If you have asked, “Which Sandals resort actually includes golf in 2026?” the answer is six properties: three in Jamaica that share Upton Estate Golf & Country Club in Ocho Rios, and three in Saint Lucia that share Cap Estate Golf & Country Club at the north tip of the island. I am Jim, an IATA-registered travel agent and Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite member, and I have personally played both courses while staying at every Sandals on this list.
Two important things have changed since this post first ran. First, the on-property 9-hole course at Sandals Regency La Toc closed indefinitely in late 2023 and the land is being redeveloped for new accommodations. La Toc guests still get included green fees and round-trip transfers to Cap Estate. Second, the Ocho Rios course was rebranded from “Sandals Golf & Country Club” to Upton Estate Golf & Country Club. Same course, same Sandals ownership, same complimentary access for guests of the three Ocho Rios resorts.
If you only golf occasionally, any of the six works because the all-inclusive package is the same as every other Sandals. If golf is the reason for the trip, my pick for 2026 is Sandals Ochi for Jamaica and Sandals Grande St. Lucian for Saint Lucia. Both put you the closest to their respective course and both run the most reliable shuttle schedule.
All 6 Sandals Resorts with Golf Included (2026)
Ranked by how strong the golf package actually is for a 2026 booking. Within each island the closer resort to the course leads, because shorter shuttles mean more rounds in less time.
1. Sandals Ochi (Jamaica)
Sandals Ochi sits about five minutes by shuttle from Upton Estate, the closest of any Sandals to the Jamaica course. The 18-hole layout was redesigned with new Bermuda fairways, the Par 71 plays through hillside fairways with sea views from most holes, and Sandals Ochi guests get the most generous tee-time access of the three Ochi resorts because the course is essentially their backyard.
- Best for: golfers who want the most rounds in for the least shuttle time
- Course: Upton Estate Golf & Country Club, Par 71, 18 holes
- Transfer time: 5 minutes, complimentary, runs roughly hourly
- Resort size: 515 rooms across an upper Mountainside village and a lower Beachfront village (cable car connects them)
Off the course, Sandals Ochi has the most restaurants of any Sandals at 17, including Soy sushi, Valentino’s Italian, and a speakeasy bar. The pool count tops 100 between the two villages and there is a private beach club for adults-only sun loungers. If your partner does not golf, this is the easiest property to keep them happy while you tee off.
2. Sandals Royal Plantation (Jamaica)
This is the boutique pick of the Jamaica trio: 74 ocean-view suites, full butler service for every room category, and a clifftop position above two private coves. The shuttle to Upton Estate is about ten minutes. Royal Plantation also has full exchange privileges with neighboring Sandals Ochi (a free shuttle every 30 minutes), so you essentially get a small luxury hotel as your home base and a 515-room resort next door for variety.
- Best for: couples who want butler service and a quieter base while one partner golfs
- Course: Upton Estate Golf & Country Club, Par 71, 18 holes (Golf Digest 4-star rating)
- Transfer time: 10 minutes, complimentary
- Resort size: 74 suites, all-butler, all ocean view
Suite categories start at the Honeymoon Hideaway Oceanview Butler Suite and top out at the Royal Plantation Penthouse with a private rooftop terrace and butler-drawn bath service. The signature touch is the Champagne and Caviar Bar, which is included as part of the all-inclusive package. After 18 holes at Upton Estate this is the rare Sandals where you can come back to a glass of Mumm and a tin of caviar at no extra charge.
3. Sandals Dunn’s River (Jamaica)
Sandals Dunn’s River reopened in May 2023 as the brand’s flagship Jamaican resort and added the Caribbean’s first Sky Villa Rondovals (suites with a private rooftop infinity pool). It sits on the next bay west of Ocho Rios near the famous Dunn’s River Falls, so the shuttle to Upton Estate is the longest of the three Jamaica resorts at about 25 minutes. Green fees and round-trip transport are still complimentary.
