Cat Ghaut
A 14-acre garden estate with its own par-3 course tucked above Newcastle
Why Go
Half boutique hideaway, half backyard golf oasis, Cat Ghaut is the kind of Nevis address you only find because a local drops the name over rum punch ΓÇö the Staiger family's evolved-over-decades property where colonial-style rooms open onto a private 12-hole pitch and putt, waterfall gardens, and walking trails winding down toward the sea.
The Experience
Pulling off Shaw's Road in Newcastle, you leave the coast road and climb into what feels like a private botanical garden. Hummingbirds work the hibiscus, a small waterfall trickles somewhere in the greenery, and the fairways of the tidy little par-3 course roll out between mature trees with St. Kitts glinting in the distance. Accommodations are colonial-cottage in feel ΓÇö timber, louvered shutters, generous verandas ΓÇö and the whole place is run more like a family compound than a hotel, with the owners often on site making sure your afternoon tee time and dinner reservation both come together. It's genuinely quiet, genuinely green, and unfussy in the best Nevisian way.
What to Try
Play the full 12 holes on the Chip 'n Putt in the golden hour before sunset ΓÇö clubs are provided and even non-golfers can knock it around in an hour. Then wander the walking trails through the gardens to spot the waterfall feature and the sweeping cross-channel view of St. Kitts. Sundowners on your cottage veranda with the trade winds cutting through is the whole point.
Insider Tip
Cat Ghaut runs on reservations, not walk-ins ΓÇö call ahead even if you just want to play the course, and ask about combining a round with lunch or a garden tour. If you're staying next door at Mount Nevis Hotel, guests there get complimentary access to the course, so time your visit accordingly.
The Practical Stuff
Location: Shaw's Road, Newcastle, Saint James Windward parish, on the northern end of Nevis about 5 minutes from the airport and Oualie Beach. Access is by reservation via catghaut.com. Best paired with a rental car ΓÇö the property sits up off the coast road and taxis need directions. Bring insect repellent for evening; the gardens attract mosquitoes at dusk.
Pair It With
- Oualie Beach — The closest swim-and-lunch beach, five minutes downhill ΓÇö flat water, catamarans, and the best sunset view back toward St. Kitts.
- Mount Nevis Hotel Guide — The neighboring hillside hotel whose guests share course privileges; a good dinner stop if you're not eating in.
- Nisbet Plantation Beach Club Guide — A ten-minute drive east for a long avenue-of-palms walk and a proper plantation-house lunch.
- Newcastle Pottery — Just down the road ΓÇö watch the traditional coal-fired Nevisian pottery being hand-thrown, a quick and characterful add-on to a Cat Ghaut morning.