Wish to be like a PGA Tour professional in paradise? Jamaica Professional-Am is for you

You don’t have to fret a couple of factor when enjoying within the Annie’s Revenge Jamaica Professional-Am. As a result of each little factor — from lodging to eating to the event itself — is best than alright, it’s implausible.

Given that you simply play three spectacular programs simply east of Montego Bay, at Cinnamon Hill, Half Moon, and White Witch, you are feeling like a PGA Tour professional enjoying in paradise — not not like what the highest gamers on this planet expertise each January at The Sentry in Maui. The views of the Atlantic Ocean are gorgeous, whereas the routing of the holes by way of the Jamaican foothills is spectacular. The extreme slopes and undulations make it look like you might be enjoying Kapalua too.

That mentioned, the place you keep and dine could even high the golf. Gamers lodge on the Iberostar Jamaica, a beautiful beachside property situated simply a few miles down the highway from the three host programs. All-inclusive breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and drinks are included too. Not many issues are higher than sipping a Caribbean cocktail whereas watching the waves gently crash at your ft. Consuming seafood on the seaside feels fairly good too.

However guess what even tops that?

The caddies at Annie’s Revenge.

Extra so than the rest, Jamaican golf prides itself on the general caddy expertise. You could have caddies accompany you, however you wouldn’t need it another method. Two caddies, every sporting white jumpers like those you see at Augusta Nationwide, work for every group. All of them present large perception, information, and recommendation about the way to play a sure shot or the way to learn a selected putt. You’ll study many issues about Jamaican tradition too, corresponding to phrases, sayings, and customs. Prepare to listen to a number of, “YA MAN!” particularly after you roll in a birdie putt. The caddies are additionally your private cheerleaders, serving as your hypeman, simply as Ted Scott is to Scottie Scheffler. Higher but, they’re at all times smiling and joyful to accompany you in your journey. They love their job, they usually love assembly you, too. And perhaps in case you are fortunate, you will see them sing:

As for the event itself, it’s not like the PGA Tour regardless that you are feeling like a professional if you play in it. Annie’s Revenge is 54 holes and includes a distinctive format. Every participant is a part of a four-man crew that features one PGA of America skilled and three newbie gamers. The three amateurs will need to have an official and legit USGA Handicap Index to take part. That’s as a result of two scores are counted after every gap performed: the bottom gross rating and the bottom web rating. This permits all gamers of any talent degree to compete whereas making it an inclusive expertise for all. An 18-handicapper could make a 5 on a par-5, however that shortly turns to a web birdie due to that participant receiving a stroke. It helps to have a steadiness of low handicappers and excessive handicappers because of this alone. Getting strokes is essential to the competitors.

After the primary 36 holes, which embrace one spherical at Cinnamon Hill and one spherical at White Witch, event organizers divide the sector into 4 flights: Flight A, Flight B, Flight C, and Flight D. The competitors then fully resets for the ultimate 18 holes and the highest three finishers in every flight obtain unimaginable prizes courtesy of Cobra Golf, the Professional-Am’s presenting sponsor. The event additionally options closest-to-the-pin and different competitions, which produce extra winners than not.

Like several participant who makes the lower at knowledgeable golf event, everybody heads house with a prize. You obtain unimaginable tee presents only for exhibiting up, which features a new hat, sun shades, footwear, socks, and balls courtesy of Bridgestone. But, irrespective of how every crew completed, everybody leaves Jamaica with a smile far and vast, figuring out an incredible expertise was had.

However how did this terrific event come to be?

Donnie Dawson grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, across the identical time when Bob Marley rose to worldwide superstardom. Dawson, a terrific athlete as an adolescent, performed soccer towards Marley quite a few instances in and round Kingston — one thing that appeared abnormal on the time however is exceptional when wanting again. Like another Jamaican rising up then, Marley’s music was the soundtrack of Dawson’s youth, and it continues to enlighten him to this present day. Exodus is his favourite album.

However Jamaica was not a fascinating place to go to then, which Marley’s Exodus alludes to. Violence and belligerence between a number of political events left the nation in peril. Marley was caught within the crossfire at one level, surviving an assassination try earlier than recording Exodus, essentially the most well-known and well-liked file of his repertoire.

