Let’s cop a metaphor from Ernest Hemingway’s posthumously published book Islands in the Stream. If the Caribbean Sea were in fact a stream, as Big Papa suggests, then the Bahamas are the steppingstones from one side to the other. Forget for a moment that the Caribbean is roughly one million square miles of azure saltwater, and the Bahamas is made up of some 700 islands covering 100,000 square miles.

When tourists hop from one Bahamian steppingstone to another, they often skip over the tiniest rocks at the archipelago’s end to get to bigger, more popular places like New Providence Island (home to Nassau and Paradise Island). But those smaller ones should not be overlooked. They are the Out Islands, as in “let’s get out of the tourist bustle and find a secluded paradise.”

The Out Islands include such stunning atolls as Crooked Island, San Salvador, Cat Island and Bimini (the famed fishing destination that fills the first act of Islands in the Stream), and they offer no shortage of postcard vistas. But two golf-centric destinations in the Out Islands are attracting a new breed of trendsetting travelers: The Abaco Club on Winding Bay and the Four Seasons Great Exuma at Emerald Bay.

The Abaco Club on Winding Bay is the new gold standard in Bahamian hospitality. Created by Peter de Savary, the visionary behind the St. James Clubs in London, Paris, Los Angeles, New York and Antigua, and the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, The Abaco Club is a 534-acre international private members golf and sporting retreat, made up of a spectacular golf course, spa and fitness center, equestrian center, tennis facility, and beach club, plus 70 club cottages and 60 estate lots. The lido is located in Marsh Harbour, a place known mostly for not being known (i.e. peaceful, quiet, paparazzi-free), on the island of Great Abaco, just one hour from the continental U.S.

Like one of those bug-swatting hikes chronicled on the Discovery Channel, you might start wondering about food and fuel levels during the 20-mile trek from the airport to The Abaco Club; you’ll see a total of three manmade structures en route. Once inside though, essentials for survival will be the furthest thing from your mind. You will, however, need to be mindful of the electric charge level on your bungalow’s golf cart. If you plug it in at night, your trip’s primary concern is quelled. It’s all tee-shots and SPF 15 from here on out.

De Savary is no novice when it comes to creating the ultimate 21st century golf club experience. At Cherokee Plantation in South Carolina, he turned fields traditionally reserved for cotton and tobacco into a 6,892-yard par-71. He took over Bovey Castle in Dartmoor, England, which came complete with JF Abercromby’s Old Course from 1929. And now comes the Abaco Club, deemed the world’s first Scottish-style tropical links layout. A collaborative effort between acclaimed European course architects Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie, this 7,123-yard rolling beauty plays firm and fast with eight of the 18 holes in full view of the bay.

The course layout arcs around Winding Bay, and is littered with challenges both seen (bunkers, dunes, water hazards) and unseen (trade winds). So before teeing up, study up using the glossy yardage book. It not only provides a color rendering and playing strategy for each hole, but shares cool random facts about the island: bonefishing, boatbuilding, botany, even an anecdote about the greens staff encountering a boa constrictor on the 9th fairway.

The course is wonderfully maintained with big greens that mostly open to the front. And it’s free of the extra gimmicks that fool you into thinking the course is better than it is. Cart paths are worn down sandy tracks, hole signs are old tree stumps, and tee markers are — you guessed it — coconuts.

“This is an outstanding piece of land for a seaside golf course,” says architect Donald Steel. “It is everything that people would expect from the Bahamas and more.” He adds, “The diversity of the land is perhaps the most surprising feature of the site, ranging from high, rocky ocean point to the dense vegetation behind the beach.”

You’ve heard the old adage: give ‘em something to remember. The design team certainly leaves a lasting impression with holes 15 through 18. The cart ride from the 14th green elevates you back to one of the highest points on the property: the 419-yard, par-4 15th. The expansive view of the ocean, and of the rock quarry off the right side, will make it hard to catch your breath. This leggy hole plays a bit downhill, requiring a carry of about 250 yards to clear the last of three bunkers crossing the fairway. The par-4 16th is dominated by the rock quarry; an aggressive tee shot will cross part of it. Once successfully clearing the quarry, the only real issue is finding the right level on this rolling green and not being distracted by the neighboring par-3 17th. At 204 yards from the tips, it packs a wallop.

Good luck on the intimidating 572-yard, par-5 18th. The sloping fairway plays down into a valley then back up again to an elevated green. On the left side is the ocean, which runs the length of the hole. On the right is a wall of thick vegetation peppered with coral outcroppings.
The clubhouse, located 150 yards from your final putt, is the architectural treat at the heart — and stomach — of the property. The courteous and engaging staff will keep you entertained and well serviced; at Buster’s on the Beach you can enjoy Caribbean-tinged cuisine, and cocktails that come in a bevy of primary colors.

