Category Archives: Bahamas

WHEN Iram Lewis spoke in Parliament during his Budget contribution, his words would have been reassuring.

With hurricane season now upon us, the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness said that shelters have been identified for all islands.

Not so, according to the National Emergency Management Agencys own list of shelters.

If you live in some parts of The Bahamas, you may be all out of luck if you go looking for a shelter.

The first list of shelters issued on June 6 said that shelters were actively being sought in Central Abaco, Grand Bahama and Spanish Wells while the update on Sunday added a new twist for those locations, plus Salina Point. Evacuation plans should be considered, warns the list.

Mr Lewis may not have returned our request for comment yesterday, but NEMA director Captain Stephen Russell made clear there is a problem.

There is no shelter in Abaco, so in the event of a storm, there really needs to be an option, whether to the north or south or other area to evacuate, he said.

Now we are under no illusions about the damage suffered during Hurricane Dorian Abaco particularly suffered. Tribune staff witnessed first hand the devastation as the storm struck the island.

That said, Hurricane Dorian was in September and we are now in mid-June at what point did the active search begin for shelters. Surely it was fairly obvious what buildings might be suitable as shelters, and a swift examination would have been able to determine whether they were strong enough to survive another storm. That could surely have been concluded months ago. Could a shelter have been built between the passing of Dorian and now?

Those who survived Hurricane Dorian are frustrated enough with the slow pace of reconstruction being left with nowhere to shelter is hardly likely to make them feel less like second-class citizens.

And what do we do with evacuees if the worst comes to pass? Captain Russell estimates that would be up to 6,000 people having to be housed and as Dorian has shown us, we do not know for how long that might be.

So dont tell us everything is fine when it is not, Mr Lewis, and dont tell us there are shelters for all islands when thousands of Bahamians are left out in the cold.

NEMA is apparently finalising a plan this week to be sent to the minister regarding evacuation plans. Thank goodness we havent needed it already, given we are several week into hurricane season already.

This is the very definition of too little, too late.

Businesses are back in operation. Restaurants are serving diners. People are back in offices, and back seeing families.

So why on earth is there still a 9pm curfew? We quite understand that the government put it in place during the lockdown period to stop the spread of the virus, but the number of cases has dropped to a trickle the last confirmed case was a patient with a history of travel.

But now that we are out and about, should the emphasis not be on doing so safely rather than having to scurry home before 9pm?

Were not entirely sure of the reasoning. Is it because it helps to clamp down on crime in which case its not being used for the emergency it was introduced for? Is it the same reasoning that saw liquor stores kept closed, making people feel the government was telling them that nanny knows best.

Some of us need to do better too such as the people out on Arawak Cay without masks and saying no one looked sick. Well, thats the point of masks. If youre sick, stay home, but you can carry the virus without looking sick so put your mask on for the sake of others.

But it seems that the time for this curfew has gone now. Certainly, we cant imagine tourists arriving in a couple of weeks and being told that they have to be back in their hotels by 9pm.

If people can be in an office space through the day, we suspect they can be in an open air seating area without having to scurry home like Cinderella. Time to lift this curfew.

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EDITORIAL: Leave no island behind - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Bahamas Red Cross Societys team of 29 employees and dozens of volunteers distributes over 1,000 food packages each day and that number continues to grow with the adverse impact of COVID-19 on households.

Dubbed Meals on Wheels, the initiative covers six routes on the islands of Grand Bahama and New Providence.

To keep the wheels rolling, CIBC FirstCaribbean recently made a much-needed financial donation to the programme which sources, prepares, packages, and personally delivers nutritious meals to the elderly, shut-in, disabled, and now, persons feeling the brunt of COVID-19 pandemic.

Terez Curry, President of The Bahamas Red Cross Society, accepted the cheque presented by CIBC FirstCaribbean Managing Director Marie Rodland-Allen.

As donor-dollars dwindle, Curry applauded the banks steadfast support.

