Discover The Best Kept Secret In The Bahamas
Who doesn’t love being let in on a secret? Especially when it involves an island getaway with a unique blend of elevated amenities and an irreverent spirit. The Abaco Club in the Bahamas offers something unusual: a luxurious private club community that’s mostly under the radar—a place where friends and families can get away without pretense and without formality, but with a sense of community on a palm-covered island surrounded by turquoise seas.
Located in the Abaco Islands, a favorite destination for sailors, fishermen, and watersports aficionados, The Abaco Club is just a 30-minute flight from Florida, but a world away, ideal for a refined, easygoing lifestyle that offers relaxation and activities for the entire family. Set on a narrow peninsula enveloped by tropical waters, the club exudes a captivating island-within-an-island ambiance. In the heart of it all, a stunning two-mile-long white-sand beach edges the tranquil waters of Winding Bay, setting the stage for endless ways to connect, unwind, and partake in the pursuit of play under the warm Bahamian sun.
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The Abaco Club is part of Southworth, which develops and owns private club communities with a decidedly offbeat, unpretentious philosophy. That attitude is reflected in the ever-present club symbol—an Abaco parrot, a bird known for its free-spirited demeanor. (There’s a reason they call a gathering of parrots a “pandemonium!”) As company owner and chairman Joe Deitch says, “We have two simple rules: No jerks and no stupid rules.”
With a newly designed master plan by VITA architects and the award-winning interior design firm of AvroKO, the club is looking to the future by creating several residential enclaves with their own distinct vibe, setting, and price point. These new neighborhoods will complement the club’s existing residential offerings at The Ridge, The Estates, and The Cliffs, where a limited number of properties are now available. Opening this year is the eagerly awaited first of the new developments: the beachfront neighborhood called The Cays, which will include The Winding Bay Beach Club, with a members’ clubhouse, speakeasy, beachfront resort pool, and bar. Here—and throughout the community—the architecture, style, and colors of the residences reflect Bahamian traditions, culture, and heritage.
Meanwhile, there’s plenty to occupy club members. Offshore, these sparkling waters are legendary among anglers who come from around the world in search of trophy fish like tarpon, permit, and wily bonefish that ply the saltwater “flats.” Boaters and sailors can island hop among the myriad cays, stopping to swim, dive, and snorkel, or to enjoy refreshments at a colorful beach bar.
On land, activities abound, beginning with the 18-hole championship golf course designed by links golf gurus Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie that’s been home to the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. The first tropical links course of its kind, the layout boasts pot bunkers and sloping fairways and greens and is a favorite among Tour pros, including the Senior Open champion, Open champion, Ryder Cup captain, and Abaco Club Ambassador Darren Clarke, who calls the club home while not on tour.
Members can enjoy tennis and pickleball, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, and spa and fitness facilities, with exciting new amenities coming in the next few years. They can also take part in a full calendar of unique member events and activities. Or they can practice the fine art of doing nothing, thanks to the detail-oriented attention and service of the warm and welcoming club staff. They’re another reason families come again and again to celebrate holidays, make traditions that last for generations, and nurture friendships based on your authentic self, not what you do or how you make a living.
“People come here just because it’s a special place,” says Clarke. “You come here to relax and chill and do what you want to do, and within reason, you can do whatever you want. What you’ll find whenever you come here is that days and dates seem to disappear. It’s the beauty of the place.”
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