Hosted by the St. Maarten Golf Association at the Mullet Bay Golf Course
MULLET BAY:--- The St. Maarten Golf Association SMGA is pleased to announce the upcoming annual Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament. This highly competitive tournament will take place over 2 days at the Mullet Bay Golf Course in St. Maarten on October 3 and 4.
The Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament is organized each year by a different host-country and consists of the best players from eleven countries that are a member of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Association (ECGA). These countries are: Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.
Each country will be represented by a team of maximum 12 players which are divided in 4 playing categories. These categories are:
- Ladies : 3 players
- Men : 4 players younger than 50 years old
- Seniors : 3 players between 50 and 60 years old
- Super-Seniors : 2 players older than 60 years
At the present moment 113 players are registered which will compete for team and individual gross and net prizes. Over the last years, the teams to beat were Antigua-Barbuda, St. Kitts and St. Croix who all have a long history of representing teams with very talented and low handicap golfers.
This year Guadeloupe and Martinique are also bringing some low handicap players to try entering the winners circle and challenge the previous year’s winners. Besides that St. Maarten as host country will do their utmost to capitalize on their ‘home field’ advantage. Mullet Bay Golf Course is a relatively short golf course but nevertheless not an easy pick. With lots of water hazards and windy conditions it might be trickier than most players will expect.
The festivities will begin with the team registration on Thursday and Friday October 1st and 2nd at the Golf Course followed by an opening reception for all participants, sponsors, media and invited guests on Friday evening at the SONESTA Great Bay Beach Resort. At this venue the tournament will be officially opened by the honorable Prime Minister of St. Maarten Mr. Marcel Gumbs, which will be followed with a flag raising ceremony and introduction off all participating countries and teams.
The 36 holes stroke play tournament will kick off with the first round of 18 holes on Saturday morning October 3rd at 7:00AM. The second round will be played on Sunday October 4th. Following the tournament, an awards and recognition party will be held for participants, sponsors, media and invited guests at a venue to will be announced later.
This prestigious tournament is made possible due to our year round major contributors namely, Mullet Bay Resort and Golf Course, CC1 / Coca Cola and the St. Maarten Tourist Office. Combined with the tremendous support and sponsorships the SMGA received so far from Air France – KLM, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canon Business Systems Services, Cariburo Office Equipment, Dauphin Telecom, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Winair Airlines, the SMGA is looking forward to host a fantastic tournament.
Besides these sponsors the SMGA was able to attract a large amount of other contributors that contributed in different ways through golf materials, hospitality and other services, manpower, vouchers etc.
The SMGA is a non-profit organization of avid golfers that promotes the practice of the game of golf and to foster community sense. The SMGA organizes golf matches and tournaments for its members and non-members and donates most of its proceeds that are made through membership fees, club tournaments and the annual St. Maarten Open, to multiple community organizations on the island.
If you like more information about this event or schedule an interview with either the SMGA, please contact Marc van Iersel.
The Board of the St. Maarten Golf Association