After finishing 18 majestic holes at one of Barbados' splendid golf courses, you might find yourself cozying up to the bar, double fisting an ice-cold Banks beer and a rum punch, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ian Woosnam.

Or maybe you can toast the king of golf, Tiger Woods, who thought so much of Barbados he married Elin Nordegren at Sandy Lane. That's just the way Barbados is, laid back with plenty of pleasant distractions to make it a vacation you'll never forget.

"It's a special atmosphere here," says Royal Westmoreland's director of golf Matthew Gill. "The locals are a big part of it. This is such a chilled-out place. You can come and play on the golf course and find yourself behind a Masters winner. One day last year, we had three winners of Majors out playing on the same day. There's no snobiness. There's no class distinction.
We've got several members on the UK's Rich List. But they sit at the bar and have a beer, just like Joe Public. Everybody gets treated the same."

While it isn't a golf destination, as such, Barbados is sure trying hard to get there. "Barbados is seen as a holiday destination, but golf is getting bigger and bigger here," says Sandy Lane's Elvis Medford.

"We'll always be a boutique," says Sandy Lane's director of sales and marketing Claire Jordan. "We just don't have the land space. But there are opportunities for golfers looking for new challenges."

Sandy Lane, a Tom Fazio creation, is a treat that has to be added to your itinerary. It's not cheap. Until April, if you're a hotel guest you can play for $200. It'll set you back $235 if you're not staying on site. You'll also need a caddie per cart, but the locals are a welcome addition to your day. To add to the experience, you stand a good chance of coming face to face with the green monkeys which live in the gullies in and around the course.

"This is an ultra-premium brand," says Jordan. "We want to make people feel special, but we're not Las Vegas ... We're not dripping with stuff. It's designed to make your experience exquisite, but not glitzy. It's designed so you'll come back and have one of your best rounds ever. Tiger's wedding was $22 million worth of PR for us. People were talking about: ‘Sandy Lane, that's where Tiger Woods got married.' "

The Sandy Lane Resort was originally built in 1961, with a Who's Who of guests including Jacqueline Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Queen Elizabeth, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine and Luciano Pavarotti checking in. There are 112 rooms at Sandy Lane, and it'll cost you upwards of $900 per night. For prices on villas, check out maximumsuccessmarketing.com.

The Green Monkey is Sandy Lane's great unknown. Great because it's a stunning layout. Unknown because so few get to play the course. It'll take you plenty of money to play it. Hotel guests can get on for $365. There are only one hour of tee times each day. You can try and book without checking into the hotel, but it'll cost you $4,000 for a tee time for four.

"We had 20 guys flying in on a private jet," says Medford. "They wanted to play the Green Monkey. Even if they got approval, it would cost them $20,000. We told them maybe it would be best if they book rooms. So they called back and said they were going to stay in the hotel for two days. They got the golf for $365 each.

"Why would people want to come to Barbados to play this course? You have to understand the high-end market. Some people will travel the world to play the best. They don't like to hear no. When we had the World Championship of Golf here, a lot of the guys wanted to play the course and the answer was no. The owners did take a couple of them out. We'd like to make this one of the Top 10 courses in the world."

Why is it so popular? The spectacular layout is carved out of a quarry with its dramatic elevation changes offering dazzling views of the sea. And you'll get bragging rights.

So why Barbados for your next golf trip? You can play Royal Westmoreland, a Robert Trent Jones masterpiece, for $250 US in high season. And it's worth every penny. "We don't have ridiculously long rough," says Gill. "You look forward to playing it. You don't get bored of the view. Woosnam said we have the best par 3s of any place he's played off the golds. And I think that's true." It's expected another 18 holes, designed by Rhys Jones, will be added to Royal Westmoreland's legacy in the near future.

Also on the way, and expected to make a big impact at the end of 2008, is Apes Hill, designed by Landmark which is responsible for Kiawah Island and PGA West in Palm Springs. "This is going to be one of the best golf courses in the Caribbean," says Justin Durant, a sales executive with Apes Hill, which is backed by Sir Charles Williams, a construction magnate and local hero in Barbados.

Barbados Golf Club, designed by Ron Kirby, is easier on the wallet, with green fees in the $100 range. The course also has its Bajan Amen Corner. The Barbados Golf Club is partnered with several hotels. Check out www.barbadosgolfclub.com.

"We're a public golf course," said Denny Foster, Barbados Golf Club's director of golf. "We're not a real estate project. We make our money off golf so we need the volume."

There are 6,500 hotel rooms in Barbados, with 2,000 more expected in the next five years.
English in the first language. The currency is tied to the American dollar. One dollar Canadian (or American) is worth about $2 in Barbados money. Cars drive on the left side of the road, with steering wheels on the right.

The restaurants are world-class. Champers, ranked as the island's No. 2 restaurant, behind The Cliff (where you'll need reservations plenty in advance), is wonderful, with waves crashing in below as you dig into the scrumptious menu of seafood, pork, beef and chicken. The Tides is another popular restaurant, but we rather enjoyed Daphne's on a recent Barbados excursion.

The nightlife is splendid. For a bit of familiarity, check out Bert's, a sports bar that celebrates hockey, specifically the Ottawa Senators. And while we're with familiarity, the island's Banks beer goes down oh so smooth, just like it's Canadian.

The Bajan Roots and Rhythms is a must-do on your agenda. You'll get a spectacular cultural dance show, with fire eaters, stilt walkers and showgirls, along with a tasty Bajan buffet feast.

Air Canada has 11 flights a week to Barbados (nine out of Toronto and two out of Montreal. Caribbean Airlines and Delta also fly in.

As for hotels, there are plenty of options. "We have all-inclusives here, but we're not branded as an all-inclusive destination," says Andrea Cadogan of the Barbados Tourism Authority.

If it's elegance you're looking for in your stay, The Crane is another option. The hotel sits on a majestic stretch of beach once named one of the top 10 beaches in the world by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, with stays beginning at $240 per night. Check out www.thecrane.com.

Mango Bay (mangobaybarbados.com), in Holetown, is another great option.

It's really hard to put a finger on just one reason you should pack up your golf clubs and fly to Barbados. Oh, the golf is right up there. It could be that you've heard about the hospitality of the locals ... the smiles are free. It could be the pristine beaches of the west side or maybe you'd prefer to savour the beauty of the rugged east side of the island.

It could be that Barbados has some familiarity about it. If you're a fussy eater, you can be assured that you'll be able to find just about anything you want to eat in Barbados. In many ways, it's like home, minus the cold weather. The official language is English and you'll find gas stations, banks and grocery stores you'll quickly recognize. You can pig out on pizza and hamburgers.

It might be the wide array of activities that await.You can fish, go horseback riding, scuba diving, parasailing, swim with colourful exotic fish and sea turtles during a relaxing tour on a catamaran, mingle with the monkeys at a wildlife reserve or explore the underground wonders of Harrison's Cave. In Barbados, the experience is about much more than the golf.

Why Barbados? "Our first-class infrastructure both from a business and leisure perspective coupled with the natural beauty of the country and its people," says Barbados Tourism Authority's Neval Greenidge. "Plus there's the fine weather and the safety of this home away from home environment that the people are able to create for everyone."

For more info, check out visitbarbados.org. Or if you're looking into packages, check out ultimategolf.ca, golfawaytours.com or carlhenderson.ca.