Jamaican golf for a visitor is, in practice, a Montego Bay trip. Our three guides all sit on a short stretch of the north coast at Rose Hall, east of Sangster airport, so one hotel can cover every round. Two operators run them. Rose Hall Golf owns White Witch, a von Hagge and Baril hill course that only opens from November to April, and Cinnamon Hill, a 1969 layout rebuilt in 2001 whose front nine runs down to the shoreline. Both take online bookings from anyone, whatever hotel you are in. Half Moon, the early-1960s Robert Trent Jones Sr. course with the longest Jamaica Open record, is tied to its resort, which gives in-house guests a shuttle and the best package terms. Prices are quoted in US dollars, not Jamaican dollars, and caddies are part of the culture: compulsory on the hill course, expected on early tee times at Cinnamon Hill.
Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s 1960s bow-tie layout and the long-time home of the Jamaica Open.
Destination imagery
Where to base yourself.
Rose Hall: Hilton side
Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa shares a shoreline with Cinnamon Hill’s front nine and stands next to the clubhouse where every Rose Hall golfer checks in, including those heading up to White Witch by shuttle. That makes it the shortest commute for a trip built on both Rose Hall courses. It earns no green-fee discount, because Rose Hall Golf gives none to any hotel.
Half Moon resort
The 400-acre Half Moon estate, open since 1954 and back in full operation in 2026 after Hurricane Melissa repairs, sits a few minutes west of Cinnamon Hill. Staying here unlocks the course shuttle, tunnel access from the villas and a four-night Unlimited Golf package that also includes Cinnamon Hill. It suits golfers who want lessons too, with a 20-bay grass academy on site.
Iberostar Rose Hall, east
The three Iberostar Rose Hall hotels reopened in December 2025, a short drive east of the golf. Neither Rose Hall nor Half Moon links them to any golf deal, so you book tee times separately and take a taxi to the Cinnamon Hill clubhouse. The Hyatt Ziva and Zilara pair below White Witch remain shut, with Hyatt aiming for early 2027.
Montego Bay & the Hip Strip
Choose town if beaches and nightlife matter as much as golf. The Hip Strip, with Doctor’s Cave Beach, lies west of Sangster airport, so the Rose Hall courses are a longer taxi ride than from the resorts, with the airport in between. Plan transport for each round, since neither golf operator collects players from hotels.
When to go.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
November to April is the window that opens all three courses. White Witch keeps a strict calendar, starting on 1 November and closing on 30 April, and that period matches the island’s drier, less humid months; December to April is the peak, when tee sheets and hotels are busiest. May to October leaves Cinnamon Hill, which never closes, and Half Moon, whose 2026 summer guest offer ran from 1 May to 1 November. That stretch is hotter and overlaps the Atlantic hurricane season of June to November. The Jamaica Pro-Am uses all three courses on 18–22 November 2026, so book around it.
Getting around.
Fly into Sangster International (MBJ) at Montego Bay, which takes direct flights from North America and the UK. The golf lies roughly seven miles east along the North Coast Highway, a drive of 10 to 15 minutes. Jamaica drives on the left, but most golfers never hire a car: taxis and pre-booked transfers handle the airport run and the hop between courses, which are only minutes apart. Rose Hall Golf arranges no hotel pickups; its only transport is the shuttle from the Cinnamon Hill clubhouse up to White Witch. Half Moon collects its own guests from the airport and drives them to the first tee.
Plan it well.
Decide first whether Half Moon is the centrepiece. If it is, booking the resort brings the shuttle and, on a four-night stay, unlimited golf there and at Cinnamon Hill; non-guests telephone its pro shop for a time and a price. Rose Hall works the other way round, with no packages and no hotel tie-ins, so you reserve through its Chronogolf page, where the rate appears only after you choose a date. Its price bundles the cart and range, and 10% government tax is added. Budget US$20 per golfer, plus a gratuity, for a Rose Hall caddie; four players split two between them. Collared shirts and proper golf shoes are expected; handicap certificates are not mentioned by either operator.
Questions golfers ask.
Where is the best golf in Jamaica?
The Rose Hall coast just east of Montego Bay holds the courses we cover: White Witch in the hills, Cinnamon Hill on the shore and Half Moon, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course that has hosted the Jamaica Open more often than anywhere else. All three lie within a few minutes’ drive.
Can I play Jamaica’s golf courses without staying at a resort?
Yes. Both Rose Hall courses can be reserved by any golfer online, by email or by phone. Half Moon also takes outside players booked ahead through its pro shop on 876-953-2560, though its resort guests get the shuttle and the package deals.
Are golf fees in Jamaica in US dollars or Jamaican dollars?
The resort courses work in US dollars. Rose Hall shows its rate once you pick a date, with cart and range included and 10% tax on top. Half Moon advertised a US$124 guest summer rate in 2026 with cart and caddie, and Rose Hall caddies are US$20 a player plus tip.
Do I need a caddie to play golf in Jamaica?
At White Witch you must take one, with two caddies per four-ball. Cinnamon Hill calls them optional but its booking terms require one before 10am. Half Moon runs a caddie master from 7:45am and Where2Golf lists caddies as required there, so plan on one wherever you play.
When is the best time for a golf trip to Jamaica?
November to April, when all three Montego Bay courses are open and the weather is drier. White Witch is closed from May to October, leaving Cinnamon Hill and Half Moon for summer visitors, who also have to weigh the June-to-November hurricane season.