I appreciate you coming to the Red Cross, especially as donor-dollars go down as we experience COVID-19. As I am sure you are inundated with requests, we appreciate you keeping us in mind, she said.

The Red Cross Meals on Wheels donation directly combats the food insecurity faced by vulnerable individuals and families who are sometimes met with health and financial challenges too. Most recently, the unemployment spike, due to the novel coronavirus, has increased the programmes demand tenfold.

Rodland-Allen commended The Bahamas Red Cross Society for its extraordinary, holistic approach to humanitarianism. Underlining the impact of Meals on Wheels, she also made reference to The Bahamas Red Cross Societys post-Hurricane Dorian initiatives.

You have so many programmes that are making a big difference. We know that this donation is going to very good use, and you have our full support. We look forward to maintaining this partnership with the Red Cross assisting as best as we can, Rodland-Allen said.

In addition to ongoing donations to local charities, CIBC FirstCaribbean has underscored its commitment to the regions tourism industry, and COVID-19 relief through special offerings for eligible clients.

These offerings include:

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'Meals on Wheels' programme rolls on with bank's support - EyeWitness News

Having studied the regulatory documents, it was found out that now suppliers of trading services in the segment of contracts for difference, CFD, Bahamian license will cost a pretty penny.

In particular, Parliament passed a law proposed by the Bahamas Securities Commission on March 27, 2020, which amended the current rules on fees and commissions.

Now, individuals who wish to register as a dealer of contracts for difference will have to pay a registration fee of $2,500, a registration fee of $15,000 and an annual license renewal fee of $30,000.

In addition, a registered CFD broker must, in addition to paying an annual renewal fee, pay a quarterly activity fee of US $ 45,000, except in cases where the commission is exempted or reduced.

In addition, the CFD Supervisory Officer will be a subject to an application fee of $1,000, a registration fee of $3,000, and an annual renewal fee of $5,000.

Thus, the annual cost of a license will increase 15 times, from $16,500 to $230,000.

The Bahamas are one of the most legitimate offshore jurisdictions. However, a sharp increase in fees is a very strange step on the part of the regulator. Of course, the high cost of a license will scare away scammers, but decent brokers who need offshore jurisdiction will leave with them. Fortunately, they have a choice, for example, Seychelles or Vanuatu.

Tal Itzhak Ron, who is Chairman and CEO of Tal Ron, Drihem & Co. explained that the Bahamas has ceased to be cost-effective, and he did not recommend this jurisdiction, as well as other jurisdictions of Plan B (Belize, Bermuda, Barbados). A Vanuatu license costs 41,000 plus capital of 48,000. In recent years, this jurisdiction has become one of the best for forex and CFD brokers outside the EU. If you are new to this industry, you may not have to consider jurisdictions such as the Bahamas or the British Virgin Islands.

Today, despite the high cost, some large companies in the industry, continue to maintain their licenses in Belize. Bahamian licenses are held by FxPro, IC Markets, Infinox and XM. Starting with a capital of 180 thousand dollars for a broker, or 300 thousand dollars for a market maker is an expensive pleasure, not to mention the expensive costs of maintaining the local infrastructure. Large GCs that already have this license will probably not refuse it. However, other companies will also consider the jurisdiction of the Bahamas, despite its high cost.

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Bahamas becomes the jurisdiction of wealthy Forex brokers - Forex News Now

EDITOR, The Tribune

The good old fashioned system of values which my late father (Reverend Dr. Ortland H. Bodie Sr.) and my late beloved mother (Annie Hepburn Deveaux) instilled in me and my siblings growing up back in the day has stood the test of time. Those values included a love and respect for The Lord Jesus Christ; taking responsibility for ones behaviour and choices; self reliance; hard work; thrift and honesty.

Not for one minute would I dare suggest that as I matured into adulthood that I would have faithfully observed all of them but, by and large, if I may say so, they stood me well. I have done my level best to attempt to instil the same in my own children. Values are extremely important if a society is to evolve into all it can be for as many as possible. Permit me to offer my rationale on this.

