Five Prestigious Awards for Apes Hill Barbados in World Golf Awards 2024

Apes Hill Barbados once again illuminated the global stage at the World Golf Awards in Madeira, earning five prestigious honours. We are delighted to announce that this year we've been named:

• Caribbean's Best Golf Course
• Caribbean's Best Golf Clubhouse
• Barbados' Best Golf Course
• World's Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility
• World's Best Golf Academy Venue

We are truly honoured, and excited about these new awards, a testimony to the elevated development of our community and its resonance with the golf world.

Hosted at the exclusive Savoy Palace in Madeira, the 11th annual World Golf Awards ceremony on the evening of November 22, 2024 brought together industry leaders from over 65 nations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, North America and Oceania.

With the event rewarding excellence in the luxury golf tourism market, our success is yet further recognition for all of the work that has been put into our resort and community to make it one of the world’s most exclusive and luxurious golf destinations.

A long-standing staple of the Caribbean golf scene, our resort has undergone an extensive transformation since investment from Canadian entrepreneur Glenn Chamandy, with the late Ron Kirby entrusted with redesigning the championship course. The award-winning design was Kirby’s final work before he passed away in August 2023.  

The layout has consistently been commended for its fun and playability for all levels of golfer and singled out as one of the sport’s most aesthetically pleasing new courses. Kirby’s design makes full use of native Barbadian flora and rockery, and is enhanced by views that – from 1,000ft above sea level – stretch across the Caribbean Sea and out to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Performance Centre, packed with the latest technology and equipment to develop every aspect of a golfer’s game, has further established Apes Hill as the Caribbean’s leading destination for passionate players. Meanwhile, a short par-three course – named Little Apes - is now open for families and more casual players, and a ‘19th hole’ island-style par three, based on the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, opened earlier this year.

These awards recognised our pioneering sustainability efforts across Apes Hill’s 475-acre resort with the ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ honour. Our par-71 championship golf course is irrigated exclusively with recycled rainwater from a 58-million-gallon reservoir, reducing resort-wide water usage. Turf and vegetation are carefully selected and maintained to reduce the need for fertilisers and other harmful chemicals, leading us receiving the prestigious Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf certification in 2023. 

Sunil Chatrani, executive chairman of Apes Hill Barbados, said: “We are honoured to be recognised once again in multiple categories in the most prestigious awards in our industry.

“To be recognised as the best golf course in the Caribbean means a great deal to us as we strive to establish one of the region’s leading destinations.

“Ron Kirby created a magnificent golf course, and we are also very pleased to see our sustainability work awarded, while our relatively new clubhouse is the perfect place for golfers to unwind and enjoy the unique setting of Apes Hill pre- and post-round.

Attending the awards in Madeira, our very own director of golf, Jody Addison, said: “It was a fantastic reception where we were able to celebrate another memorable night in the journey of Apes Hill.

Addison, who personally oversaw the development of our Golf Performance and Teaching Centre, was equally effusive about the facility receiving the award for ‘World’s Best Golf Academy Venue’, adding: “Quite simply, there is no other teaching centre like it anywhere and this award is a reflection of the planning and detail that has gone into its development. Whatever your level in the game, the Performance Centre is the perfect place to improve - and we are very proud to have it at Apes Hill.”