Eighty tee off in LatAm Golf tourney

JAMAICA’S RICH sporting history has made the island a selling point for travel agents in the Americas, 80 of whom tee off in the eighth Annual Latin American Travel Advisors Golf Tournament at Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Mary, starting this morning.

Arlenes Garcia, director, sales and marketing, Unique Vacations, Latin America, said Jamaica is a preferred booking location for the travel advisers who arrived on Friday for the fun-filled 18-hole scramble, one of three such tournaments Sandals hosts annually to promote the island as a golfing destination.

“There are 19 teams already registered, represented by Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay, Panama and Peru,” Garcia pointed out, adding that returning to Jamaica after a two-year break, forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel advisers considered the destination their “home away from home”.

“The Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, is always popular among Latin American travel advisers, as opposed to other destinations, due to the region’s beautiful beaches and resorts. Where Jamaica is concerned, the sporting tradition is really strong and that’s how the golf comes in,” Garcia explained.

Though described by Garcia as a ‘friendly’, the Travel Advisors tournaments often feature heated rivalries, especially among repeat players.

The recent United States tournament was won by one stroke after first-timers Team 6 carded a turkey on the final day, three birdies in a row, rallying from second to hold off day-one joint leaders Team 20.