The northeast corner of the Caribbean is home to one of the newest countries in the world – St. Kitts and Nevis. Home to approximately 47,000 residents (or roughly the same population as the cities of Wauwatosa or Fond du Lac in Wisconsin), the dual island nation is so small that it actually ranks as the eighth smallest sovereign country in the world by area.
St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and if you don’t include territories, it is the second smallest country behind only the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean to have a golf course within its borders.
Despite that tiny footprint, St. Kitts and Nevis is home to two outstanding golf courses, Royal St. Kitts Golf Club (on the larger island of St. Kitts) and Nevis Golf Course (located on the country’s other namesake island).
On a beautiful October day, after heavy rains had just passed through the area, I got to play a stunning afternoon round at the beautiful Royal St. Kitts.
Overview
Royal St. Kitts Golf Club is located a short distance east of Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis, in a modern, seaside area named Frigate Bay. The club is easy to get to from just about anywhere on the 65-square mile island, an easy drive from either the cruise port (Port Zante) or Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
Royal St. Kitts offers a 6,851-yard, par 71 championship track uniquely situated near a narrow isthmus on St. Kitts between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. This isthmus connects the main part of the island to its rugged southeast corner, which is the nearest point to its sister island of Nevis about three miles further on.
The course was originally built in 1976. However, Canadian architect Thomas McBroom (of The Links at Crowbush Cove fame), refreshed the layout in the early 2000s, and his 2004 version stands as the present beachside layout.
The course features three holes pressed against the Atlantic, as the 15th through 17th play right along Half Moon Bay. This oceanside stretch is part of a five-hole finish that was one of the best I’ve ever played.
Back on the front nine, the drivable par 4 3rd hole gets within a hybrid shot away from Frigate Bay Beach on the other side of the island along the Caribbean. This beach is situated just below Timothy Hill, which provides the backdrop for many holes at Royal St. Kitts. From its 587-foot altitude summit, an overlook provides one of the most stunning views in the region.
While the track may lack the notoriety of its Caribbean counterparts in nearby Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico, Royal St. Kitts features an excellent layout and is well worth a play.
Royal St. Kitts is affiliated with the luxurious St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino, a short walk or shuttle ride away from the clubhouse. While you aren’t required to stay at the resort to play the golf course, it provides a wonderful base of operations to enjoy a vacation in this idyllic Caribbean paradise.
Royal St. Kitts Golf Club
Location: 858 Zenway Blvd., Frigate Bay, St. Kitts & Nevis
Architect: Thomas McBroom (2004); Peter Thomson (1976)
Course Details: Par 71; Tees: Gold – 6851/73.6/130; Black – 6319/70.4/125; White – 5877/68.6/118; Coral – 5049/69.2/118
Highlights and Favorite Holes
Royal St. Kitts’ signature 15th hole is a crowd pleaser, and it kicks off a glorious oceanside trio. This 161-yard par 3 plays steeply downhill toward the beach, and with the ever-present ocean winds, it is a challenging shot. When I played the hole, a strong breeze was coming in off the Atlantic, and my attempted knockdown mid-iron shot got batted around like a kite.
The 15th green itself is small, guarded to the left, right, and back sides with bunkers. Therefore, any offline shot is likely headed for trouble. Nine traps guarding the green run perpendicular to the ocean, as McBroom designed them to look like sea waves. The magical setting makes for vivid pictures from the hole’s high teeing ground.
While the 15th is the showstopper, my favorite hole at Royal St. Kitts is the 404-yard 17th. This strategic par 4 clings close to Half Moon Bay for the entire length of its gentle dogleg left. Keeping your drive close to the sea is the key to shortening the 17th hole, but that drive carries risk, especially when the wind is blowing in from the sea.
If you pull off the preferred drive on the 17th, you are now sitting in the garden spot with a great angle to attack the green. The approach still takes courage, with a carry over a corner of the crashing surf.
The 17th green sits out on a peninsula, surrounded by beach, rocks, surf, and a brackish lagoon. This area is a sight to behold, and it is an absolutely thrilling golf hole to play.
