You’ll find a certain ambience, a classic laidback style, if you will, on the north shore of Jamaica’s Montego Bay, where Half Moon stretches languorously along the Caribbean. The resort is a place where you can wiggle your toes in two miles of perfect beach sand, play a classic golf course, pamper yourself with a unique spa experience, explore a multitude of exciting dining venues, and live the life you’ve always deserved.
“We have families that have been our guests for four generations,” says General Manager Shernette Crichton. Why? Because Half Moon, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, is a golf destination with more to offer than simply a grand golf course. There’s an equestrian center for rides on the beach, all the water sports known to man and woman, the same quantity of racquet sports, a fitness center, and an entire “village” for kids complete with cabins, an extensive playground, and supervised activities.
But golf is the main attraction. The golf course, a classic bow-tie layout routed through the base of the hills overlooking the resort, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and renovated by Roger Rulewich, the same design team responsible for Anglebrook GC in Westchester. It’s an excellent walking course where caddies are de rigueur. There’s also a complete practice facility and a professional staff with impeccable teaching credentials. If you want to really step up your golf experience, time your trip to book a lesson with world-class visiting instructors like David Leadbetter.
Four sets of tees on the par-72 course enable play from 5,000 to 7,100 yards. From the white “gentlemen’s” tees, it carries a 72.1 rating, 129 slope. Water is very much in play throughout the course, but not dangerously so. As Head Golf Professional Kevin Cunningham points out, “The fairways are generous but very well-protected by bunkers. You’ll need to play the trade winds off the tee, so listen to your caddie for the best target line.”
After your game (or any time!), the ultimate get-away-from-it-all can be yours in one of the overwater spa-service bungalows built on stone jetties hanging over the water with one full wall open to the sea. The sound of the Caribbean lapping the stones under your head, and the sea breeze sweeping through the louvered windows, is an incredible enhancement to massage, yoga, or meditation.
Half Moon offers a range of lodging options in 210 rooms and suites, each with its own vibe. From Founders Cove, where Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy spent a month before his inauguration, to the Rose Hill Villas, where your own butler, room attendant, and cook take care of you in your five- to seven-bedroom home, there’s living space for every lifestyle.
Dining options run the gamut from beach snacks to amazing seafood, steaks, and plenty of Jamaican cuisine. One option not to be missed is the beach barbecue, where you’ll enjoy a sumptuous Caribbean buffet under the stars while the steel drums ring and limbo dancers cavort.
Related: Head to These Restaurants for Waterside Dining in Westchester