- Best for: golfers who want the newest property and do not mind a longer shuttle
- Course: Upton Estate Golf & Country Club, Par 71, 18 holes
- Transfer time: 25 minutes, complimentary
- Resort size: ~260 suites including 16 Sky Villa Rondovals with rooftop infinity pools
Dunn’s River has a lazy river that loops around the central pool deck (the only one at any Sandals), 12 specialty restaurants, and a Sky Pool Bar perched on the resort’s rooftop. The 25-minute transfer means you should book the morning shuttle and plan to be off the course by mid-afternoon, but the property itself is the strongest argument for picking this one over Ochi or Royal Plantation if golf is one piece of the trip rather than the whole point.
4. Sandals Grande St. Lucian (Saint Lucia)
Grande St. Lucian sits on its own peninsula at the tip of Rodney Bay, the closest of the three Saint Lucia resorts to Cap Estate Golf & Country Club. The shuttle takes about 10 minutes through the Cap Estate residential area and runs throughout the day. Green fees, transfers, and the Stay at One Play at Three exchange privileges with Halcyon Beach and Regency La Toc are all part of your stay.
- Best for: Saint Lucia golfers who also want overwater bungalows and the calmest swimming bay on the island
- Course: Cap Estate Golf & Country Club, Par 71, 18 holes (designed by Ron Kirby)
- Transfer time: 10 minutes, complimentary
- Resort size: 301 rooms including overwater honeymoon bungalows
The peninsula layout means you have the calm Caribbean on one side and the open Atlantic on the other, with the volcanic Pitons visible to the south on a clear day. The overwater bungalows here are the second-cheapest in the Sandals collection (after Grenada), which makes Grande St. Lucian the easiest way to combine “I want to play Cap Estate” with “I want an overwater suite for our anniversary.”
5. Sandals Halcyon Beach (Saint Lucia)
Halcyon is the smallest and quietest of the three Saint Lucia resorts, with 169 rooms strung along a calm crescent beach south of Castries. The shuttle to Cap Estate is about 25 to 30 minutes depending on traffic through the capital, so plan a morning tee time. The trade-off is price: Halcyon is consistently the cheapest of the Saint Lucia trio for a comparable room category.
- Best for: value-conscious golfers who want Saint Lucia at the lowest published Sandals rate
- Course: Cap Estate Golf & Country Club, Par 71, 18 holes
- Transfer time: 25 to 30 minutes, complimentary
- Resort size: 169 rooms, intimate beachfront layout
Standout features for non-golf time: the over-the-water Kelly’s Dockside grill at the end of the pier, three swim-up bars, and a Beachfront Honeymoon Butler Suite with a private plunge pool. Halcyon also gives you full exchange privileges with Grande St. Lucian and Regency La Toc, so you can dine at all 23 restaurants across the three resorts and use the same Cap Estate shuttle from any of them.
6. Sandals Regency La Toc (Saint Lucia)
Important update: the on-property 9-hole La Toc course closed indefinitely at the end of 2023 and the land is being redeveloped for new accommodations. Older blog posts (including the previous version of this one) still reference the on-site course, but as of 2026 it is not playable. La Toc guests instead get the same complimentary green fees and round-trip transfers to Cap Estate Golf & Country Club as the other two Saint Lucia Sandals.
- Best for: Saint Lucia golfers who specifically want the La Toc resort and accept a longer shuttle to Cap Estate
- Course: Cap Estate Golf & Country Club (off-property), Par 71, 18 holes
- On-property course status: 9-hole La Toc course closed indefinitely as of late 2023
- Transfer time to Cap Estate: ~35 minutes (it is the southernmost of the three resorts)
- Resort size: 332 rooms across a hillside Sunset Bluff section and a beachfront section
If golf is the priority, I would book Grande St. Lucian or Halcyon over La Toc for 2026 because both have shorter shuttles. La Toc is still a great Saint Lucia choice for everything else: a half-mile of crescent beach, the all-suite Sunset Bluff section with private plunge pools, ten restaurants including Bayside seafood and Kimonos teppanyaki, and the same Stay at One Play at Three exchange privileges with the other two Sandals on the island.