Back in the day it was regarded as unusual to see and hear about children having children as we now see all over the place. These children that are being produced are illegitimate or being raised in a so-called single parent home, usually the mother. 65% of all live Bahamian births are out of wedlock.

Our inner city areas here in New Providence and Grand Bahama are filled with people who have not been able to motivate themselves to take advantage of available educational opportunities, with a bunch of drug users and addicts and a growing and expanding dependency on the central government of the day. Some will make it out of the ghetto, but many others will go on from generation to generation in the same never ending quagmire.

When a family fails society at large fails also and fails big time with repercussions which are felt long into the future. The bulk of our younger Bahamians are GONE and they would appear not to care less. The powers that be come and they go but they hardly ever concentrate on the causes much less the solutions to this vexing and debilitating scenario.

The leading cause of death among our younger Bahamians today is homicide or murder. There appears to be no respect or value for life. A person appears to be willing to kill at the drop of a hat or less. Some social scientists suggest that one cannot legislate morals but I beg to differ. Our criminal justice system is based on morals that condemn certain types of behaviour within society.

If you breach them you will be expected to pay a price, ie incarceration; fines and/or execution in the worst cases. Today, the death penalty has gone the way of the extinct Dodo. We mouth that we are a Christian nation but most of you would not recognize a real Christian even if He were to come down, again, off the cross. We need to renew our commitment to our Judeo-Christian values in our churches; our houses of worship; our communities and in public life.

Thou Shall Not Lie or bear False Witness is one of the classical 10 Commandments. In The Bahamas many of us, especially the politicians pay lip service to that one listed and the majority if not all of the rest. Case in point: During the 2017 electoral campaign, Minnis and crew made all sorts of bogus promises which he/they must have known were lies. Not a single one of those myriad of promises has been enacted or fulfilled so far, save and except that educational costs are being borne by the government.

Our religious (not spiritual) leaders have now become steadfast secular allies of the politicians, especially those in power de jour. They clamour for a seat at the head table. A few of them seek governmental positions as if they would gain entry into the Celestial Kingdom by such means. They have ceased to preach: Thus Saith The Lord but now ask: What would the PM think?

One year after Minnis and crew would have been in office the scales fell from my eyes. Yes, there are one or two ministries which are ticking and performing like clock work despite the overall challenges. The Ministry of Tourism & Aviation along with the Ministry of Social Development are doing yeomens jobs in challenging circumstances. The other ministries, by and large in my opinion are simply there to ensure a job and/or an income for cabinet level personnel.

Two years ago, after the humongous scales fell off, I warned the people of this wonderful nation that the PM et al did not know what the hell they were/are doing. I can now say without fear of contradiction: See I Told You So. They said that it was the peoples time and by damned you all got shafted big time with a jagged piece of stick.

No Accountability and Fiscal Responsibility Act; no Freedom of Information Act; Where is Local Government for New Providence; what about the long overdue infrastructural work: reduction in a long bloated civil service and affordable housing or the freeing up of Crown Land for commercial and residential purposes? Promises made BUT promises not kept.

See I told you so! To God then, Who always keeps His promises, come hell or high water, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, Jr.

Nassau,

June 14, 2020.

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People seem to kill at the drop of a hat - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The government is looking at how it will seek to mandate the use of masks in public spaces once the emergency orders are lifted, according to Attorney General Carl Bethel.

Bethel, however, did not indicate what avenues are being considered once the country reopens for economic activity on July 1.

We are looking at how to do it, he told Eyewitness News when asked.

The Bahamas has been in a state of emergency since March 17 with a 24-hour curfew and weekend lockdowns.

The government passed sweeping orders, implementing strict social distancing protocols in order to slow the local spread of the virus.

On April 8, the government ordered thateveryone in The Bahamas should wear a mask when leaving their homes.

