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

You don’t have to fret a few 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 event itself — is healthier than alright, it’s improbable.

Given that you just 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 taking part in in paradise — not not like what the highest gamers on the earth expertise each January at The Sentry in Maui. The views of the Atlantic Ocean are beautiful, whereas the routing of the holes by means of the Jamaican foothills is spectacular. The extreme slopes and undulations make it look like you might be taking part in Kapalua too.

That stated, the place you keep and dine could even high the golf. Gamers lodge on the Iberostar Jamaica, a stunning beachside property positioned 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 have to have caddies accompany you, however you wouldn’t need it another manner. Two caddies, every sporting white jumpers like those you see at Augusta Nationwide, work for every group. All of them present super perception, information, and recommendation about how one can play a sure shot or how one can learn a specific putt. You’ll be taught many issues about Jamaican tradition too, akin to phrases, sayings, and customs. Prepare to listen to numerous, “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 comfortable to accompany you in your journey. They love their job, and so they love assembly you, too. And possibly if you’re fortunate, you will see them sing:

As for the event itself, it’s not like the PGA Tour despite the fact that you are feeling like a professional once you play in it. Annie’s Revenge is 54 holes and contains 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 should have an official and bonafide 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 stage 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 internet birdie because of 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 sphere 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 every participant who makes the minimize at an expert golf event, everybody heads house with a prize. You obtain unimaginable tee items only for displaying up, which features a new hat, sun shades, sneakers, socks, and balls courtesy of Bridgestone. But, irrespective of how every crew completed, everybody leaves Jamaica with a smile far and large, realizing an incredible expertise was had.

However how did this terrific event come to be?

Donnie Dawson grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, within the 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 occasions in and round Kingston — one thing that appeared strange on the time however is outstanding 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 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, probably the most well-known and standard file of his repertoire.

That’s a serious purpose why this album resonates a lot with Dawson. It not solely contains a terrific soundtrack however helps Jamaicans determine with what they have been going by means of on the time. Marley’s file additionally reinforces how a lot Dawson loves his homeland. Despite the fact that he now resides in Southern California, Dawson nonetheless has household who reside in Kingston. He visits at the very least twice a yr — generally extra — and each time he does so, he feels at peace. No surprise he labored for the Jamaican Tourism Board for nearly 4 many years. 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 possibly can 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 wished to create a star event 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 newbie gamers from throughout. So he and Dawson started speaking and determined to stage one thing comparable 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 event. (Iberostar Jamaica has since turn into the host resort.)

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

Due to his in depth expertise within the golf trade, Jaronski has additionally served because the Match 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 the whole lot he stated. If in case you have a query or a difficulty, you handle it with Jaronski, who one way or the other makes himself obtainable to any request and any participant.

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

However the greatest situation 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 a giant made-for-TV factor. It is a grassroots occasion the place we are able to 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 return, getting the professionals at varied golf equipment to convey 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 must journey once more for the vacations. Perhaps January would work higher, contemplating that a lot of the nation has been blanketed by Arctic air all month. That would persuade extra golfers to flock to Jamaica, particularly since Santa Claus brings many gamers golf equipment, baggage, and numerous different equipment every December. Enjoying 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.

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

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

Certainly it’s.

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

For newbie gamers, it’s a shade beneath $4,000, which incorporates the whole lot from golf to eating to the whole lot the resort gives. It’s according to different occasions like this, and albeit, it’s a terrific value contemplating all that it gives. It doesn’t embrace airfare, however if you’d like 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 possibility. You’ll not remorse it both, as you should have recollections that can final a lifetime.

Ya, man!

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Observe him on X @jack_milko.