As if de Savary needed a reassuring pat on the back, The Abaco Club recently partnered with another gold standard in hospitality: the Ritz-Carlton. The Abaco Club is now part of the luxury brand’s growing portfolio of club and resort residence projects in the Caribbean (others include the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, the Island Villas at Molasses Reef in West Caicos, and the under-construction Rose Island, four miles from Nassau).

Finding Great Exuma is no less of an exercise in blind faith. Reaching the Exumas from the states requires hopping on a cigarette jet — more like a winged matchbox — and keeping your mind occupied by zoning out on the endless blanket of blue below.

But absorbing such travel hiccups is no problem when you know you’re descending someplace cool, a place usually involving small paper umbrellas, sunscreen and poor wireless service. Depressurization commences on the wobbly steps of the plane’s folding ladder — you’re now officially free of the check-in cattle calls and carry-on corral. You are on Great Exuma, and the feeling is even sweeter because your bags and clubs have been tagged for the Four Seasons Great Exuma at Emerald Bay. With nearly 50 years of experience behind them, the granddaddy of luxury brands knows how to serve their customers, especially ones looking to decompress after a glorified puddle jump.

As a group, The Exumas are a chain of 365 cays and islands, originating 300 miles from the Florida coastline and only 35 miles southeast of Nassau. Most of The Exumas’ 3,500 residents live on Great Exuma or Little Exuma, the two largest islands, which are connected by a short bridge.  

Service is the bridge that connects all aspects of a Four Seasons holiday. All rooms have a view and are wonderfully comfortable, the public gathering areas (including the onsite casino) are warm and welcoming, and the children’s pool is far enough away to keep high-pitched yelps beyond earshot. But it’s the staff that really makes the difference having mastered the art of over-service without conveying the sense of being over-served.

You may end up feeling served — as the main course for a Great White, that is — if you expect too much out of the property’s Greg Norman-designed golf course. As sure as the sun rises over the beautiful secluded white sand beach, it’s going to take a bite out of you somewhere along the line. Our advice: plan for at least two rounds and take time to enjoy the views. They are available at every turn.

The inland nine of this 7,001-yard man-eater starts out simple enough with three casual holes. But don’t be lulled to sleep. The Shark shows his teeth on the creepily tight par-4 fourth hole. Set aside an inland lake, this hole is golfer versus nature: just you, your tee-shot and whatever lives beneath the surface. At only 260 yards from the tips, one might get lucky with a closed-eyes grip-and-rip. However, a mid-iron should do the trick for the 150-yard nearly blind forced carry. Swing thought: forget the water and aim between the trees.

Swing thought for the 165-yard par-3 sixth: don’t think. A lifetime golfer would be hard-pressed to find a hole as beautiful and serene as this one (until the back nine, that is). But as the yardage book suggests: ”on grass is considered a good shot.” A comfort station is strategically positioned behind this tee, should you require some comforting.

Starting with the par-3 11th hole, the challenges start to multiply. Pesky design elements like tightening landing areas and thick natural foliage are compounded by the open water breezes and that dastardly distracting view. Your eyes will open wider than the shark’s jaws as you hit the 15th hole that plays out and back on a peninsula that jets out in the Atlantic and around Emerald Bay. It’s hard to imagine that the beauty of a course could be an obstacle. But the “siren” stretch, as we referred to it, will call you and your balls to the sea. Consider some morning beach yoga to get your mind right.

Our favorite hole of the stretch is the deceptively short 303-yard par-4 14th. Blind off the tee except for the forced carry over jagged black coral and crashing surf, you won’t be satisfied to simply find grass. Play up the right side and trust any club that will advance your shot 180 to 200 yards. The ideal approach is from the right side about 80 yards in, removing sand and more coral from the equation.

By the end of the round things should really be clicking, or Kalik-ing should you retire to the clubhouse lounge for the locally brew lager. Another option for taming this beast is to tour it first. A little knowledge will go a long way. The golf facility also offers a sizable and well-kept practice area along with lessons, but please refrain from using range balls for round two.

Though quiet and secluded, the Out Islands are worth checking out. Granted, there are hundreds of isles, cays and bays to explore, but it can be done. Just remember: one steppingstone at a time.

For more information about The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, please visit www.ritzcarltonrealestate.com or call 888-303-2765. For information about the Four Seasons Great Exuma at Emerald Bay, please visit www.fourseasons.com/greatexuma.