Every person who leaves his residence in accordance with the provisions of this order and any exemption granted hereunder shall wear a mask covering his nose and mouth while away from his residence, according to the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No. 2) (Amendment) (No. 7) Order, 2020.

An exempted business or undertaking may deny entry to any person not wearing a mask covering his nose and mouth.

Throughout the early course of the global outbreak of COVID19, general messaging from health authorities consistently urged that there was no need to wear a protective mask.

However, the government made the decision to implement the mandatory use of masks as apersonal defense measure against asymptomatic people.

The government also prohibited the importation of non-medical protective face masks creating a million dollar mask industry overnight.

The state of emergency is expected to come to an end on June 29, along with the emergency orders.

While weekend lockdowns came to an end this week, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said the 9pm curfew will remain in effect until then.

The country is moving into Phase 4 of the governments plan for reopening, with the resumption of operations of restaurants, bars, and beauty professionals by Monday.

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Govt. looking to mandate the use of masks in public spaces - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has announced a second phase of financial relief options for its Caribbean clients impacted by the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.

The Canadian bank with operations in the Caribbean in notice issued yesterday said that effective immediately, RBC PersonalBanking clients in the Caribbean will be able to apply for payment deferrals on auto loans, instalment loans, and mortgages. Clients may defer their payments for up to three months. Clients can participate in the deferral programby applying online through their web browser athttps://caribbean.rbcroyalbank.com.RBC FINCO mortgage clients must callthe banksBahamas Advice Centre at (242) 356-8500 or speak to their FINCO representative. Clients must apply for deferrals bymid-dayon July 15, 2020.

Business Banking and Corporate Banking clients may alsoapplyfor financial relief, following individual eligibility assessments with a Relationship Manager.

To be eligible for the program, client accountsmust be current and in good standing as of February 29, 2020.Clients who participated in the first phase of automatic payment deferrals are eligible to apply for these additional deferrals. Clients who are already participating in non-coronavirus RBC relief programsare excludedfrom this program.

The relief programis intended to provide flexible solutions and help clients manage through the impacts of COVID-19, such as pay disruption, childcare disruption due to school closures, or dealing with the COVID-19 illness itself. However, clients who are in a position to keep making their regular monthly payments are encouraged to do so, said the bank.

It added: RBC will continue to monitor COVID-19 and the evolving economic conditions in each country and territory where the bank operates. RBC may consider other relief measures, if necessary.

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RBC unveils second phase of COVID-19 relief - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson said the Minister of Education must find a new way to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as teachers return to schools with uncertainty as to what is expected of them.

The government announced the closure of schools on March 15, after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country.

After weeks of closures and a shift to virtual learning, some teachers returned to the classrooms last Wednesday.

Wilson said BUT stewards, assistant shop stewards, and executives conducted an inspection of schools throughout The Bahamas.

Many of the schools did not have the sanitizers, mask, markers for social distancing nor were the classrooms cleaned, she advised.

Most principals did not have any information from the Ministry of Education so it was trial and error.

Janitress arrived at school the same time as teachers so they did not have an opportunity to clean.

However, some principals who were proactive provided hand sanitizer and mask mostly at a few small institutions.

Wilson said some schools were a little better prepared with the necessary supplied but teachers are still uncertain as to what is expected of them.

We will continue to monitor the situation and teachers are reminded to be safe and follow all protocols, she said.

It is hoped that the Ministry of Education must change its modus operandi so that they can successfully navigate through this COVID-19 Pandemic and beyond.

Teachers with co-morbidities and illnesses have been advised to remain home and make contact with their principals.

Last week,Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced that National Exams including BJCs and BGCSEs will be held on July 13.

The new date has garnered mixed views, with dozens of people voicing concerns over the readiness of students to take the test.

However, some teachers have also called into question the readiness of schools to host the examinations.

One teacher noted in a social media post that students will have to be spaced out in multiple classrooms in order to comply to social distancing protocols.

