It’s always exciting to get the opportunity to play golf in a new country. It’s especially thrilling when that country is Jamaica. My visit to The Tryall Club in Montego Bay was filled with great people, great golf, and even a couple of high kicks.
When we arrived at The Tryall Club we were greeted with this view from our balcony. Behind that little balcony is our private luxury villa called “Following Seas.” Since each of the Tryall Club villas is privately owned and managed by the resort, you get the best of both worlds. The high end service that the Tryall Club provides and the unique feel of a private residence are both yours to enjoy during your stay in Jamaica.
View of Balcony
I am still deliberating on if the view from the balcony is better than the view of the balcony.
Balcony View
At our particular villa we had a pool, a gym, and five or so guest houses littered across the property. It is more of a jungle relaxation complex than an actual villa. Every evening we had our own personal chef that cooked us up a five star meal and I got some pretty good cannonball practice in our personal pool. The accommodations were as I like to say “next level.”
Schematic of the jungle relaxation complex
The view from my bedroom window was one of my all time top 5 bedroom window views. It looks more like a framed painting than real life.
Bedroom View
While it is certainly nice to have outstanding accommodations, I was most excited to jump into the Jamaican golf. Just a short golf cart ride down the hillside and I would find exactly what I was looking for.
The Tryall Club was founded in 1958 and designed by Ralph Plummer. Ralph has wonderfully blended the native plantation landscape with the coastline and the result is a golf course that is beautiful and fun to play repeatedly. The course has hosted a number of high profile events including Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf in 1963 and The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship from 1991 to 1995. It’s a golf course that beginners can enjoy and a scratch player will still find challenging.
While the local jungle does figure into just about every golf hole, the course isn’t as penal as one might expect. The fairways are friendly and most errant shots allow for the recovery shot. You might have to work it around a couple of palms, but this strategy often provides the opportunity for the day’s most thrilling shots. Several of my wayward tee balls provided the chance for greatness and the recovery shots that I pulled off were my absolute favorite moments at The Tryall Club.
When it comes to golf photography what most people don’t see is the time and effort that goes into a decent golf photograph. Being in the correct position for that special moment when the sun hits the golf course for the first time is an often difficult task. Sometimes the clouds get in the way and that moment never comes. Sometimes it only lasts several brief moments. But when the magic does happen, you have got to be ready to snap that shutter.
The picture on the left is me relaxing as I wait for those clouds to clear and the sun to rise over the nearby mountains. I estimated that the sun would hit the 15th hole at approximately 7:02am. The moment below happened at exactly 7:03 pm and lasted about 35 seconds. I was thrilled to capture the moment with the photograph below.
In 1700, Henry Fairchild ordered the erection of the infamous Tryall waterwheel which still stands today and is in full working order. The waterwheel is powered by an aqueduct that winds over 2 miles down the hillside and over the top of the 7th tee box. This aqueduct was built by slaves using a mixture of marl, ox blood and animal hair as cement and cut limestone blocks carried on the labourers backs. You can check out my full coverage of the waterwheel and it’s current Grease Man, Lindsey, on my Instagram Highlight reel.
The 7th hole served as the 18th during the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championships
After several rounds of golf at the Tryall Club it was time to ride some horses on the beach. Our crew headed up the road to Chukka Caribbean Adventures to gallop in the sea like John Wayne. My cowboy skills were put to the test.
Eduardo the horse builds up his calorie reserves
Alisha Revel of Chocolate is My Vice rides the ocean pony.
Like any good escape from the usual world, the sun always sets way too soon and you must find your way home. The good news is that you can always come back. To set up your own Tryall Club Jamaican adventure, the trip starts here.
