St. Kitts Provides Great Opportunity For New Jersey Golfers
The relationship between the New Jersey State Golf Association and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority reached a new level when St. Kitts sponsored the Third NJSGA Ultimate Team Event at esteemed Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson on Monday, August 28.
The champions of the Ultimate Team Event won a free, all-expenses paid trip for four – including their club pro – to St. Kitts to compete in the 8th Annual Admirals Cup Pro-Am, St. Kitts and Nevis’ signature golf event.
The relationship continues to build as St. Kitts and Nevis see the New Jersey golf arena as fertile ground to promote tourism – through golf – on the Caribbean twin-Island federation located in the Eastern Caribbean, south of St. Maartein and east of Puerto Rico.
St. Kitts is home to the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones as a 9-hole layout, the same architect who designed Metedeconk National, before undergoing a major renovation and expansion to 18 holes, which was done by Canadian golf course architect Thomas McBroom . A second golf course on the island, Irie Fields at Kittitian Hill, designed by Ian Woosnam, is under construction..
On the nearby island of Nevis, the Robert Trent Jones II course awaits at the spectacular Four Seasons Resort Nevis.
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“This is a fantastic event. It’s a beautiful golf course,” said Nick Menon, chairman of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority who played in the Ultimate Team Event with NJSGA vice president Bill Frese.
“The golfers are from all over the state of New jersey. They can spread the word about St. Kitts to multiple clubs and courses throughout the state.
“New Jersey is important to us because it’s a gateway to St. Kitts, thanks to Newark Airport which offers a non-stop flights to St. Kitts on United Airlines, which takes just under 4-hours,” Mr. Menon said. “When we do tracking of our visitors, we see many travelers coming from New Jersey, New York and the surrounding areas. It is a major market for us.”
St. Kitts and Nevis form the smallest nation in the western hemisphere and is fast becoming one of the world’s most exciting golf destinations. Visitors also come for adventure and island activities, from beaches and bird watching, to reefs and rain forests, sailing, shopping, swimming and safari, and so much more!.
Menon remarked that from the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club two different oceans, the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, can be seen. And on a clear day at the Four Seasons in Nevis, a handful of surrounding islands can be seen from one green. Spectacular vistas are almost as abundant as warm sunshine and cooling sea breezes.
“We’re very committed to the New Jersey State Golf Association and using the partnership to educate and encourage travelers from New Jersey to come visit our islands. The market sector is exactly what we’re looking for,” Mr. Menon noted. “They have the demographics we are looking for.
And St. Kitts and Nevis offer attractive events that golf travelers are looking for. In addition to the Admirals Cup Pro-Am, the St. Kitts and Nevis Couples Golf Classic takes place Nov. 7-11 , utilizing both the St. Kitts and Four Seasons courses on both islands. Entry Prices start at $4,000 per couple for Bed & Breakfast packages at the Four Season Resort Nevis, the event’s host hotel ,exclusive of airfare.
“We have relationships with Golf Ontario and the National Golf Club Owners Association of Canada, and it both works well for us in terms of engaging a similar demographic in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada’s largest golf market. We see a lot of return visitors to our golf events and the island, in general . It says we are doing something right. Many people are having destinations weddings in St. Kitts and many couples are also coming back,” Mr. Menon said.
“We are thrilled to have the St. Kitts Tourism Authority join our partnership family,” said Bill Frese, who serves as Chairman of the NJSGA’s Partnership Committee. “They are an organization that knows where they are going and who they want to reach. NJSGA members are dedicated golfers of all skill levels, with a passion for the game and the golf lifestyle, which matches up very well with St. Kitts’ audience targeting for golf tourism.”
The St. Kitts and Nevis Admirals Cup Pro-Am takes place this winter, Feb. 3-8, 2018. Teams consist of a PGA Club Professional and three amateurs, typically from the same golf club. However, individuals, twosomes, and teams without a pro are welcome as well. The tournament office routinely pairs visitors and pros with others interested in participating and visiting the destination. Entry rates for five night packages including room, four rounds of golf, ground transfers, and most meals begin at $2,400 per person and $2,575 per person for seven night stays.
“We are maximizing our cruise and land-based tourism. We are very excited to be opening a new Park Hyatt Hotel in November and a Koi Hotel and Resort in 2018. Koi Hotels are owned by a famous restauranteur who also owns dining venues of the same name in Los Angeles, New York, London and Dubai,” Mr. Menon said.
“This is a very exciting time for tourism in St. Kitts. Over the past five years, we have developed direct flights from Newark, Atlanta, and Charlotte and over the past three or four years, we have become very active in promoting golf.”
