If your goal for a Caribbean vacation is to play as much golf as you can until your arms fall off, no one will blame you for choosing a resort in the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico, where you’ll have your choice of myriad courses. However, you don’t visit paradise to ignore the elements that make it so special, so you should choose a destination that offers not only the ideal venues for a few rounds, but also more natural beauty than you’ve ever seen.

Antigua is, of course, legendary for its 365 beaches, or one for every day of the year — a popular refrain typically mentioned by anyone who has ever visited and therefore wants to show you Instagram photos for several hours. For any type of vacation, this island — and its sister, Barbuda — will check every box, and that includes golf. Cedar Valley Golf Course should already be on every Caribbean-loving golfer’s radar, as the views alone make it a vacation bragging point.

Typically, I’d recommend finding a property that splits the distance between an island’s courses — much like with Curaçao, for example — but Antigua is a very easy island to explore, with very little time between almost any Points A and B, so you’ll want to choose an ideal base camp not only for access to “all of the above,” but also one that is affordable and leaves extra cash in your pocket for multiple rounds and plenty of great meals. That property is The Inn at English Harbour.

Nestled inside the natural beauty of the central southern tip of Antigua, The Inn at English Harbour boasts 28 suites and cabanas, which means it isn’t crowded and the staff is always very attentive. While guests might never want to leave Galleon Beach, they’re not far from some of the island’s must-see spots like Rendezvous Bay Beach, Carlisle Bay Beach, and Mount Carmel, among others. In fact, you could basically set an entire vacation itinerary based on a clockwise trip around the island starting from The Inn.

If you’ve been slacking on a summer getaway, now is the time to circle Antigua on your map. Through September 1, travelers who book three or more nights will enjoy a 20 percent discount on the stylish beach cabanas, and multi-generational families looking for the ideal destination for a milestone event will receive a room for the children free when booking two rooms for a minimum of six nights (between now and August 31).

However, if you’re looking to escape the fall and winter chills, you can also save 15 percent on rates for visits of seven nights or more from October 12, 2024, all the way through December 20, 2025. (Blackout dates for the winter holidays apply.)

Cedar Valley Golf Course sits close to 12 o’clock on the northern side of Antigua, which I know sounds antithetical to a convenient driving experience, but it’s roughly 40 minutes away and, again, this is about seeing it all. While the 18-hole course doesn’t have a groundbreaking signature hole design or wild challenges like some newer tropical courses, Cedar Valley, like this island itself, wins people over with simple elegance and understated natural beauty.

(Side note: Antigua has a second course, Jolly Harbour Golf Club, but its reputation is, shall we say, not great. Play at your own discretion, as many golfers have complained about it being an incomplete and downright frustrating experience.)