Tourism Enhancement Fund donates $30,000 to Saint Lucia Golf Association

Castries, Saint Lucia: Getting more Saint Lucian youth involved in the sport of golf is at the heart of a collaboration between the SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Saint Lucia Golf Association (SLGA).

On September 21, 2022 the TEF donated EC $30,000 to the SLGA towards the hosting of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Amateur Championships 2022. Approximately ninety players from ten countries will compete in the three-day sporting event, which is set to tee off on October 7, 2022 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club. Fourteen Saint Lucian golfers, inclusive of two juniors from the Grow Well Golf Programme, are slated to participate.

Secretary of the SLGA, Habib Chreiki, is eager to hit the ground running. “On behalf of SLGA, I would like to thank the Tourism Enhancement Fund for their kind support of the Eastern Caribbean Amateur Championships 2022— a tournament that will reignite golf tourism in Saint Lucia, and give exposure to our most talented competitors,” said Chreiki.

“We are thankful that, like us, the SLHTA is intent on growing the sport on a junior level. To this end, we will be fielding a junior team from Grow Well alongside volunteers from The Sports Academy who will assist in tournament management. We look forward to working with the SLHTA in spreading the game we love to all corners of Saint Lucia!”

TEF Chairman, Winston Anderson, noted that youth development is one of the TEF’s main priorities. “We believe that this collaboration with the SLGA will provide career opportunities for young people, not only as golfers but in a myriad of other areas, including managerial positions, coaches, caddies and greenskeepers, to name a few. We look forward to young people from various communities islandwide benefiting from this sporting discipline in the coming months.”

Commenting on the collaboration TEF Programme Manager, Donette Ismael, stated: “The TEF’s Board of Trustees strongly believes that this project will provide a unique opportunity to nurture talents in a sporting discipline that has not been fully capitalized on. It will provide young, aspiring athletes an opportunity to benefit and gain meaningful exposure to the multifaceted dynamics of golf which will be undoubtedly transformative.”