Rain delays Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf tourney

“RAIN, rain, go away,” the travel advisers badly want to play the 20th Annual United States Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, which failed to get past the first hole yesterday at Sandals Upton Estate Golf and Country Club.

Jake Coldiron, national manager, golf sales, Unique Vacations Limited, said traditional October rain reared its head from Saturday’s arrival of 18 teams set to battle for the title of US champions and two spots at next spring’s 2025 Sandals Global Travel Advisors Golf Tournament at Sandals Golf and Country Club in St Lucia.

“It has been two continuous days of rain. Today, which should have been the first day of the tournament, and yesterday’s arrival of the teams. Everybody was on their first hole when the downpour came, so we cancelled round one,” Coldiron said of the four-man shotgun start.

“We are still debating whether we will play one or two days. We will wait to see what the weather forecast is for tomorrow.If it rains tomorrow, most likely we will postpone.

“We are hoping to get in a round tomorrow, so it might be a one-day tournament. The goal is to get 18 holes tomorrow; worst-case, nine holes,” Coldiron added, pointing out that the US travel advisers “is normally a faster-playing group”.

“A lot of the US travel advisers are avid golfers. You have travel advisers from all over the US, who are top travel advisers specialising in Sandals and golf-group travel,” he explained.

Returning to defend their title are Peter Drab, Damon Spady, Megan Sams and Scott Austin, who carded 116 after 18 holes last year.

The 2022 winners are also here,” said Coldiron. “The champions of the last two years are back. It is gonna be a competitive tournament and we are excited to have it.”

One of three such tournaments hosted annually by the resort, to enhance awareness of Jamaica as a golfing and tourist destination, the US contest follows that of the recent Baxter Canadian and Latin American versions, also serving as fundraisers for Sandals’ ‘Care For Kids’ junior golfers programme.

The winners and runners-up of the US tournament will be invited to the 2025 Sandals Global Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, which was won earlier this year by Uruguay representing Latin America in The Bahamas.