40 US golfers set to tee off in Montego Bay pro-am

ANOTHER Sandals Travel Advisors tournament scored what is teeing up to be a game-changing hole-in-one for local golf and Jamaica’s sports tourist industry.

A group of 40 American golfers are set to participate in an October 2026 pro-am in Montego Bay, emanating from the September 12-13 Sandals United States Travel Advisors Golf Tournament held at the Sandals Upton Golf and Country Club in St Mary.

Alexis Berlin, chief growth officer, Travel With Awestruck, a luxury travel agency based in San Francisco, California, confirmed the groundbreaking tournament for Cinnamon Hill and Half Moon golf courses.

“Travel With Awestruck is partnering with the Northern California Professional Golf Association to bring a group of 40 to come to Jamaica,” said Berlin, pointing out that the group would comprise eight to 10 professional golfers.

Berlin explained that, in all, it would be a party of 80 visitors, staying at Sandals Montego Bay but playing 18-hole tournaments at Cinnamon Hill and Half-Moon golf courses.

The October 2026 pro-am marks the second major spinoff from Sandals’ travel advisors golf tournaments played this year.

Following the 11th Sandals Latin American Travel Advisors Golf Tournament in August, a Jamaica-inspired Latin American all-female match will be staged November 21-26, set to attract top Argentine players at the Sandals Upton Golf and Country Club.

Sandals has been hosting travel-advisers’ tournaments for almost three decades at which its industry partners are invited to personally experience the Jamaican brand and the island’s uniqueness of also being a golfing destination – the oldest being the Baxter Media Canadian Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, which had its 28th staging last year.

Elizabeth Flores, business-development manager, Unique Vacations, Argentina, explained how the partnership with Good 4 U Vijaes will bring 20 female golfers to Jamaica next month.

“Good 4 U Vijaes stages a five-game golf tournament in Argentina called ‘The Jamaica’. The prize for each winner of The Jamaica is to be flown and hosted free at Sandals for the all-female Latin American tournament.”

Mariana De Pina of Good 4 U Vijaes said the response has been overwhelming, considering the coveted prize for each winner.

“We have already done two tournaments and are fully booked for the other three,” she pointed out.