MANDEVILLE, Manchester – Just as in former years, John O Minott Jr is continuing his family’s tradition through sports fundraising to assist the Mandeville Regional Hospital renal unit.

This time, says Minott Jr, a proprietor in the 83-year-old coffee company, Jamaica Standard Products, the avenue for raising money will be the inaugural Jackie Minott Memorial Golf Tournament.

The venue for the golf tournament, the historic Manchester Golf Club will also benefit from the fundraiser.

Previously, for more than 30 years leading up to the crippling COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jamaica Standard Products had organised the High Mountain Road race as an annual community development project.

The new golf tournament, named in honour of the late John O Minott Sr, affectionately called Jackie Minott, was launched and held on Sunday March 16 at the historic Manchester Golf Club with over 40 golfers participating.

John O Minott Jr (right) and his nephew Damion Prendergast bump fist on the golf course.

“Jackie Minott himself was not a golfer, that is my dad. However, he was a very avid supporter of Manchester Club. He had a high appreciation for golf even though he didn’t play it. A lot of our family members play it. He worked at a golf course when he was in university overseas,” Minott Jr told the Observer on the golf course.

“I actually play golf. Myself along with a group of friends have been playing for a few years now and we like the sport and as we get older golf is one of those games where any age really can play. We probably are not able to play football and run up and down like we used to, but golf certainly allows you to still come out and exercise, walk, laugh and have a good time, so we do enjoy it,” added Minott Jr.

He then pointed to the history of the golf course for which support has dwindled over the years.

“This particular tournament, apart from the memory of my dad, Manchester Club is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. It is without doubt the oldest golf course in the western hemisphere, so obviously this club has a lot of history that we need to recognise and appreciate,” he said.

“We unfortunately here in Mandeville don’t have the kind of support that this club really deserves for golf and tennis… A golf course takes money to run and without membership support and all that, it is difficult, so one of our aims of this tournament was to garner funds to contribute to the club,” he added.

Minott Jr emphasised his family’s continued support for the Mandeville Regional Hospital.

Spectators enjoying the inaugural Jackie Minott Memorial Golf Tournament.

“In addition to Manchester Club, the Mandeville Regional Hospital has a renal unit that is under severe pressure as kidney disease is becoming more and more of a big problem in our country,” he said.

“The reality is that you can’t get dialysis treatment unless somebody really passes unfortunately and the cost of private care for dialysis is extremely expensive, so we want to give a contribution as well to that section of the hospital,” he added.

JSP has played an integral role in community development, having started the annual High Mountain Coffee Road Race. The over-30-year-old event is considered to be the oldest road race in Jamaica.
Minott Jr said that while the road race has been shelved, his family continues to support community development.

“The High Mountain Road race was around for 30 odd years up to the time we had it last. COVID-19 came and unfortunately brought an end to it and then after [the pandemic] we had the highway that diverted the traffic through Williamsfield for almost two years,” he explained.

“We really had a four-year period where we couldn’t have the road race between COVID-19 and the highway closure. It is difficult. The road race is a very nice event. It brings a lot of people together, but it is hard to organise, it is costly and with sponsorship dwindling it becomes more and more of an issue. It is something that we really value highly and we did our contribution for 30 odd years,” he added.