Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 20, 2014) – As published in the Fall 2014 issue of LINKS Magazine, a top US national golf publication available in print and online, St. Kitts & Nevis is ranked among the Top 25 Islands in the world purely on the strength of its golf.
“As a golfer myself, who has played on a number of courses in the Caribbean and around the globe, I’m extremely pleased to see the high quality of our own golf offerings recognized,” said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism & International Transport. “This is really good news for our decision to develop our destination with golf as one of our niche target markets, and with our third world-class course scheduled to open this winter. Our golfing visitors typically have a higher than normal per-person-per-day spend, which fits nicely into our strategic shift toward a more upscale tourism product.”
St. Kitts & Nevis is one of just seven Caribbean islands to rate among the LINKS Magazine Top 25. Listed at #25, the “lucky 7” destination is listed with just six other Caribbean islands that are well-known and established golf destinations – Hispaniola, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bahamas and Barbados (in that order). St. Kitts & Nevis is ranked together as one island, with the Royal St. Kitts noted as the Best Course for play.
The Royal St. Kitts Golf Club was also recently recognized as one of eleven Fantastic Father’s Day Gifts in the Caribbean in an article appearing on May 31, 2014 inUSA Today. In addition, it was the first Caribbean golf course to earn Audubon Certification for its environmental practices and is a natural haven for both native and migratory birds. Further to the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club and, on Nevis, the Robert Trent Jones II course at Four Seasons Resort Nevis Golf Club, the twin-island federation will soon be home to the hillside Irie Fields championship course designed by Ian Woosnam at Kittitian Hill debuting in Winter 2014/Spring 2015 and a Tom Fazio championship course at Christophe Harbour on St. Kitts’ southeast peninsula scheduled to open in Winter 2016/Spring 2017, which together create a collection of championship courses unmatched in a destination of St. Kitts and Nevis’ size.
In recent years, St. Kitts has been making a concerted drive into the lucrative golf tourism market. A premier event showcasing the destination’s golf product is the St. Kitts and Nevis Admiral’s Cup Pro-Am, a five-day team tournament for professionals and amateurs from golf clubs across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. The 5th annual tournament will be played February 17-21, 2015. The St. Kitts-Nevis Admiral’s Cup Pro-Am is the only golf event of its kind that is hosted simultaneously by two Caribbean islands featuring play on two world-class golf courses. For more details or to enter online, visit www.stkittsproam.com.
About St. Kitts
St. Kitts is currently ranked, with sister island Nevis, at #3 on a list of the Best Islands in the World, #3 on a list of the Best Caribbean Vacations, and #7 on a list of the Best Beach Honeymoon Destinations in the World, #8 on a list of Best Caribbean Honeymoons, and #8 on a list of the Best Affordable Caribbean Destinations by US News & World Report. It is also currently ranked at #7 among the Hottest Places to Travel this Winter by CNN Money based on bookings received by Virtuoso, #8 on a list of the Top 10 Best Islands for a Holiday by Places To See In Your Lifetime, #14 on a list of the 50 Travel Destinations That Will Be Huge In The Next 10 Years by Business Insider and one of the Top 12 Best Caribbean Vacations on FlipKey.com, the vacation rental company of leading travel website, TripAdvisor®. In 2012, St. Kitts was named one of “5 Caribbean Islands to Discover Now” by MSNBC. The island was also named one of the “Top 12 Spots that should be on your list for 2012” by Caribbean Travel + Life magazine and a Top Destination for 2011 by both AOL Travel and British Airways.
Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and more traditional vacation pastimes such as water sports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.