Need 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 taking part in within the Annie’s Revenge Jamaica Professional-Am. As a result of each little factor — from lodging to eating to the match itself — is healthier than alright, it’s implausible.

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

That stated, the place you keep and dine could even prime the golf. Gamers lodge on the Iberostar Jamaica, a beautiful beachside property positioned simply a few miles down the street 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 seashore feels fairly good too.

However guess what even tops that?

The caddies at Annie’s Revenge.

Extra so than anything, Jamaican golf prides itself on the general caddy expertise. You have to have caddies accompany you, however you wouldn’t need it another means. Two caddies, every sporting white jumpers like those you see at Augusta Nationwide, work for every group. All of them present super perception, data, and recommendation about how you can play a sure shot or how you can learn a selected putt. You’ll be taught many issues about Jamaican tradition too, equivalent to phrases, sayings, and customs. Prepare to listen to quite a lot 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 completely satisfied to accompany you in your journey. They love their job, they usually love assembly you, too. And perhaps if you’re fortunate, you will see them sing:

As for the match itself, it’s not like the PGA Tour though you’re feeling like a professional if you play in it. Annie’s Revenge is 54 holes and encompasses a distinctive format. Every participant is a part of a four-man workforce that features one PGA of America skilled and three novice gamers. The three amateurs should 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 internet rating. This permits all gamers of any ability degree to compete whereas making it an inclusive expertise for all. An 18-handicapper could make a 5 on a par-5, however that rapidly turns to a internet birdie due to that participant receiving a stroke. It helps to have a stability 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, match organizers divide the sphere into 4 flights: Flight A, Flight B, Flight C, and Flight D. The competitors then utterly 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 match additionally options closest-to-the-pin and different competitions, which produce extra winners than not.

Like several participant who makes the lower at an expert golf match, everybody heads house with a prize. You obtain unimaginable tee presents only for exhibiting up, which features a new hat, sun shades, sneakers, socks, and balls courtesy of Bridgestone. But, irrespective of how every workforce completed, everybody leaves Jamaica with a smile far and broad, understanding an amazing expertise was had.

However how did this terrific match come to be?

Donnie Dawson grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, within the Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies, across the similar 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 atypical on the time however is exceptional when trying again. Like another Jamaican rising up then, Marley’s music was the soundtrack of Dawson’s youth, and it continues to enlighten him to at the present time. 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, probably the most well-known and common report of his repertoire.

That’s a serious purpose why this album resonates a lot with Dawson. It not solely encompasses a terrific soundtrack however helps Jamaicans determine with what they had been going by on the time. Marley’s report additionally reinforces how a lot Dawson loves his homeland. Regardless that he now resides in Southern California, Dawson nonetheless has household who dwell in Kingston. He visits a minimum of twice a 12 months — typically extra — and each time he does so, he feels at peace. No marvel 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 desires 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 might see this on full show at Annie’s Revenge, the match Dawson helped create greater than 15 years in the past.

Jack Milko/SB Nation

A golfer at coronary heart, Dawson initially wished to create a celeb match for tv. He wished 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 wished to create vacation spot journey occasions throughout the Caribbean for novice 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 linked the Ritz-Carlton lodge to the golf programs and satisfied the Jamaica Vacationer Board to subsidize the match. (Iberostar Jamaica has since develop into the host resort.)

Jaronski helped promote it by his journal and different connections.

Due to his intensive 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 honest play. He makes the morning bulletins and texts messages to all of the gamers, reminding them of the whole lot he stated. When you have a query or a difficulty, you deal with it with Jaronski, who someway makes himself obtainable to any request and any participant.

Collectively, Jaronski and Dawson do a terrific job facilitating this occasion, which is able to have fun its 18th 12 months in 2025.

However the largest concern they face to any extent further 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.

“It is a grassroots occasion,” Dawson stated.

“It’s not an enormous made-for-TV factor. It is 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, but it surely’s simply recruiting the amateurs to return, getting the professionals at numerous golf equipment to carry 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. Possibly January would work higher, contemplating that a lot 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, baggage, and numerous different equipment every December. Taking part in is on the forefront of each participant’s thoughts within the new 12 months, however the issue is, the place can they play?

You possibly can actually accomplish that in Jamaica.

“When you’re a golfer on the lookout for an immersive expertise in Jamaica,” Jaronski stated.

“Annie’s Revenge is arguably your only option.”

Certainly it’s.

Now, you could ask your self, what’s the price of taking part in in Annie’s Revenge?

For novice gamers, it’s a shade beneath $4,000, which incorporates the whole lot from golf to eating to the whole lot the resort presents. It’s in keeping with different occasions like this, and admittedly, it’s a terrific worth contemplating all that it presents. It doesn’t embrace airfare, however if you need a Caribbean escape and play in a match that makes you’re feeling like a PGA Tour professional, then Annie’s Revenge is the proper choice. You’ll not remorse it both, as you’ll have recollections that can 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.