However, she indicated that for the aural part of the English BGCSE and BJC exams, multiple CD players and test CDs will be required for each classroom which most schools do not have.

Additionally, she noted that exam CDs are not allowed to be opened before the exams and cannot be replicated.

This is just among several concerns over how schools will have to shift operations to adjust to the virus.

When asked about the capacity concerns, Education Director Marcellus Taylor told Eyewitness News:We are aware of many such issues and seeking to address all of them.

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BUT: Some teachers return to school what now? - EyeWitness News

Tourism officials from The Bahamas announced Thursday it would open its borders to international tourists starting on July 1.

According to Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Director General Joy Jibrilu, the island nation is focused on the safety of visitors and is working with health and government to welcome guests back without fear of a second wave of coronavirus infections.

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The Bahamas closed its borders to travelers in March as the viral pandemic spread, but the nation began launching a campaign in April to inspire people through empathy.

As a result, tourists in the United States suffering from cabin fever due to the quarantines began searching for vacations in the Caribbean again and the Bahamas was at the top of the list.

Survey data presented by the tourism board showed that 40 percent of respondents willing to travel wanted to visit a beach destination, with seclusion and cruise alternatives topping the list of desires.

While data also showed many travelers would wait four-to-six months to travel again, they are preparing to hit the road and The Bahamas will be ready. Officials will soon be entering Phase 3 of reopening by increasing advertisements and ensuring the countrys brand is fresh on peoples minds.

Another main focus of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation is hurricane season, which begins officially on Monday. The nations tourism industry rebounded from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian and plans remain in place to protect locals and visitors this season.

To help entice travelers to return, the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association also said that the majority of member brands offer a hurricane cancelation policy to protect tourists thinking about visiting the islands in the coming months.

Link:

Bahamas Announces Borders Reopening to Travelers on July 1 - TravelPulse

The online trading regulatory landscape is about to get a shakeup in The Bahamas, one of the most popular and legitimate offshore destinations for foreign exchange and CFD brokers, with the nations regulator, the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, to implement a range of new regulations, including leverage restrictions.

In particular, Finance Magnates has learned exclusively that the new regulation has been tabled by the Government of The Bahamas on the 27th of May 2020. Therefore, the countrys regulator will be implementing leverage restrictions of 200:1, as well as ban binary options trading. The regulator will also impose marketing restrictions, which will limit cold calling and other aggressive marketing tactics.

The Most Diverse Audience to Date at FMLS 2020 Where Finance Meets Innovation

Finance Magnates has seen a copy of the new rules Securities Industry (Contracts For Differences) Rules, 2020. According to the document, the Securities Commission of The Bahamas will require a minimum of 0.5 percent margin; a maximum 200:1 leverage will be applied to all underlying CFD assets except for crypto-currencies which the watchdog will establish on a case-by-case basis and brokers will need to ensure a retail client accounts net equity does not fall below 50 percent.

Trading in binary options will be prohibited for retail clients, and the SC will place restrictions on retail incentives, where enticements and bonuses will be banned, and negative balance protection will be required.

Furthermore, CFD businesses will be required to register the person responsible for the supervision of the company, who will ensure the company remains in compliance with the law.

There will also be additional reporting requirements specifically regarding CFD transactions, as well as standardized risk warnings and formats, similar to those implemented by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Following ESMA implementing its product intervention measures, which severely limited leverage and placed restrictions on marketing, traders started leaving the continent in search of better trading conditions.

A lot of them ended up in The Bahamas, which has led to a number of brokers acquiring licenses from the Securities Commission of The Bahamas. Although the island nation does have a broker-dealer regulatory framework, until this point, dealing CFDs was loosely defined.

ATFX Thanks NHS Frontline Workers with 1k Fruit Boxes DonationGo to article >>

Following this, the online trading space has boomed over the past few years in the country. This has been a benefit for the country, which is heavily reliant on tourism, in terms of economic diversification and jobs.

