Anguilla to Get First Golf Course


The slender Carribean isle of Anguilla, the Spanish word for “eel,” will be getting its first golf course in time for the 2003-2004 winter season. The public course is part of a government-backed, $250-million golf resort at Rendezvous Bay West. The project includes a Greg Norman-designed golf course, a clubhouse, a deluxe hotel with 80 to 140 rooms, and another 60 villas for permanent residents and/or timeshare owners.

The government of Anguilla has signed an agreement with Flag Luxury Properties to develop the resort. Four Seasons, St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton are in the running to operate the hotel. Ground will be broken on the golf course at the end of 2002, while work on the hotel will begin in early 2003; 2005 is the target opening date for the hotel.

According to a government spokesperson, the project will “consolidate Anguilla’s position as a fairly upscale destination. It has a long way to go before it takes definite form, but I haven’t seen a project on the island move this quickly.”

Anguilla is touted to have the Caribbean’s most pristine white-sand beaches. With its sinuous, narrow shape, Anguilla’s shores are dotted with a variety of hotel and rental units. Some cost upwards of $5,000 a day, making them the Caribbean’s most expensive rental properties. Anguilla has a strong, self-reliant government – unlike some of its neighboring islands, one that staunchly refuses to allow foreign entities take over development rights of its precious land.

For additional information about this new resort, contact the Anguilla Tourist Board at 800/553-4939.