While the 15th and 17th holes get the headlines at Royal St. Kitts, the par 4 16th is an underrated strategic gem. This straightaway, 383-yard hole doesn’t take your breath away, but it unfolds like a riddle waiting to be solved.
Like the 17th, the ideal line on the 16th is up the left side, closest to the ocean. This sets up the best angle to attack the raised green, with deep hollows on both sides of the putting surface.
The preferred attack angle on the 16th hole is from the left side, but McBroom fools players by offering one of the widest fairways on the course. There is plenty of room to play safe to the right, away from the ocean. But any shot played from this side of the fairway must deal with palm trees that block the approach angle.
The glorious final seaside stretch at Royal St. Kitts is kicked off by an outstanding short par 4 that offers all kinds of options and breathtaking views. The 330-yard 14th is a cunning challenge, begging you to try to drive the green.
The best play off the tee is to lay back to the top of a crest about 250 yards out. This leaves just a wedge approach to a green that sits at the top of a steep rise. There is a nest of bunkers left of the fairway, and another further back on the right side, designed to make you think twice about executing the preferred layup.
Another option is to blast away beyond the 250-yard mark, but this drive may leave players in a gully short and right of the green, where getting up and down is no picnic. A third option is to lay even further back, taking the bunkers out of play. This is a safe shot, but it leaves a much longer approach back uphill to the perched green.
The 3rd hole at Royal St. Kitts is another excellent par 4 under 340 yards. This 339-yard downhill hole plays much different than the 14th, but with no less strategy involved. This hole bends to the right as it heads toward the quieter blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.
The direct line to the green is only 290 yards away as the crow flies, which makes the hole a drivable proposition for a long hitter. However, two deep bunkers on the inside of the dogleg severely punish a mishit drive. A smart tee shot played out to the left sets up an easy pitch to a large, deep green.
The 18th is the hardest hole at Royal St. Kitts, and gives the course a classic long par 4 conclusion. After playing back-to-back par 4s with the ocean guarding the left side, this flat 447-yard hole bends gently to the right around a large lagoon. A drive played over the corner of the lake shortens the hole and improves the angle for the green.
The lengthy approach shot plays across another corner of the lake, bringing the hazard back in play. While these two shots are tough, the putting surface itself is quiet, meaning a birdie can be made if you can find the green. During my round, I stuck a long iron to within a foot of the hole. It was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit, and it set up my only birdie of the round – an unbelievable way to close a magical day.
The 18th fairway is wide, but if you bail left off the tee, away from the water, there is a hornets nest of bunkers ready to inject pain. Even if you miss these bunkers, it is a long way back to the green.
Two other difficult holes at Royal St. Kitts are the 7th and 12th, both long par 3s that tip out at over 230 yards.
The 233-yard 7th is the harder of the pair, as it is more of an all-carry hole played over a large pond. Bunkers guard the left side of the green, while any shot missed to the right will either end up wet or will be lost to the jungle vegetation.
Three yards longer but no less scenic, the 12th hole is the easier of these two bullish par 3s. Starting near the clubhouse, the 236-yard hole stretches along a lagoon that guards its entire right side.
Compared to the 7th, the water hazard is less in your face on the 12th hole, and a welcoming bunker short and right of the green can save an errant shot from a watery grave. Jungle vegetation pinches in along the left side to make this shot even more of a challenge.
Pairing nicely with the 7th, the 400-yard 8th hole is a fun mid-length par 4. A lake in front of the tee gives this hole the deception of a bite off as much as you can chew tee shot. But even at its longest point, the tee shot is a manageable water carry (about 230 yards) played to a wide landing area.
The 11th is a beautiful, long par 5, played from the highest point on the course. The 591-yard hole presents a stunning vista as you play back down to the island’s coastal plain, with gaping bunkers guarding the inside of the gentle dogleg left.
The first two holes are a fun introduction to Royal St. Kitts, taking you out to the main area of the course near the resort. The opener is a gentle 529-yard par 5, with plenty of room to swing away. The hole then bends left, and later back to the right by the green, which is tiered and perched up above a pond.