Speaking to Finance Magnates, Andrew Rolle, Executive Committee Member of the Bahamas Investment & Securities Business Association (BISBA), said: Our aim is to help shape a regulatory environment where industry thrives within the context of protecting the jurisdictions reputation. The new rules are intended to satisfy consumers demands for protection and encourage more brokers to choose the Bahamas as their jurisdiction of choice. For the Bahamas, this leads to securing growth within the securities industry and jobs creation.

However, this boom has led to the regulator wanting to create an environment, which balances safety and opportunity. Taking inspiration from ESMA, and from other European regulators who have largely followed its lead, the Securities Commission has decided to crack down on what it believes is the real villain aggressive marketing and other bad practices, without having to significantly reduce leverage.

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas seems to be positioning the jurisdiction in a Goldielocks zone, commented Jim Manczak, Director of Bahamas Offshore Services. A set of rules more sensible than in the EU, but not as loose as most offshore jurisdictions. Im curious about how clients and brokers will react.

Furthermore, the regulator will allow professional clients who will not be subject to minimum margin requirements. A CFD firm can designate a client as an elective professional client only after the company has tested the client to determine their expertise, experience, and knowledge of CFDs and ensure that they understand the nature of the transactions or services.

According to the document, the client must elect to attain this status and must meet two of the following criteria:

The regulation changes by the SC show a commitment to the forex and CFD industry within the country, and will further legitimize the nation as a serious but friendly jurisdiction for trading.

However, it will be interesting to see what larger implications this regulation will have on the FX industry will other offshore jurisdictions follow suit, will The Bahamas lose its status as one of the best offshore jurisdictions, or will it work in favor of the country?

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Breaking: SC of The Bahamas to Implement Massive Regulatory Changes - Finance Magnates

By: Tim Reilly May 28, 2020

The 18th hole at The Abaco Club is a demanding challenge that comes with a surreal view on its perched-up oceanside green.

The Abaco Club

Welcometo our Where I played series, in which a resident GOLF staffer runs througha recent day at a course you might play in your future. Today, weve got theAbaco Club on Winding Bay, a true links course in the Bahamas.

Unlike its boisterous counterparts in the Bahamas, The Abaco Club on Winding Bay is a quiet refuge from the world. Abaco is home to a Scottish-style links course thats right, a links course in the Bahamas designed by Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie. Sadly, in September 2019, Category 5 Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on the Great Abaco area and the club was closed for two months while it was rebuilt and recovered.

The Winding Bay Fundwas established to specifically assist the people of Abaco in the form of food, shelter, medical aid and supplies, and to provide assistance in the islands clean-up and rebuilding efforts. To date, the fund has raised over $3 million through donations from members, friends, family and visitors.

But The Abaco Club reopened for business less than two months after Dorian and hasnt looked back since. Heres what you should know about this under-the-radar Bahamas gem.

The 4th hole at The Abaco Club is the first time you get a glimpse of the ocean on the course, but it wont be the last.

The Abaco Club

Course: The Abaco Club on Winding Bay

My tee time: 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13; and 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14 (I couldnt resist going around a second time!)

Course Type: Private

Membership options: Full Membership Resident, Abaco Membership Non-Resident, Full Membership Non-Resident Bahamian Citizen, International Membership Non-Resident, Sports Membership, Social Membership

Price: Varies by season

How to get there: Traveling from New York, I took a connecting flight through Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Located just 186 miles east of Palm Beach, its a short puddle-jumper flight from the Florida coast.

Difficulty: You need to play well to score well. There wont be many lucky breaks coming your way. The fairway terrain often leaves you with an uneven lie and theres little room for error on approach shots. In true links fashion, its not uncommon to watch what you felt was a good shot roll 10-15 yards off the green in any direction. The undulated greens make it fun to track your ball when you strike putts just right but it also leaves you scratching your head when you dont.

