Nation’s first public golf course opens in Cayo
It’s not a sport that one immediately associates with the rough and tumble nation of Belize… but with the game of golf spreading to virtually every corner of the globe, it was only a matter of time until Belizeans got a chance to experience the frustration of trying to hit a tiny white ball with a long narrow stick. The nice thing for Belize is that the country’s first public golf course, besides being reasonably priced, is also beginner friendly…as News 5’s Janelle Chanona found out.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Forty-four year old Paul Martin isn’t a golf fanatic…he just wanted to play golf so badly that he built his own course.
Paul Martin, Owner, Roaring River Golf Course
“It will never become a mainstream sport here, but it will become a popular sport.”
Over the past eleven months, Martin estimates he’s spent close to a million Belize dollars using highly specialized machines to groom his greens, finesse the fairways and tidy up the tee boxes.
Paul Martin
“We’ve got to the stage where basically the development is done now. Basically the course is maturing now and we’re at the point where we’re ready to start taking more people now, the course is now strong enough to take traffic through here.”
Janelle Chanona
“Do you think this green will start making you the other kind of green soon?”
Paul Martin
“Well we hope to get our green back, but it’s not a short term process, simply by the numbers game. We see it as a long term project, and the older the course gets, the more mature it’s going to get. So it’s a long term project, it’s not an overnight project where you expect to get your return tomorrow.”
Located along the picturesque Roaring River just outside Belmopan, the golf course boasts nine holes, a practice green and several water obstacles, one of which features a special living hazard that will make you think twice before trying to recover any lost balls.
Paul Martin
“There’s about three, four hundred balls in this hole here already. There’s about three or four hundred. I think when we get them out we’ll have a big party eh.”
Martin hopes that the natural beauty of his property will attract the affluent and the adventurous to get into the swing of things.
Paul Martin
“What we’ve tried to do is to fit the nine holes to make it a reasonable size. But we had to try to make the course hard enough for good players, but easy enough for beginners as well.”
And speaking of beginners…
Janelle Chanona
“Paul, I have never played golf before, what do I need?”
Paul Martin
“Basically these are two sets of clubs. You have a ladies set and you have a man’s set. The only difference between the two sets is the length of the club is slighter shorter and the grip is a little bit thinner on the ladies set.”
“Those are what you tee up on the green. You put the ball up there, the ball sits up there. That’s only on the tee box you use the pegs. And the balls, those are balls that they use.”
I’ve got the tools, now it’s time for the technique. First there’s the grip…
Paul Martin
“You put your two hands on it. Some people prefer to hold it with the two hands like that or that’s the “Vardon” grip, where you put the index finger and the little finger and you lock them in together there, sometimes feels more comfortable.”
Then the stance…
Paul Martin
“Get your grip. Bend forward. Keep the distance here. Bend your knees ever so slightly, just to take the flex, you don’t need too stiff going into the shot. Basically, that’s the stance position.”
And finally, the swing.
(Janelle swings)
Paul Martin
“Perfect.”
Okay so I had the form, but there was no follow through.
(Janelle’s bad swings)
…And practicing didn’t help.
But after a slight rain delay, the putting went a little better.
(Janelle putting and missing…finally gets ball in)
Janelle Chanona
“Okay, so maybe not every shot is a hole in one and despite the significant risks involved in promoting a new sport, the creation of courses like this one might very well put Belize on the golfing map. Reporting from the Cayo District from News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.”
If you would like to play nine holes at the Roaring River Golf Course, head to Camalote Village on the Western Highway and look for the signs on the south side of the road. Price, including club rental, is thirty Belize dollars for locals and thirty U.S. for visitors. Golf balls may be purchased at the course.
