TEEING OFF WHEN CANADIAN GOLF lover Ben Cowan-Dewar first laid eyes on a coastal clifftop setting in rural Nova Scotia, his first thought was of Scotland, and the classic links topography it evoked. He teamed up with visionary Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser, who had birthed a British Isles-style golf renaissance in the United States, and in 2011 the two created Cabot Links, immediately the top ranked public golf course in Canada. A sibling, Cabot Cliffs, soon followed and quickly became the nation’s top overall course – public or private – making Cabot Cape Breton a world-class destination resort. Its two standout courses and unique location have also made it a de rigueur stop on the private jet golf circuit from North America to the UK and Ireland. Capitalising on this unmitigated success, the brand has grown into the Cabot Collection, with resorts under development in Western Canada, Florida and Scotland, but the first new course outside of the original Cape Breton location is Cabot Saint Lucia. Cowan-Dewar and Keiser found Point Hardy, a spectacular 150ha peninsula at the northern tip of the island, and brought in one of the world’s most acclaimed golf architecture firms, the design duo of Bill Coore COASTAL CLASS Cabot Saint Lucia’s proximity to the sea adds to its attractions GEORGE FL CHARLES AIRPORT: 8miles/13km JACOB SJOMAN 44 NetJets
The resort has an underlying emphasis on sustainability, and special attention was placed on preserving the local habitat and Ben Crenshaw. The pair had designed Cabot Cliffs, Canada’s best layout, as well as courses at Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, Streamsong and Maui’s famous Kapalua Plantation. The partners claim five of the top 25 spots on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play in the US list, and critics love almost everything Coore and Crenshaw touch, but it’s fair to say they have never had a piece of land like this one. Almost everywhere on the large site you can enjoy striking views of the Caribbean Sea, and the almost impossibly beautiful waterfront peninsula has an impressive mile and a half of unbroken, breathtaking coastline. This has allowed them to put in more true waterfront golf than all but a handful of courses on Earth, and more than any in the region, with nine holes playing along the ocean. While their premier tropical island layout to date, Plantation, wows with long-range views from its mountainous high point, this site runs right down to sea level with waves crashing against tees and greens, more in the style of the famous Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic, for decades the toprated course in the entire Caribbean. But while the Teeth sits along a straight shot of coastline, with many homes, this one has a wilder, more sprawling feel, running around rocky inlets and offering one jaw-dropping hole after another. The peninsula seventh at Pebble Beach is one of the most iconic holes on the planet, and Cabot is like that on steroids. “It’s off-the-charts spectacular,” said Coore. “You’ll stand on a tee, and the waves are going to be crashing, and you’ll need to hit an incredible shot. I have never been more excited about Cabot Saint Lucia. Seeing the creative work, construction and design coming together has been a ‘watershed moment’ for me, moving from potential to reality. Our primary goal is to ensure the playability and enjoyment aspects of the golf course complement the spectacular visuals of the site.” The entire resort has an underlying emphasis on sustainability, and special attention was placed on preserving the local habitat by carefully removing, storing, tending and replanting existing cacti and native grasses during and after construction. Officially known as Point Hardy Golf Club, it will open for preview play in March 2023, with an official grand opening in November 2023. The course is the sportive anchor of a residential community with world-class amenities and luxury overnight lodging for non-residents. Early real-estate offerings were land only, and despite a quiet 2020 launch, sales have already passed 0million. Phase Two just started, with both premium ocean view lots and the Fairway Villas, turnkey three- or four-bedroom luxury townhomes. The villas have a central courtyard and merge indoor and outdoor living, each with its own private pool, fed by a wall-mounted waterfall. They were designed by award-winning architect Richard Hywel Evans, of Studio RHE, and feature sustainable materials selected for suitability for year-round indoor-outdoor living in the Caribbean environment. For overnight guests, lodging will be in 40 one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, keeping the overall feel intact. Cabot Saint Lucia will have several retail shops, three restaurants, and additional bars, with an emphasis on fresh locally caught seafood, and a large farm for the kitchens. The resort makes its own hot sauce from peppers grown on-site, and there is also an off-site honey farm. It offers every amenity you would expect in a top-tier island resort – and some you might not. The large infinity pool complex overlooks the Caribbean with cabanas and a unique zero-entry design right from the sand, which allows even the pool to have a beach. Then there’s the real thing, on the Caribbean, with full-service beach club. The extensive sports facility includes a state-ofthe-art fitness centre, spa with steam, sauna and large slate of fitness classes, plus tennis and pickleball courts, including grass surface. More creative amenities range from baseball batting cages to mini golf and a ropes course. There is plenty for the youngsters, with a kids’ camp, water park and playground. Hiking and biking trails have been woven all throughout the property, and the entire community is designed to be easily navigated on either bicycles or golf carts. The resort’s activity concierge, Cabot Explorers, offers deep sea fishing, sailing instruction, stand-up paddle boarding, kiteboarding, even scuba certification programmes. You do not have to play golf to enjoy the many charms of this all-new resort, but if you don’t, once you see the course, you might just take the game up. cabotsaintlucia.com NetJets 45
