As I arranged excursions for our family getaway aboard the Norwegian Gem this winter, I tried to secure a tee time at the renowned Mahogany Run Golf Course in St. Thomas. After cruising from New York to the Caribbean, the ship docked and Paul Gosselin joined me to play. Our organized Norwegian Cruise Line excursion provided transportation, and three other shipmates — Dom and his son Dom, plus Lou from New York — came along.
Don’t be fooled by the relatively short length (6,022 yards). Mahogany Run can be narrow, with thick native foliage lining many holes. Any offline shots often end up lost in the brush. Opened in 1980 and designed by George and Tom Fazio, the course features seashore paspalum greens and Bermuda fairways, the latter prone to those familiar floppy divots.
Cruise ships in the port © Francis X. Gallagher
Set on 110 acres along the north shore of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mahogany Run is exceptionally scenic. As the island’s only full golf course, it’s popular with celebrities, dignitaries and cruise passengers alike.
The course is particularly famous for the Devil’s Triangle — holes 13, 14 and 15 — and the scorecard even highlights a reward for players who complete these three holes without penalty.
When our driver dropped us off, we grabbed the rental clubs and the two sleeves of balls included in the package. Lou hoped to play as a fivesome, but Paul and I opted for a cart together; I wanted some quiet time to write and to take photos. We headed to the first tee and got underway.
Hole 1 | 414 yards, par 4
Rushing to the tee, we found a couple waiting to play and they graciously waved us through. I scrambled for the driver, tees and balls to avoid slowing them down. My opening tee shot went right into the trees but remained playable. Paul’s first shot was a straight drive to the center of the fairway, setting up the dogleg right. Both of us stumbled on our approaches and finished with double bogeys — a rough start, but we were eager to take on what Mahogany had in store.
Hole 7 | 305 yards, par 4
A strong drive here sets up a short, manageable chip to a green tucked on the right of this dogleg. The hole brought back memories of similar doglegs I’ve played elsewhere, and I was determined to hit a great drive. Instead, a string of misplays left me with a triple bogey. Paul, however, executed a precise drive and chip to save par.
Hole 13 © Francis X. Gallagher
Hole 13 | 327 yards, par 4
This is one of the most beautiful holes I’ve played, with a green that looks out over the Caribbean and neighboring islands. A greenskeeper near the tee advised me not to use the driver, suggesting a 5-iron to place the ball favorably. I followed his advice and hit a perfect shot into the center of the fairway, leaving a good approach to the green. Paul’s tee shot sailed right toward the 15th fairway and later disappeared into trees; his rescue attempts were unlucky. I managed a solid approach onto the front of the green and two-putted for par.
Hole 14 | 159 yards, par 3
Mahogany’s signature par 3 often plays longer than its listed yardage because of prevailing winds that typically blow left to right. The smart play is to aim left and let the wind carry the ball toward the center of the green. Paul and I both missed right; my ball landed some distance off and his ran through to a rocky plateau. After chipping up, we both settled for bogeys.
Hole 15 | 564 yards, par 5
The final hole of the Devil’s Triangle moves away from the ocean views and back into the heart of the course. From the tee the fairway looks tight, though it opens up to the right. I hit one of my best drives down the middle, followed by a strong 3-wood that landed just short of the pond guarding the green. The hole plays fairly straight and downhill into the green. My final approach found the green and I finished with a good score. Paul overhit his approach and sent his ball into condos beyond the green. We left the Triangle with scores we were happy about — no penalties — though I forgot to ask about the advertised prize.
After the round we stopped at Coconuts, the casual spot by the 18th green. Louise runs the kitchen and serves excellent burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches; she also pours a solid beer and makes a flavorful hot sauce. We relaxed over a few cold drinks and finished well ahead of Dom, Dom and Lou.
Mahogany Run Golf Course
One Mahogany Run N.
St. Thomas, USVI 00802
tel 340 777 6250
mahoganyrungolf.com