Previous
Ruby reopens for more golf
WBF09 - Sports - Golf
Ruby reopens for more golf
Golfers welcome the return of a grand course
The diversity and challenges offered by the picture-perfect courses on Grand Bahama have always been a dream come true for golfers of all skill levels. Now, with the reopening of The Ruby course, the pleasures of golfing on the island are even greater.
Located on the north side of West Sunrise Highway, The Ruby was knocked out of action by a pair of hurricanes in 2004. So was its sister course, The Emerald, which remains closed. But now The Ruby has been reborn.
The 18-hole, par-72 course stretches more than 7,000 yards. It was originally laid out by legendary designers Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1964. Later, the renowned Jim Fazio Golf Design group gave it a $6-million upgrade. Larger greens and creatively relocated traps were part of the improvements.
Pristine conditions
The most recent facelift of The Ruby was completed in January, when it was again “in the condition it should be” and open for play, according to Donald Archer, the manager of operations for the owner, Harcourt Development (Bahamas) Ltd. The clubhouse is open again, as well.
The Ruby is considered to be relatively easy to play from the front tees but much more challenging from the blue tees.
The Ruby rejoins the inventory of top-notch golf courses on Grand Bahama, which includes The Lucayan and The Reef courses at Our Lucaya Resort and the nine-hole layout at Fortune Hills Golf & Country Club. Dick Wilson also designed the picturesque 6,824-yard Lucayan, and he partnered with Lee again on the Fortune Hills course.
The future of golf on Grand Bahama looks even brighter with the coming addition of two more championship courses at the $4.9 billion-dollar Ginn Sur Mer resort community being built now in West End.
Both of these signature links—one designed by Arnold Palmer and the other by Jack Nicklaus—will feature oceanfront holes. The two courses will cost an estimated $36 million.
The 7,650-yard Palmer course was 85 per cent complete at press time, according to Derek Gape, the project manager. Work should be completed in October, he said, but the course won’t be officially open for play until January 2010.
Until those courses are operational, golfers are happy to have three courses to choose from with The Ruby back in operation.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-Mail: Click here
Internet: https://
Disclaimer:
Information in editorial and listings is subject to change at any time.