The course gradually picks up in difficultly. Hole Nos. 15-18 are a real test and known as the best final stretch in the Bahamas. (Lets just say the views on those four helped distract me from the numbers on my scorecard.) The Abaco Club is challenging in the way a course should be, leaving you to say, I want to play again knowing what I do now.

Fun fact: The first tee is located just steps away from a cabana bar, Flippers, on the beach. Seriously, just steps away. Before my Friday twilight round, I lounged on the beach that looked like something youd find on a postcard, grabbed a drink at the bar and took it with me to the courseand made it back to the bar when I was done playing. Its the ideal circle of life when it comes to Bahamas golf livin.

Notable holes:

No. 4 (180-yard par-3) As the first hole that comes with a backdrop of the ocean, this is when the full beauty of the course truly begins. The staggered tee boxes are surrounded by colorful shrubbery and flowers that create a vibrant scene. You could end up playing a short-or-long iron, maybe even a hybrid, depending on the ocean breeze that day.

No. 16 (380-yard par-4) The 16th is by far the most intimidating tee shot on the course, especially if you venture to the back tees. Theres a canyon thats wedged between the right side of the fairway on 15 and 16. Unlike the 15th, which is more of a straight shot, the 16th bends to the right, begging you to accept the challenge and see how much of the canyon you can clear. This is your high-risk, high-reward moment on the course. The livings easy everywhere in Abaco other than the 16th tee.

Its a picture-perfect scene on the 17th hole at The Abaco Club.

The Abaco Club

No. 17 (163-yard par-4) Trouble on the right, a heavy slope on the left and blue ocean as far as the eye can see comes with the 17th hole. Its a picture-perfect par-3. Id be content grabbing a cooler and setting up shop to play the 17th over and over again for the day. This is the type of hole you daydream about at work.

No. 18 (543-yard par-5) Finish strong! Theres no room for error on the 18th tee shot. The ocean is embedded into your mind on the left, as youll hear waves crashing when you address the ball, but theres also hidden bushes and shrubs off to the right. I wouldnt count on reaching this par-5 in 2. The most important shot is your second. Try to avoid that runoff to the right of the green to end your round on a high note. When you tap that final putt in make sure to soak in the ocean view on a perched-up green.

I loved: The Abaco Club has world-class golf, beautiful views and a no-worries attitude, and thats all this golfer from the Big Apple could ask for. Theres nothing pretentious about the course, or the community as a whole for that matter. Barefoot luxury is what Abaco considers themselves and I can attest to that. All the amenities you could ask for exist while maintaining the feeling of an escape from reality.

After your round, I recommend taking the short stroll over to the beach, grab a drink at Flippers, jump in a kayak and take the 15-minute trek to whats referred to as Sugar Cane Island located straight off the Winding Bay beach. Its a small, uninhabited island thats the absolute perfect setting for a sunset drink.

Theres no better way to cap off a round of golf at The Abaco Club than to take in the sunset off Winding Bay.

The Abaco Club

I didnt love: The golf balls I lost on 15 and 16. You can find three custom-marked Life of Reilly balls laying in the bottom of the canyon between both holes. I pushed my ball off to the right once on 15 and went for the hero shot twice on 16 and you guessed it, came up a zero both times.

My lack of versatility around the greens was exposed in a big way. I dont frequently play many links-style courses, so I wasnt accustomed to keeping the ball low around the greens. I played a game of ping pong with myself on a few holes going from one side of the green to the other, but I have no one to blame by myself for that.

Bring your A-game and enjoy a slice of golf paradise at The Abaco Club.

Reilly is GOLFs social-media editor. In September 2017, he took over the reins to the brands Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. He manages GOLFs short- and long-term social strategy and produces social video content. Beyond the social space, he contributes to GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine as a writer. His ranking of the best golf scenes in Seinfeld is his magnum opus.

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Where I played: The Abaco Club is Bahamas golf (and living) at its best - Golf.com