It is the first to be built from scratch in Jamaica since the original Rose Hall Resort Course was constructed in the early '70s. The course has all the amenities of the finest Hawaiian and Floridian resorts. It rolls across interior hills and valleys that donkeys and goats once trod, yet it is wide and manicured. The clubhouse has a picture window behind the desk revealing the Caribbean Sea. It's the same view players have on the first tee, where they face a 550-yard par5 opener that careens into a valley before rising back to a peak where the green is perched.
Breezes threaten to magnify any mistake.
However, two solid strikes with wooden clubs and a short-iron approach is all that's necessary to conquer a hole so visually intimidating from the tee that players can scarcely pull the trigger. Another advantage that players have is golf concierges. Nearly 40 of the 65 concierges are female, and all hustle for yardages, rake bunkers, hold pins and read greens. But the concierges are designed to go beyond the traditional caddie role and actually serve as golf course ambassadors, offering friendly advice on local happenings, lore and course tips, improving the overall course experience. The Three Palms Ocean Course offers few reminders of the course it used to before Mr. von Hagge, Mr. Smelek and Mr. Baril came through in 2000 and rerouted it.