The Tryall Club
A Ralph Plummer design from 1958 laid out over an old sugar estate west of Montego Bay, Tryall is one of the Caribbean's most storied courses. A par 71 of 6,836 yards that runs from a historic great house down to the sea, it hosted the Johnnie Walker World Championship through the early 1990s and remains a private members and villa club to this day.
Photo: The Tryall Club via Google.
The verdict
Tryall belongs to a small group of Caribbean courses that carry real golf history. Ralph Plummer, a Texan who worked on more than a hundred courses in a long career, came to Jamaica in the 1950s and laid this one out across a former sugar estate, with the eighteenth century great house and a still turning waterwheel as the backdrop to the opening holes. It is, by most accounts, the only Plummer design built outside the United States, and it announced itself early by hosting an episode of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf in 1962.
Its modern fame rests on a five year run as host of the Johnnie Walker World Championship from 1991 to 1995, a silly season event that brought the game's biggest names to the Jamaican shore each December, alongside the Jamaica Classic before it. Today Tryall is a private club wrapped around a celebrated villa community, the kind of place families return to for generations. The golf is the heart of it: a walk that begins gently inland and builds to a tense, breezy finish along the Caribbean.
The Tryall Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1958
- Designer
- Ralph Plummer
- Type
- Resort, seaside
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,836 yds
- Access
- Private, villa guests
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from the Tryall Club and leading course databases; the course was designed by Ralph Plummer and opened in 1958, a par 71 of 6,836 yards that hosted the Johnnie Walker World Championship from 1991 to 1995. Access is primarily for members and on property guests, and green fees vary by season. Fees are indicative and we do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The round is a study in contrast. Plummer used a fairly flat opening loop of six holes around the great house and the old waterwheel to ease you in, digging a few ponds to add interest on ground that is otherwise gentle. It is pretty, historic golf, but it is the prelude. From there the course turns toward the water and the character sharpens, the holes tightening as the land rolls down to the Caribbean and the trade winds start to bite.
The signature is the shoreline. A new 4th hole was added in 1992 to hug the coast, and the closing holes that run along the sea are where rounds are won and lost, exposed to a wind that can swing two or three clubs and make a modest par 71 feel a good deal longer. The greens, all eighteen of which were rebuilt in the early 2000s along with modernised irrigation, are true and quick, and the combination of breeze, history and ocean backdrop gives Tryall an atmosphere that few resort courses in the region can match.
It is not a long or brutal course on paper, and that is the point. Tryall rewards placement, a controlled flight under the wind and a steady temperament rather than raw power, which is exactly why it made such a compelling stage for a winter major against the world's best. Paired with nearby Cinnamon Hill on the Montego Bay coast, it anchors a short but rich Jamaican golf itinerary.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members and villa club; play is primarily for members and on property guests, with outside access via a temporary membership and advance tee times |
| Green fee | Indicative around 85 US dollars low season, roughly May to mid December, rising to about 115 US dollars in the winter high season; on property guests also pay a temporary membership fee. Carts, caddies and service charges are extra; confirm directly |
| Booking | Easiest as a Tryall villa or resort guest; otherwise arrange access through a Caribbean golf specialist, booking tee times in advance |
| On the day | Caddies are part of the Tryall experience; carts available. Smart resort golf dress; a relaxed but well run private club |
| Getting there | Sandy Bay, Hanover, around 25 minutes west of Montego Bay and Sangster International Airport by road |
| Best months | December to April for the driest, breeziest golf and the classic high season; summer is hotter and wetter but quieter and cheaper |
Access and fee guidance verified June 2026; Tryall is a private club and green fees move with season, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about access and tee times.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is Tryall itself, a villa community famous for its great houses and hillside homes overlooking the course and the sea, which also buys the easiest path to a tee time. The wider Montego Bay coast offers everything from all inclusive resorts to boutique hotels, all within easy reach of the airport and a string of north coast courses.
Most golfers treat Tryall as the centrepiece of a relaxed Jamaican week rather than a touring blitz, pairing it with Cinnamon Hill and the other Montego Bay courses and building plenty of beach and downtime around the golf. It is a destination for players who want history, atmosphere and Caribbean warmth more than a marathon of championship tests.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels, villas and resorts around Tryall and Montego Bay.
Build a Jamaica golf trip
We anchor a Montego Bay week around Tryall and the north coast courses, advise on villa stays and access, sort the tee times and cost it to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
The Tryall Club questions
Who designed the Tryall Club golf course and how old is it?
The Tryall Club course was designed by Ralph Plummer and opened in 1958 on a former sugar estate on the Caribbean shore west of Montego Bay. It is said to be the only Plummer design outside the United States, and it gained early fame as the venue for an episode of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf in 1962.
What is the par and length of the Tryall course?
Tryall plays as a par 71 of 6,836 yards. The opening loop runs over flatter ground around the old waterwheel and great house before the course heads toward the sea, where the shoreline holes and the trade winds provide the drama. All eighteen greens were rebuilt in the early 2000s and a shoreline 4th hole was added in 1992.
Can visitors play the Tryall Club?
Tryall is a private club, and play is primarily for members and for guests staying in the villas and on the property. Outside guests typically pay a temporary membership to access the facilities. Tee times are booked in advance, so the simplest route to a round is to stay at Tryall or arrange access through a Caribbean golf specialist. Always confirm directly before planning.
How much does it cost to play golf at Tryall?
Indicative green fees have run around 85 US dollars in the low season, roughly May to mid December, rising to about 115 US dollars in the winter high season, with on property guests also paying a temporary membership fee. These figures are indicative and exclude carts, caddies and service charges, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026; access and fee guidance verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.