The Country Course
Sandy Lane, St. James, BB
The Sandy Lane Old Nine Golf Course occupies a compact footprint on the grounds of the Sandy Lane resort in St. James Parish on Barbados's western coast. Tom Fazio designed this nine-hole layout as part of the property's golf offerings, which also include the resort's championship Country Club course. The Old Nine predates Fazio's later work at Sandy Lane and serves as a shorter, more relaxed alternative to the resort's larger layouts. The course plays across relatively flat terrain characteristic of Barbados's coastal plain, with holes routed through tropical vegetation and mature trees. The design incorporates the island's natural features, including coral stone outcroppings and Caribbean flora, though the topography lacks the dramatic elevation changes found on the resort's Green Monkey course, which Fazio carved into an old limestone quarry. The Old Nine functions primarily as an executive-length layout suitable for resort guests seeking a quicker round or practice before playing the longer courses. Sandy Lane's golf facilities cater to an international resort clientele, with the Old Nine offering accessibility for players of varying abilities. The course integrates into the broader resort experience, which includes beachfront accommodations and dining. While the championship courses at Sandy Lane have hosted professional events and attracted attention for their design ambition, the Old Nine maintains a quieter role as a supplementary amenity within the property's golf portfolio.
Sandy Lane was a very crazy experience, this place felt exclusive and it had that feeling of we were abit out of our depth. It is the first round I have played with a caddie, Candy! She was fantastic, I remember playing so poorly here but I remember it being such an amazing course. I remember we walked into the pro shop and picked out some polos, took them to the counter and the bloke in the pro shop said “no put them back you can’t have them” I thought he was joking at first but turns out to buy any merchandise with a monkey on you have to be stain g at Sandy lane or paying the $4000 once a day fee time for visitors. We ended up buying different polos and getting out of there before they kicked us out. We also didn’t realise you have to tip your Caddie, I mean we have never been to a course with a Caddie before and we had no idea how it worked. After the round we were eating food and a man runs in shouting. “You haven’t tipped, you need to tip now!” Honestly it was confusing it felt like the thought we were trying to get away with things and using a poor tone with us. We got up and tipped Candy, happily she was great. Outside of this it was great and to be honest these things actually make me laugh more when looking back at this it just showed how out of place we were at the time and the fact we got on to 2 of Barbados most exclusive courses outside of the green monkey is pretty laughable and cool. Anyway great course hard to decide which I preferred between apes hill and this, 8.9 is fair.
Public courses closest to The Country at Sandy Lane - Old Nine Golf Course.
Most visitors arrive via Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) on the island's southeastern coast, a scenic 45-minute drive from the resort along the sun-drenched west coast highway. Private aviation guests often utilize the same facility, though the journey's true luxury reveals itself in the transition from tarmac to palm-lined coastal road, where the Caribbean glimmers turquoise through breaks in the mahogany trees. The final approach into Sandy Lane winds through the parish of St. James, past colonial-era plantation houses and quiet cane fields, before the estate's grand coral stone entrance announces your arrival at one of the Caribbean's most storied resort sanctuaries.
FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Country was designed by Tom Fazio.
Yes. The Country at Sandy Lane - Old Nine Golf Course is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Country is 72.
The Country plays 6,456 metres from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The Country is a 18-hole course.
