At their core golf tournaments offer the thrill of competition to every participant and amplify the importance of every shot in a way that a casual round simply cannot.

As nerve-wracking as they may be, golfers yearn for those first tee jitters and pressure-packed five-foot putts.

For sure, participants accustomed to the Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf Tournament would have missed those exciting times for the past two years, but the wait to get their swing on and view close-up the exquisite Sandals Resorts International properties will soon be over.

This as the 18th edition of the event is scheduled for September 12, and Jake Coldiron, national manager of golf sales, is just as excited for its return at the top-rated Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Ann.

“It feels great to have the tournament back on the calendar. We have over 100 travel professionals throughout the United States coming down to Jamaica and many of those travel advisors have not been to Jamaica since before the pandemic.

“So they will get to see all of our updates with the resorts in the Ocho Rios areas along with our golf course. Many of our travel partners have great relationships with the staff at those resorts, so it’s going to be fantastic to host such a great group of advisors at our tournament next month,” Coldiron told the Jamaica Observer.

While tournaments are said to be a key revenue driver at golf courses, Coldiron explained that this event in particular goes beyond that, especially after the COVID-induced break.

He pointed out that the aim is to give the travel partners a chance to experience Sandals Resorts and by extension Jamaica as a golfing destination first-hand to better enable them to market the island and facilities to their respective clients.

“This year is going to be a special year because, again, we haven’t done it since 2019, so it’s going to be an event where people are going to be excited to travel to Jamaica and we can’t wait to have everyone down,” he said.

“The feedback has been outstanding. We have so many eager travel partners who are excited to get down and see the resort updates, excited to see the golf course, to play golf and just enjoy the Jamaican food and the culture. The island just has so much to offer, and this is always one of our top events, so it’s going to be another great event this year,” Coldiron added.

The two-day event will comprise teams playing in a four-man scramble format, putting their skills to the test while competing in various competitions throughout the tournament.

Some honours up for grabs include the overall champions and runners-up titles, as well as the closest to pin event for male and female, along with the longest drive for both genders.

On that note, Coldiron declared that all is in place for what promises to be a great return.

“So the overall expectation is to see everyone have a great time and more importantly, to also secure future business for Sandals and Beaches,” Coldiron noted.

“So hopefully everybody will come down, have a great time, play the golf course, have some good food, and mingle and then come back and be excited to sell Jamaica and, specifically, Sandals and Beaches Resorts,” he said.

— Sherdon Cowan