The teeing ground on the 451-yard 2nd hole is the most secluded spot on the course, tucked in amongst the tropical foliage. The toughest hole on the front nine plays as a hard dogleg right, begging players to try to cut the sharp corner, which is out of bounds. The smart play to the center or left side of the fairway leaves a long iron uphill to a green that slopes severely from back to front.
While there was plenty of wildlife around Royal St. Kitts, I spotted one of the island’s ever present African green monkeys on the 2nd fairway. While I’m used to seeing deer while golfing in Wisconsin, seeing a small primate run out on a golf course was definitely a first. I’m convinced that the cheeky character stole my ball from the right rough.
The Lowlights
Overall, Royal St. Kitts is a very good course from start to finish. I love how the layout builds from the quieter front nine near the resort to its dramatic closing stretch of holes 14-18.
While I didn’t think Royal St. Kitts had any weak holes, the 463-yard 6th and 428-yard 10th, both built close to the resort, felt more like fillers. These spacious long par 4s were designed to get you from one point to another. While not overly memorable, they were effective holes for traversing some of the property’s quietest terrain.
Sandwiched around these two holes were the 5th and 9th, two of the most underrated challenges at Royal St. Kitts.
The slightly downhill, 556-yard 5th bends to the right along one of the main roads on St. Kitts. A drive played over the corner of a huge trap sets up a chance to reach this memorable par 5 in two shots. The green itself is perched near the entrance road for the resort and club, and is the closest point to Timothy Hill.
The 9th green brings players nearest to the accompanying resort, as this mid-length par 3 plays directly at the sprawling complex. The 192-yard, one-shot hole is a fun challenge, with a snaking bunker traversing the hole from tee to green. Miss the putting surface either short or to the left, and you’re stuck trying to recover from a troublesome spot.
Unlike the 5th, the 13th hole at Royal St. Kitts felt like a bit of a missed opportunity, especially as it precedes the course’s outstanding finish. Played on flat lowlands next to the 17th and 18th holes, this 515-yard birdie opportunity moves gently to the right then back to the left alongside a lagoon.
On the 13th hole a good player should have no more than a wedge in their hand for their approach, but the short par 5 finally shows some teeth at the putting surface. The lengthy target is surrounded by a few strategic queen palms, presenting a lovely setting to an approaching player.
Final Thoughts
My visit to the island of St. Kitts came via a family Disney Cruise based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Playing golf at Royal St. Kitts was the cherry on top of an amazing day visiting a new country.
While St. Kitts and Nevis is a very small country, there is plenty to do here to fill a couple of days, even if it is just relaxing and enjoying the country’s glorious setting. The 100-square-mile federation (more than 10 times smaller than the state of Rhode Island) is packed with rainforest areas, steep volcanic hills, incredible coastal scenery, and windswept beaches.
On the morning we visited St. Kitts we did a Grand Tour, booked independently with Greys Island Excursions (which I would highly recommend). This fun and informative adventure included a sightseeing drive through Basseterre, a spectacular stop at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a visit to the rainforest haven of Romney Manor (Home of Caribelle Batik), and a beach break at beautiful South Friars Bay Beach.
During our day in port, the only time when I felt like I was rubbing shoulders with others was during our tour’s final stop at the Timothy Hill Overlook. This viewpoint is well worth a visit even when busy, as it offers incredible views of the Caribbean to the south, and every hole at Royal St. Kitts and the surrounding Frigate Bay community when looking northward.
With our on board time at 6 p.m., I was able to experience all of these things and didn’t even have to rush to play golf. After I completed my afternoon round, I took a leisurely taxi back to the port and still had time for a little walk before boarding the ship.
St. Kitts and Nevis marked my eighth golfing nation and one of the most special experiences I have ever had playing the sport. After nearly 40 years of playing golf, I finally got to tee it up in the Caribbean, with a lovely ocean breeze cooling my face as I played on a warm day. This was a definite bucket list destination checked off my list.
With the cold winter blues now settling in here in Wisconsin, I’d go back to St. Kitts and Nevis, and its Royal St. Kitts Golf Course, in a heartbeat.
The Royal St. Kitts Golf Club Website
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