That’s a significant purpose why this album resonates a lot with Dawson. It not solely includes a terrific soundtrack however helps Jamaicans determine with what they have been going by way of on the time. Marley’s file additionally reinforces how a lot Dawson loves his homeland. Although he now resides in Southern California, Dawson nonetheless has household who stay in Kingston. He visits at the very least twice a yr — typically extra — and each time he does so, he feels at peace. No surprise he labored for the Jamaican Tourism Board for nearly 4 a long time. He’s pleased with the place he got here from and solely needs to share it with the remainder of the world. He’s a Jamaican ambassador at coronary heart.

Fortunately, these days, Jamaica doesn’t face the hazard it as soon as did. It’s an unimaginable island with a singular tradition that embraces love, happiness, household, and religion. Fixed celebrations — or “jamming” — occur throughout, and you could possibly see this on full show at Annie’s Revenge, the event Dawson helped create greater than 15 years in the past.

Jack Milko/SB Nation

A golfer at coronary heart, Dawson initially needed to create a celeb event for tv. He needed the “Roger Clemens of the world” as his clientele, however then he met Tom Jaronski at a Professional-Am in Puerto Rico.

After working for Golf Digest all through the Nineties, Jaronski moved to Journey + Leisure journal within the early 2000s. On the time, Jaronski needed to create vacation spot journey occasions throughout the Caribbean for newbie gamers from throughout. So he and Dawson started speaking and determined to stage one thing related in Jamaica.

Annie’s Revenge was born.

Dawson then related the Ritz-Carlton lodge to the golf programs and satisfied the Jamaica Vacationer Board to subsidize the event. (Iberostar Jamaica has since turn into the host resort.)

Jaronski helped promote it by way of his journal and different connections.

Due to his in depth expertise within the golf trade, Jaronski has additionally served because the Event Director since its inception. He provides up all of the scores, establishes the foundations, and enforces truthful play. He makes the morning bulletins and texts messages to all of the gamers, reminding them of every thing he mentioned. When you’ve got a query or a difficulty, you tackle it with Jaronski, who one way or the other makes himself out there to any request and any participant.

Collectively, Jaronski and Dawson do a terrific job facilitating this occasion, which can have a good time its 18th yr in 2025.

However the largest difficulty they face any longer is with mere numbers. They need extra groups, extra golfers, and extra individuals to expertise what Jamaica has to supply. This previous November, Annie’s Revenge had 21 groups. They need 40 at their subsequent one.

“This can be a grassroots occasion,” Dawson mentioned.

“It’s not a giant made-for-TV factor. This can be a grassroots occasion the place we will get the professionals, get gamers, and we are saying, ‘Hey, let’s entertain you and present you Jamaica.’ Everybody who comes loves it, however it’s simply recruiting the amateurs to come back, getting the professionals at varied golf equipment to deliver their amateurs.”

Discussions are being made about whether or not November is a perfect time-frame for Annie’s Revenge. Heading to the Caribbean proper earlier than Thanksgiving could show troublesome for some individuals, particularly those that should journey once more for the vacations. Perhaps January would work higher, contemplating that many of the nation has been blanketed by Arctic air all month. That might persuade extra golfers to flock to Jamaica, particularly since Santa Claus brings many gamers golf equipment, luggage, and numerous different equipment every December. Taking part in is on the forefront of each participant’s thoughts within the new yr, however the issue is, the place can they play?

You possibly can definitely accomplish that in Jamaica.

“When you’re a golfer searching for an immersive expertise in Jamaica,” Jaronski mentioned.

“Annie’s Revenge is arguably your best choice.”

Certainly it’s.

Now, you might ask your self, what’s the price of enjoying in Annie’s Revenge?

For newbie gamers, it’s a shade beneath $4,000, which incorporates every thing from golf to eating to every thing the resort provides. It’s in step with different occasions like this, and albeit, it’s a terrific worth contemplating all that it provides. It doesn’t embrace airfare, however if you need a Caribbean escape and play in a event that makes you are feeling like a PGA Tour professional, then Annie’s Revenge is the proper choice. You’ll not remorse it both, as you should have recollections that may final a lifetime.

Ya, man!

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.