Staff WriterApes Hill Barbados isn’t just another pretty postcard—it’s a golfer’s daydream served on a silver tee, 1,000 feet above the Caribbean.
Ron Kirby’s par-71 masterpiece unfurls across rolling ridges where the trade winds whisper swing thoughts you’ll swear you dreamt up yourself.
Think Augusta angles with tropical swagger: one moment you’re staring down a drive framed by coral cliffs, the next you’re putting toward a horizon split neatly between the Atlantic and the Caribbean.
If that doesn’t quicken the pulse, check for a heartbeat—or a decent caddie.
A Course Worth Packing Two Dozen Balls For
Kirby—may the golfing gods rest his soul—designed a routing that keeps your ego guessing.
Drives hang in the sky long enough for you to admire both oceans, while the green monkeys sitting in the trees give you that “I’ve seen better” look when the ball finally drops.
Fair warning: the sea-level yardages lie. At this height the air is thinner, so club up on those uphill approaches unless you fancy a sandy holiday in one of the artfully placed bunkers.
The Legends Tour Stop That Stole the Show
Ian Woosnam’s Legends Tour chose Apes Hill for good reason. Watching the senior circuit attack these fairways proves two things: (1) experience beats bravado, and (2) every green has just enough tilt to make your knees knock louder than a rental cart on cobblestone.
After the trophy is lifted and the old boys toast the sunset, the tees move forward and mere mortals like us get to walk in their spikemarks—usually with markedly less grace.
Practice Like You Mean It
If your swing resembles a man swatting bees—believe me, I speak from experience—the Performance Centre is the clinic you need.
TrackMan bays, force plates, and cameras catch every flaw faster than your mate can shout “reload.”
Once darkness falls, head to the flood-lit range to sort out that over-the-top lunge without the judging stares. (The monkeys have presumably clocked out.)
Little Apes, Big Dreams
Junior golfers aren’t banished to crazy-golf purgatory here. The nine-hole par-3 Little Apes course lets the kids (and anyone nursing a fragile handicap) chase birdies without a bunker the size of Belfast looming over every shot.
It’s the perfect warm-up—or penance—before tackling the full stretch again.
Hilltop Villas: Clubhouse-to-Couch in 60 Seconds
New for summer 2025, the single-story Hilltop Villas perch beside the 18th fairway like VIP grandstands.
Four bedrooms, private pool, sunset views—ideal for dissecting your triple-bogey with something cold and amber in hand.
Ring up an in-villa chef if you’re too tired to grill; schedule a massage if your back is barking louder than your driver. This is recovery, tour-pro style.
Sustainability, But Make It Tasty
Between rounds, refuel on farm-to-fork fare sourced from the estate’s own gardens, orchards, and 40 heroic beehives.
The greens might be slick, but the honey is positively sinful—drizzled on banana-breadfruit fritters at the 20th Hole bar, it’ll have you contemplating a second nine purely to earn dessert.
Beyond the Fairways (If You Must)
Should you crave sand without rakes, Apes Hill’s Beach Club in Speightstown is a quick shuttle away.
There’s also hiking, sunrise yoga, free-diving lessons—though personally I find diving into a bunker often enough.
Time your visit for Barbados’s Crop Over Festival and you’ll discover the only thing louder than Caribbean cicadas is a steel-drum band at 3 a.m.
Bottom line: Apes Hill Barbados delivers golf so good it’s almost unfair to the rest of the island.
Pack an extra sleeve of balls, a sense of humour, and perhaps a banana for the monkeys—they’ve seen it all, but even they’ll tip a hat when you stiff one on 18.
