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Golf in Cayman was a long time coming! Real Estate Developers were promising golf courses as early as the 1970s but the promises never materialized. Golfing devotees were frustrated and reduced to traveling to Florida or Jamaica to indulge their hobby. Indeed, a small but dedicated group regularly organized competitions in those countries and Costa Rica and there are still many CIGA members who will share their enjoyable memories of those early travels at the drop of a hat. Golf finally became a reality in 1985 when the Britannia Golf Course opened. Designed by Jack Nicklaus (the only 9 hole course he has ever designed), it had a unique concept of an 18 hole Par 3 Executive course overlaid on a 9 hole Championship course. In addition, the Executive layout could also be used as a track for the "Cayman" ball, a 50 compression ball which traveled about half the distance of the regular golf ball. The idea came from Japan where land was at a premium and it was thought that short courses using a short ball would find favor with the golf-mad Japanese. However, the idea never really took off in Cayman, largely because of the windy conditions regularly encountered in the Caribbean which could see a lofted ball being blown back over the golfer's head! Both the Executive and Championship courses at Britannia proved popular and challenging and visitors and locals alike enjoyed the new dimension available in Cayman's tourism product. A flourishing membership at Britannia engaged in friendly competition, including the ever-popular Walker Cup, a competition modeled on the Ryder Cup between teams from North America and the Rest of the World. With plans for a new 18 hole golf course being well in hand, it became clear in 1992 that there was a need for a governing body to regulate golf in Cayman. A start was made in August that year when the initial 73 members adopted a Constitution and elected the first slate of Officers. The new association, The Cayman Islands Golf Association, was thus formally constituted and became affiliated to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf in most of the world. CIGA set about organizing golf events in Cayman and both the Cayman Islands Amateur Championships (a scratch event) and the President's Trophy (a handicap event) were inaugurated in 1993. They have been competed for annually ever since and other competitions have joined them in an expanding calendar of events. The Links at Safehaven finally opened at the end of 1993, bringing the first 18 hole Championship course, allowing many more golfers to enjoy the sport. Since that time, the two Championship venues have been joined by the Sunrise Family Golf Centre at Savannah, which provides a sporty short hole test for family members of all ages. Golf courses continue to be in the minds of the planners but golfers in Cayman have learned to be wary of promises and like to see the course laid out on the ground before presuming it will happen! CIGA was admitted in 1993 to membership of the Caribbean Golf Association and has competed in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships every year since 1994. It has also hosted the Caribbean Championships in 1997 and the Caribbean Junior Championships in 2002. David Bird 1992-94
President's Trophy
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Copyright 2004, Cayman Islands Golf Association. All rights reserved |
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