Miles of powder-soft, white sand beach — outfitted with every beach toy under the sun. A championship links golf course that would be right at home on the rocky coast of Scotland. World-class boating and fishing on some of the cleanest, clearest waters in existence. Plus accommodation options that make the word “luxury” seem like a gross understatement. Sound like the kind of resort you’d like to visit? Well here’s the best news: the place where you can avail yourself of all these glorious experiences isn’t a resort at all. It’s a private, international sporting club in The Bahamas called The Abaco Club on Winding Bay. And while you can visit the club anytime as a guest to discover all of its charms, the smart money is on joining the club and sharing it with family and friends for the rest of your days.
That’s what British Open Champion and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke began doing when The Abaco Club first opened, and as its ambassador on the PGA Champions Tour now, he’s not shy about singing its praises.
“The Abaco Club ticks every box for me,” says Clarke, who has a home at the club that he visits every chance he gets. “It’s got one of the best beaches in the world, one of the best golf courses in the world, some of the best fishing in the world — there’s nowhere else I’d rather be when I get some downtime.”
The Abaco Club is barefoot luxury at its finest. There’s no towering beachfront hotel here. Instead, residents, club members and guests live and stay in grand oceanfront estate homes, two-, three- and four-bedroom cottage villas with jaw-dropping ocean views, or cozy cabana suites nestled among the palms. There’s an intimacy here that you just don’t find in a resort setting, along with private club-level service that stands well above what you normally encounter in the islands.
Start your day at Flippers, the open-air bar and grill where breakfasts, lunches and all manner of exotic island cocktails are served just steps from the beach. Then go boating. Or enjoy a signature Bahamian spa treatment in the boutique spa. Maybe you’d like to go snorkeling with the local sea turtle population. Or take on the Scottish-style tropical links golf course, home to the Web.com Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. Perennially ranked as the No. 1 course in The Bahamas, it’s a fun test with dramatic views and nothing like the flat, featureless courses that typify Caribbean golf.
If fishing is your passion, you’ll be in heaven here. Bluewater deep-sea fishing for marlin, tuna and other big game is just ten minutes from the dock, while the area’s saltwater flats fly fishing for bonefish and permit (a Darren Clarke favorite) is regarded as the best in the world. At the end of the day, venture up to The Cliff House for cocktails on the Sunset Deck and fine dining that includes some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste.
The Abaco Club ticks every box, indeed — and with a host of new amenities and residential options on the horizon, it’s getting even more amazing by the day. Direct flights from Atlanta and almost every Florida airport into Marsh Harbour (MHH) on Great Abaco make for an easy trip. And with everything this spectacular club has to offer, you can be sure it will be a highly memorable one, too. Especially if it’s the first of many.