Great Exuma is the main island in the Exumas and one of the Bahamas’ most beautiful bases for a golf holiday, known for clear turquoise water, soft beaches and a much slower pace than Nassau or Freeport. The wider Exumas chain is made up of 365 islands and cays, with Great Exuma, Little Exuma and the Exuma Cays forming the main areas visitors explore.

The key golf venue is Emerald Bay Golf Course, a Greg Norman-designed 7,001-yard championship course on Great Exuma. It is best known for its oceanfront holes, Caribbean views and resort-style presentation, with several holes playing directly beside the water. The course has also hosted the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour, giving it proper tournament credibility.

One thing to note for packaging: Sandals Emerald Bay closed in August 2024 for redevelopment into Beaches Exuma, with Sandals confirming that the beach and golf course are part of the future resort offer. So for golf holidays, current access and reopening details should be checked before selling it as a confirmed stay-and-play option.

Golf in Great Exuma is best from November to April, when the weather is typically drier and more comfortable for outdoor activities. The summer months are warmer, quieter and more humid, with greater weather risk.

Off the course, Great Exuma is all about the water. Boat trips to the Exuma Cays, swimming pigs, snorkelling, sandbars, Stocking Island and quiet beach days are the big draws. The Bahamas’ official tourism site highlights the Exumas for secluded beaches, deserted cays and those famously blue waters.

For golfers seeking Caribbean scenery, luxury resort potential and a trip that blends golf with boating, beaches and island-hopping, Great Exuma is one of the Bahamas’ most memorable golf escapes.