The 700 islands of the Bahamas are famous for their beautiful beaches, crystal-clear water, and fun attractions, like the Swimming Pigs. But besides enjoying all of that, golf fans will also be happy to know that the archipelago is home to some top-tier golf courses, with one of the best being the Emerald Bay Golf Course.
Located in the Exuma Cays, a chain of 365 islands, Emerald Bay Great Exuma has a course that no golf lover will want to pass up on. That said, travelers who aren’t looking to spend their afternoons golfing can also find myriad other activities to do in the surrounding area.
Read on to learn all about the best golf in Bahamas and the types of nearby attractions you can find.
Emerald Bay Golf Course: Bahamas Golfing in Paradise
Emerald Bay Bahamas: Where Is It?
The Emerald Bay Golf Course is on Great Exuma, the largest island in the Exuma Cays. With its bridge connection to Little Exuma and the Exuma International Airport that accommodates flights from Nassau, Fort Lauderdale, and Atlanta, Emerald Bay Great Exuma is easy to reach no matter where you’re traveling from.
The Emerald Bay Golf Course is in the beautiful Exuma Cays.
Once you arrive at Great Exuma, you won’t have to travel far to reach Emerald Bay Bahamas. The beautiful beach is just a short ride away from the airport, as are the accommodations that travelers stay at to get the most out of the beach.
After getting to Emerald Bay Bahamas, you’ll also be in close proximity to the best golf courses in Bahamas.
What Makes The Golf Course So Great?
Golf pros from across the world visit the Emerald Bay Golf Course to put their skills to the test. No matter whether you consider yourself to be a pro, an amateur, or somewhere in the middle, you can bet that you’ll find the course to offer some of the most enjoyable Bahamas golfing.
You can find golfing opportunities galore at Emerald Bay Great Exuma.
The Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course is an 18-hole course designed by Greg Norman. While Norman is a golf legend, you won’t feel out of place while on the course even if you are a complete beginner. At the very least, it’s the perfect place to gaze out at the incredible views surrounding you. Plus, as it stretches for acres, each hole treats you to a new stunning vista.
The first nine holes take you through palm trees and mangroves towering over sand dunes. The second half has you making your way along the rugged, exquisite peninsula of the bay. That level of natural beauty combined with the opportunity to enjoy some of the best golf in Bahamas makes the course an unmissable attraction.
Emerald Bay Bahamas Sandals: Luxury Accommodations
Great Exuma is home to all sorts of accommodation options, ranging from luxurious resorts to small and affordable waterfront cottages. One of the top accommodations, and certainly the one you’ll want to stay at if you plan on visiting the Emerald Bay Golf Course, is Emerald Bay Bahamas Sandals.
Like their other properties scattered across the Caribbean, Sandals is an adults-only all-inclusive resort. That means that while you might pay a bit more when you make your booking, you won’t have to worry about paying for most of your meals, drinks, or excursions once you arrive.
You’ll also get to enjoy a whole host of top-tier amenities. From swanky rooms and suites to 11 restaurants and the Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course, there’s enough to do to ensure you have a blast no longer how long you stay at Emerald Bay Bahamas Sandals.
You’ll want to spend a lot of time exploring Emerald Bay Bahamas.
Grand Isle Resort Bahamas
Another great accommodation option to look into is the Grand Isle Resort Bahamas. Like Sandals, the Grand Isle offers some of the most luxurious accommodation options on the island, as well as access to the Emerald Bay Golf Course.
Travelers looking to stay at the Grand Isle have 78 different villas to choose from. When you’re not in your room for the evening, you can also sample several beachside restaurants and float around the resort’s infinity pools. You also have prime access to the beach.
Grand Isle Resort Bahamas offers guests top-tier amenities.
Other amenities, like the option to pre-order grocery packages for your villa before you arrive, further cement the Grand Isle’s place as one of the top resorts on Emerald Bay Bahamas.
Exploring Great Exuma
In between spending time at the Emerald Bay Golf Course and enjoying the accommodations you choose to stay at, you’ll have plenty to do to keep you busy on Great Exuma. The island is home to some of the top attractions in the Bahamas.
Emerald Bay itself is a beach you’ll want to spend a good chunk of time at. Its name comes from the unique hue of the water – water that’s so vivid in color, astronauts can identify it from space. Besides being beautiful, it’s also full of marine life, making it great for snorkeling and diving.
Emerald Bay’s name comes from the vibrant hue of the water.
Outside of Emerald Bay Bahamas, nearby Stocking Island is another place you’ll want to visit for an afternoon, as there’s a blue hole right off of its coast. Likewise, you can also spend some time exploring the different restaurants and shops in Georgetown. The settlement is the capital of Exuma!
Visiting Little Exuma
As mentioned, Little Exuma is just a bridge away from Great Exuma. While Great Exuma is full of beautiful sites, you’ll want to make your way over to Little Exuma in between spending time at the Emerald Bay Golf Course.
Little Exuma is the southernmost island in the Exuma Cays and is only around 12 square miles in size. However, it offers staggering levels of natural beauty, particularly at the Tropic of Cancer Beach.
Also known as Pelican Beach, with its snow-white sand and azure water everywhere you look, you might think that the Tropic of Cancer Beach would be packed full of people. However, like many places in the Exumas, it’s something of a secret. Depending on when you visit, there’s a good chance you might be one of the only people on it.
Little Exuma is home to some of the most gorgeous places in the county.
Going Swimming With Pigs
No trip to the Bahamas is complete without going swimming with pigs. While you can find islands with pigs scattered across the archipelago, the Exuma Cays are home to the original Swimming Pigs Island: Big Major Cay.
A quick 30-minute flight will have you in Staniel Cay, a nearby island that has another regional airport. From there, you can switch over to a powerboat to visit the Exuma Pigs along with the other top attractions in the region.
A Pig Island tour is the perfect day trip from Great Exuma.
From splashing around the water with the Swimming Pigs to swimming with nurse sharks at Compass Cay and diving through caves at Thunderball Grotto, make sure to give yourself time to explore other parts of the Exuma Cays while touring Great Exuma.
Emerald Bay Bahamas Sandals: 18-Holes and Unbeatable Views
The Emerald Bay Golf Course is one of the best golf courses in Bahamas. However, even if you aren’t a golf lover, you can still find many other exciting things to do in the area.
From visiting the Tropic of Beach on Little Exuma to touring nearby Georgetown, it’s impossible to be bored in the Exumas. Just make sure to give yourself enough time for a day trip to Big Major Cay to see the Swimming Pig.
Sign up for a Staniel Cay day tour or look into chartering a flight to get you wherever you want to go!
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