By Steve Thomas Observer Nevis Editor
(Newcastle, Nevis) ” Golf on Nevis conjures up images of greens and fairways set in exotic scenery, incredible views in every direction, impeccable service and well-deserved refreshment when the round is over. It’s a picture many associate with Four Seasons Nevis. It’s also a picture shared with Golf at Cat Ghaut, a somewhat smaller, less swanky, somewhat more quirky course located a few minutes north of the airport. Gat Ghaut Golf is a par 3, 12-hole course, with as many other amenities, set on 15 acres that is also the home of Peggy and Roger Staiger. The Staigers have been coming here since for about a half-century and full-time residents for many years. Peggy, 86, and Roger, 87, have been married for 64 years and remain active, cheerful and outgoing. The pair is originally from Collegeville, Pennsylvania in the U.S. The Staigers married during World War II, when gas was rationed and most people found other ways to get around. “They say I married her for her bicycle,” Roger said. They built their house in 1961-62 and, much to Roger’s amusement, it was praised as an outstanding example “of East African Colonial” after it was displayed on an early home and garden tour. Peggy clearly recalls what Nevis was like during their early visits, which were usually for two-weeks and how far things have come since then. “It’s much easier to shop. You can get a better meal together,” she said. “Everything is much easier today than it was then. We didn’t have electricity back then.” Communications have also changed. “That’s something I like,” she said. “The computer link.” She also praised health care on Nevis today. “I think the medical care we get here is excellent. At the hospital, you get tender, loving care,” Peggy said. The old days are also clear in Roger’s memory. “When we came, it was a coal pot society. Everybody cooked in charcoal pots. The ghaut was denuded” of trees, he said. The trees were cut to make charcoal. “The trees are growing again.” For a person whose front yard ” or back yard, depending on your take ” is a golf course, Peggy has a surprise: She’s not a golfer. “I never got interested in golf. I”m an indoor person,” Peggy said. The golf course was started by Roger about 20 years in the wake of a failed agricultural effort. “I wanted to raise bananas,” Roger said, nodding at the golf course. “I had bananas all through here. Then we had a drought and the bananas died. Then someone said, “Why don’t you put in a putting green?” And that’s how it started.” It was the start of something special. Golf at Cat Ghaut not only has 12 holes of golf to play, it has a croquet course, horseshoes, a volleyball area and the Putty House, which has golf clubs, balls, tees, an honor bar ($5 for a cold Carib) and a restroom that discourages loitering. On top of everything else, the green fee is US$10 or EC$25, an appreciable difference from another golf course found on Nevis. In the garage behind the Putty House, Roger has a room for model trains that he runs with evident joy. When people bring their children, the little ones love to see the trains, he said. What really sets Cat Ghaut apart is a walking trail lined with a huge variety of colorful trees and plants that lines the course. Many golfers and non-golfers like to visit just to walk the trail and there’s no fee for that. The plants are raised by Roger and his assistants. He gives many of them away to people who want to spread some beauty themselves. “My mother was an excellent gardener and I think it rubbed off,” he said. The enthusiasm of Roger and Peggy is contagious. Settling down on a bench under a mahogany tree planted by Roger more than 40 years ago – following a trip to the honor bar ” Roger explains all one really needs to know about Cat Ghaut. “I love this place. I love a place where people can come and be happy,” he said. Then, nodding toward the golf course, he added with a smile, “It’s not really for professionals.”