The Two Courses, Side by Side
You only get to play one of two courses through the included green fees, so it helps to know what you are picking when you choose between Jamaica and Saint Lucia.
- Upton Estate (Ocho Rios, Jamaica): Par 71, 18 holes, ~6,300 yards from the back tees, Bermuda fairways. Hilly with elevated tee boxes and ocean views from most holes. Owned and operated by Sandals (rebranded from Sandals Golf & Country Club). Complimentary for guests of Sandals Ochi, Royal Plantation, and Dunn’s River.
- Cap Estate (Saint Lucia): Par 71, 18 holes, ~6,815 yards, Ron Kirby design. Mostly flat with sweeping Atlantic views from the back nine. A long-standing partner course of Sandals (not Sandals-owned). Complimentary for guests of Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Halcyon Beach, and Regency La Toc.
For pure shot-making variety I prefer Upton Estate because the elevation changes give you more creative club selections. For ocean views and a more forgiving layout for higher handicaps I prefer Cap Estate. Both are walkable in about 4 hours with a cart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Sandals resorts include golf in 2026?
Six resorts include green fees as part of your stay: in Jamaica, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Royal Plantation, and Sandals Dunn’s River all share Upton Estate Golf & Country Club in Ocho Rios. In Saint Lucia, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, and Sandals Regency La Toc all share Cap Estate Golf & Country Club at the north end of the island.
What happened to the golf course at Sandals Regency La Toc?
The 9-hole La Toc Golf Course on the resort grounds closed indefinitely in late 2023 and Sandals has not announced a reopening. Some of the former fairways are being repurposed for new accommodations as part of the resort’s ongoing expansion. Saint Lucia Sandals guests now play exclusively at Cap Estate Golf & Country Club, with green fees and round-trip transfers included.
What about Sandals Emerald Bay in the Bahamas?
Sandals Emerald Bay closed to guests on August 15, 2024 and is being converted into Beaches Exuma, the family-focused sister brand. The Greg Norman-designed Emerald Reef golf course is slated to remain part of the property under the Beaches brand, with reopening currently projected for late 2027. Until then, the only Sandals resorts with included golf are the six in Jamaica and Saint Lucia listed above.
Is golf actually free at Sandals?
Green fees and round-trip transfers between the resort and the course are included for all six golf resorts. Cart rental, club rental, shoe rental, range balls, and pro-shop merchandise are extra and paid at the course. Caddies are available at both courses for an additional fee plus tip. Plan on roughly $50 to $80 per round in cart and gratuity costs even when the green fee is comped.
Which Sandals has the best golf course?
Of the two courses, Cap Estate in Saint Lucia is the longer and more strategically interesting layout, while Upton Estate in Jamaica has the better elevation changes and ocean views. For pure golf experience I give the slight edge to Cap Estate, which means Sandals Grande St. Lucian is the resort I would book if golf is the centerpiece of the trip. For a Sandals trip where golf is one of several priorities, Sandals Ochi gives you the easiest day-to-day course access in the collection.
Can non-golfers stay at a Sandals golf resort?
Yes. The six golf resorts are the same all-inclusive properties as every other Sandals, with the same beaches, restaurants, butler service tiers, Red Lane Spas, and overwater suites where applicable. Golf is one option among many, not a requirement. If your partner does not golf, the golf-resort designation costs you nothing extra and you can compare against my full 17 Sandals resorts ranking on every other dimension.
Do other Sandals resorts have golf nearby that you can pay to play?
Yes, but you pay all fees yourself. Sandals Royal Curaçao sits next to Old Quarry Golf Course (Pete Dye design). Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Barbados are 15 minutes from Royal Westmoreland and Apes Hill. Sandals Grenada is close to the new Six Senses Le Phare golf development. None of these include green fees in the all-inclusive package, so factor in roughly $150 to $300 per round if you book one.
