy soil to help establish firm and fast conditions.

Aesthetically, it'll be stunning when it gets the full de Savary landscaping treatment, I'm sure.

Abaco is generally dead-flat, but the course sits on a very nice piece of land. The middle portion of the front nine runs along the beach, where golfers play among the low dunes, with the beautiful turquoise Winding Bay off to the left. The back nine doubles back inland, and the finishing holes on the high promontory are good fun. 16 (?) is a mid-length par-4 over a quarry, its fairway diagonally offset, that looks a country mile long from the tee. And the view from the par-3 17th tee is especially lovely....I was surprised to see how high we had climbed!

In any case, I thought Abaco to be a strong effort from Steel and T. MacKenzie. I think many GCAers would especially enjoy the green complexes, too. Some of them are absolutely massive in size, with "green-within-a-green" tiered sections not unlike some of the holes at Kingsbarns. To its credit, Abaco is also quite walkable (there's only one green-to-tee walk that I remember as being somewhat arduous), and the club is establishing a caddie program. Some might find the Scottish-style sod wall bunkering a little dissonant with the environment, but I rather enjoyed it. Anyway, it's a unique course for the Caribbean, of that much I'm certain.

PS: This was my last assignment with The Golfer. I no longer work there....

[Brian_Gracely]

How far is the club from Marsh Harbor?  

[Tom Dunne]

Brian, I'd say it's about a 20 minute drive from Marsh Harbour.

[cary lichtenstein]

I'm sort of curious why I can only find 1 picture of one sand trap and nothing more about this course, even on its website

[Mike_Sweeney]

I'm sort of curious why I can only find 1 picture of one sand trap and nothing more about this course, even on its website

Any updates? The pictures in Paul Daley's book were also quite good.

[Keith Phillips]

Enjoying a quick 6-day stay at The Abaco Club - a terrific spot with a special golf course - this is my third visit, but regrettably all three have come in summer months so I have never experienced the golf in prime season, when the temps are somewhat more moderate and the course is maintained 'firmer/faster' - the course itself is really very good - I was out walking today and bumped into 'Bookie', the Superintendent, who is native to the area and has been at the course since inception...he did the grow-in and claims that very little earth was moved, which is cool because there are many really interesting rolling fairways...apparently Steel & Co. navigated through the natural dunes and the results are terrific

Things I like include the fabulous rolling fairways, large and steeply undulating greens, wide fairways sometimes divided into high/low roads by dune-scape, and the constant presence of wind - though the course starts and ends with par 5s the par 4s are varied enough that there is no monotony.

The green approaches are fairly soft in the summer months, which is a problem for 'the first tropical links' but I assume that is not the case in the winter - it is possible to run the ball in on virtually every hole, and the green surrounds provide for some wonderful chipping opportunities.  Having only been here in the summer I've never tried walking the course but it appears very doable with one notable exception being the climb from 14 green to 15 tee, and then back to clubhouse from the 18th green.  The par 3s are all fun, but there isn't a true 'long par 3'...from the 6400 yard tees I played the longest par 3 plays about 165, but it is a beautiful shot right into Winding Bay!

The practice area is actually very good, with two long areas and a wonderful short game area - just a little too hot in July to enjoy it!

The resort itself seems to be doing 'fine' given the economy...building out very slowly but building nonetheless...a bunch of tour pros are members, including Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Billy Andrade, Ernie Els and a few others - this is a great spot to get away for a few days

[Carl Nichols]

Keith:
As of last year, it looked like the resort (and residences) was looking to hit the super-high-end market.  Is that still the case?  Where do the non-homeowners stay?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about staying at the Ritz?

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Abaco/Information/Default.htm

[Carl Nichols]

that works -- didn't know there was one!

[J Sadowsky]

I do not believe there's a Ritz-Carlton at the Abaco Club, only that the Ritz-Carlton manages the Club, and thus non-resident members, trial members, and guests may rent at the property.  Having never been there, I am not sure if that means that one ends up renting someone else's cottage for the week through RC or that some of the cottages are owned by RC for exclusive use of non-residents.

This (old) site describes it better:

http://www.myabacoclub.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=294395&ssid=175768&vnf=1

[Tim Leahy]

one of the designers is Tom Mackenzie, is he related to the Dr. Mac?

[Keith Phillips]

My understanding is that The Abaco Club is an independent entity 50%-owned and jointly-managed with The Ritz Carlton Club...I am a fractional member at the Ritz in Jupiter, FL so for me Abaco is a sister club with reciprocal priveleges - the Ritz has maybe 10 homes on site, with the vast majority being managed by other groups, notably 'The Abaco Club' itself, and also Exclusive Resorts.  My guess is the Club needs a good decade of resurgence in the 2nd-home market to really make a go of it, but for vacationers in the interim it is still a great option, particularly for golfers - a very, very good course with little competition for tee times...

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Interesting place. It does look cool. I am not a big Steel man in general. It does seem amazing for it to survive in this market. I keep forgetting there is a lot of money being made by those poor financial institutions and their close friends.

[Carl Nichols]

My understanding is that The Abaco Club is an independent entity 50%-owned and jointly-managed with The Ritz Carlton Club...I am a fractional member at the Ritz in Jupiter, FL so for me Abaco is a sister club with reciprocal priveleges - the Ritz has maybe 10 homes on site, with the vast majority being managed by other groups, notably 'The Abaco Club' itself, and also Exclusive Resorts.  My guess is the Club needs a good decade of resurgence in the 2nd-home market to really make a go of it, but for vacationers in the interim it is still a great option, particularly for golfers - a very, very good course with little competition for tee times...

Keith,
Can you tell us a little more about the course?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Just found this review:

http://www.daleleatherman.org/index.php?section=29