By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
(Frigate Bay, St. Kitts) ” Christophe Harbour is teeing it up in a big way. The construction of a multi-million dollar 18- hole championship golf course that promises to be one of the most spectacular championship golf courses in the Caribbean, designed by famed golf course designer, Tom Fazio, began Nov.13 at Christophe Harbour on the South-Eastern Peninsula. The golf course is part of the comprehensive package of Christophe Harbour, a luxury resort that is set to debut in 2011. At a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 12 at the South East Peninsula, with media personnel, government officials, invited guests and staff of the Christophe Harbour Development Company, the golf course was hailed as a historic development for St. Kitts and Nevis that will lure tourists from near and far to its shores. The master developer of Christophe Harbour, Christophe Harbour Development Company (CHDC) is led by Kiawah Development Partners (KDP), known for its success at Kiawah Island, South Carolina and Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland. Kiawah Island is home to seven courses: five resort courses, including the famed Ocean Course, and two private courses ” The River Course and Cassique. The Doonbeg links course has been recognized as one of the top courses in the world since it opened in 2002. Chief Executive Officer of KDP, Mr. Charles “Buddy” Darby, said that Christophe Harbour, which is located on more than 2,500 acre of land on the Southeastern Peninsula of St.Kitts, is planned to include a mega-yacht harbour as well as an impressive collection of restaurants, shops, boutiques, five-star hotels, oceanfront and hillside home sites, villas and the golf course. “All of us know that the economic times are not as stable as they have been, so today really represents more than just a gathering to celebrate the construction of a golf course; it really is a demonstration of our unwavering commitment to Christophe Harbour and to the citizens of this beautiful island. We are not going to let the economic conditions deter our enthusiasm for this project,” Mr. Darby said. “Golf is in our blood, it’s what we know, and without a doubt this course will be one of the finest, if not the finest in the Caribbean. It will be a destination of its own and we hope it will be a “must play” golf course among golf courses around the world,” he said. “I”m very excited about the partnership with our company and the Federation and where we are going to go from here.” “When you have a piece of dirt like this, it could be one of the finest physical sites to put a golf course; you want the best and so there was only one person that presents the best in golf course architectural design and it is Tom Fazio,” Mr. Darby said. In giving an up-to-date account of what has been accomplished thus far since the announcement of the construction of Christophe Harbour Resort one year ago, Mr. Buddy had this to say. “We have worked with local contractors to open the Beach House at Turtle Beach; we have moved from one employee to 85 employees with 82 percent of them being Kittitian; we will soon be opening our sales office; work is set to begin on Mandarin Hotel at Major’s Bay in June 2009; we have established Christophe Harbour Club which will have a collection of amenities that are unmatched in the Caribbean; we have rolled out a strong advertising campaign that is already turning the attention of travelers to St. Kitts; and last Friday, we completed the first phase of the founders program with 28 signed contracts and will probably end up with 35 on the Sandy Bank property, which represents 32 million dollars.” Golf Course architect Tom Fazio, who has 40 years experience building golf courses, said that he was attracted to the natural beauty of St. Kitts in deciding to build the golf course on the S.E. Peninsula. “The natural beauty and lush environment of the island of St. Kitts could make this course the best of best. Each hole will be shaped and contoured to reflect the natural setting. Practically, all holes will have water views and the course will be so unique and dramatic that people will want to extend their vacations to play,” Mr. Fazio said. With environmental concerns about the building of the golf course, Mr. Fazio and his team gave the assurance that they were working meticulously to ensure the course is environmentally friendly and will enhance the idyllic natural surroundings. Upon excavation, Fazio and his team said that they will take a number of steps to curb erosion and sustain the environment, in addition to protecting the nearby terrain by filtering water efficiently within the golf course, guaranteeing that the course is both environmentally friendly and a truly spectacular “must play” green. Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas, hailed the golf course project as one that will transform St. Kitts into one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the entire world and one that will bring a better quality of life to the people of the Federation. “Today, here in St. Kitts and Nevis, we have the presence of Buddy Darby, the chairman and CEO of KDP, who has already committed a very a vast amount of resources to bring this project to the stage where it is today and who will commit hundreds of millions of dollars to the continued development of this outstanding and luxurious resort project on our south-east peninsula. This is because of his optimism and faith in the future of St. Kitts and Nevis and his absolute confidence that the investment in this project will bring significant returns to his investors and will at the same time help to bring a better quality of life to the people of this blessed Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” the Prime Minister said. Although the times are financially rough globally, the prime minister expressed confidence in the financial sector in St. Kitts and Nevis and said that tight regulation by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has helped to mitigate the impact of the global financial crisis on the financial institutions and economy of the Federation. He however urged that the people must not be complacent because we are a part of a global community. “If the roof of the global economy falls in, we too could get wet when the rain comes pouring in, hence we must continue to protect the progress that we have made over the years. In particular, we in this country must enhance the competitiveness of our Federation through enhanced productivity so that even as the global pie gets smaller, we may continue on the path of growth by carving out for our own selves a bigger share of that pie.” We must continue to welcome foreign investors and to make our Federation attractive to both domestic and foreign investors. We must not allow our local political differences to tarnish the image of the Federation,” Prime Minister Douglas said. Mr. Darby said that to date they have spent in excess of” US$14 million in the local economy in doing business and that in the next seven years they hope to invest an average of US$250 million in the Christophe Harbour project.
