Laying Low in Abaco Bahamas

Laying Low in Abaco

By Jane Finn, Photography by Dave Finn as published in the November 2023 Issue of Planet Golf Review

The Bahama Breeze is a popular drink here in the Outer Islands, but for a sailor yearning to set out on a sea of adventure, it’s the wind in your sail, the song in your heart and the skip in your step that gives you the courage and freedom to chart your own course.

Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

It’s late afternoon and a balmy 27° Celsius when we touched down in Marsh Harbour, the nation’s third-largest settlement behind Nassau and Freeport. Still, there’s plenty of time to pick up groceries at Maxwell’s and store our gear aboard our rental boat before heading to Snappas Chill & Grill for dinner. It’s Monday, and the place is hopping. William Albury is tinkling the ivory keys, and as we went our way to the back of the restaurant, the crowd erupts in a passionate, if not precisely harmonious, rendition of Brown Eyed Girl. A local tribute to all the mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, and girlfriends gathered here to celebrate that life is good today!

As we settle in at our table overlooking the twinkling lights of the harbour, I take a deep breath, willing myself to slow down, relax and enjoy being on ‘island time.’ Magically, a Hibiscus Kiss appears before me, and the blackened mahi-mahi and grilled shrimp that follow are equally delicious. Gradually, the busyness of the past several weeks starts to fade, and I soon feel like I don’t have a worry in the world. Gone is the stress of packing, repacking, answering last-minute emails, plane delays, and then racing to make connections. For the next ten days, we are going to disconnect to reconnect. No cell phones, no Netflix, no What’s App, no Mr. Google – only our wits, GPS to navigate the waters and a marine radio to communicate with those onshore. I can’t wait for the journey to begin! Continue reading

Abaco Club at Winding Bay – Where the Bahamas meets Scotland

Abaco Club at Winding Bay

Where the Bahamas meets Scotland

by Tim Cotroneo

Scotland’s Old Tom Morris would love the ocean views, the plunging pot bunkers, and the balmy weather at The Abaco Club at Winding Bay. Old Tom would be proud to see how his rolling Scottish links thumbprint found its way to a Bahamian setting of palm trees, parrots, and pristine paspalum fairways.

In 2004, Golf Architect Tom MacKenzie brought Old Tom’s coastal sand dune legacy to the 90-mile long Great Abaco Island. When most golfers think links, thoughts revert to gray skies, brown-hued fairways, and donning layers to combat the elements. At the Abaco Club, links-style undulations enter a whole new world. Golfers thrive amidst exquisite fairways, perfect island temperatures, and ocean views worthy of a swimsuit magazine cover.

If that’s not enough, recharging your spirit between rounds is spent in beachfront and golf course accommodations that house a wealth of island amenities. The Abaco Club would have Old Tom believing he was born 150 years too soon.

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The Abaco Club on Winding Bay – Bahamas

Laying Low in Abaco – Laid-Back Bahamas Luxury by Dave Finn 

As a golfer, you may not have heard of the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas before since it is best known for its’ boating, scuba diving and fishing. My wife, Jane and I have vacationed in the Abaco Islands six times now and we both agree it is one of our favorite destinations on earth to kick back and relax. However, in all the times that we have been coming, I have never once played golf there. That all changed when the Abaco Club on Winding Bay opened for play in December of 2004.

Because of the great accolades from golf writers around the world and the fact that Marc Atchison from The Toronto Star ranked the Abaco Club #6 in The Star’s 2006 Top 18 International Golf Courses, I knew I had to play this course. So when I was invited me to stay and play, I could not pass up on the opportunity. 

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