|
Half
Moon Golf Club, on the grounds of the Half Moon
Resort, has for decades set the benchmark by which Jamaica
golf
is measured, and the standard has never been more
impressive. Designed by the renowned Robert Trent
Jones Sr., the course opened in 1961 and since has
firmly established itself as one of prized courses
that the
Caribbean
has
to offer. Located just east of Montego
Bay, the
course's close affiliation with its namesake way lull
golfers into a false sense of the course's difficulty;
Half Moon is not your typical resort course.
Measuring a massive, 7,119 yards from
the back tees, it comes as no surprise that it has
been selected as host venue for several professional
and amateur tournaments, including the Jamaican Open
and the Dunhill Cup. The course boasts some of the
trademark Jones features, including runway tees and
loads of strategy and challenge. However, Half Moon
stands out among the rest of Jones' design catalog for subtleties often
lost in his later work. Whether it be use of the
land’s movement or the 'figure eight' routing that
cleverly changes angles just enough to cause
bewilderment on the windy days, nuance is a sublime
quality at Half Moon Golf Club. The greens also demand
special attention: while they are very playable, their
shape and contour often
force the better golfer to work the ball to get their
approaches close to tucked pins, while leaving an
opening for the novice player to run the ball in.
Therein lies the single greatest feature that Jones
understood well – a course balanced enough to
challenge the best in the world, yet playable for the
resort golfers who make up the majority of play.
The
first hole is an anomaly, though; a discouraging first
impression to the resort guest. At 588 yards, the hole plays downwind
and thus much shorter, allowing players to
navigate the 10-bunker minefield with some precision,
and perhaps enough to yield an opening birdie, if the
second shot is wisely played to the left, opening up
the green for an easier third.
This
rhythm, of the course offering a smart play and
punishing those who do not need these suggested
routes, persists throughout the Half Moon experience,
working expertly with the flow of the land. The
381-yard fourth, for example, moves to the left and is
defined by a split-level fairway. The lower level is
preferred with respect to angle into this shallow
green, but the short-iron second will rarely hold if
it's played from the higher fairway off a downhill
lie. At the very next hole, the 166-yard fifth, the
same precision is required but for different reasons.
Here, a receptive green
sits in a sort of low hollow, subtended by four
bunkers. With the prevailing wind blowing back toward
the tee, a well-struck shot is imperative here.
 The
second of the par threes on the front side, the
207-yard eighth, demands much of the same. Here, the
green sits slightly elevated, on a ledge behind a
front bunker. A right-to-left shot into this
peanut-shaped green is ideal, but the trajectory of
such a shot may have trouble holding the green.
The
first par four since the fourth that measures under
430 yards from the back tees, the 11th
would seem to be the breather hole that players would
be waiting for, the chance to attack a hole position
with a shorter club in their hands. Alas, from a good
drive, the tendency from the fairway is to want to
play safely on this 385-yard hole. Gusting winds make
the stream in front of the green seem much wider and
deeper than it is, and many approaches find the back
bunker; better than short, but by no means an easy
spot to recover from.
After
turning back downwind for the 14th and 15th holes, the
16th makes one last turn into the Caribbean trade
breezes. The 176-yard
par three may arguably be the signature hole at Half
Moon. It plays the shortest of the par threes, and the
front pond, dotted with lily pads, should
not come into play. Three bunkers guard the green, but
a well-struck tee shot should do the trick. From the
centre of this green, a realistic birdie putt is
afforded, regardless of the pin position.
While
many may be expecting another behemoth of a par four
to end the round, Trent Jones comes back with a
373-yard gem. The five bunkers, stream and pond that
provide the hole’s defense means that par is not an
easy task. The tee shot that favours the left side will
take most of the trouble out of play and leave an
approach to this green that is over 40 yards deep, but
only 10 yards wide.
Rarely
in golf can a course balance so many personalities as
well as Half Moon is able to do. The course bears a
multitude of interesting traits and subtle nuances,
qualities that can be tough to glean from a single
round. Multiple tours are suggested, and in such a beautiful setting, how
could the seasoned golf traveler face a more enjoyable
task?
|
