Barbadian Construction magnate and polo enthusiast, Sir Charles Williams, and American Developer Jerry Barton are to sponsor an all professional polo team to promote their Barbados development, Apes Hill Club next summer.
Focusing on excellence, they have appropriately named the team ‘Apes Hill Club Barbados’, in honour of their new Golf and Polo development. But in a rare twist Sir Charles is not going to join the team as a patron, but is employing four of England’s top players instead.
“I was watching the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup final at Cowdray this year and was so disappointed to see English talent sitting in the stands. Not a single English player made it to the final. I knew then, something should and would be done to get more English players playing the high goal”, said Sir Charles.
He has thus set his 2007 mission statement to endeavouring to create a team that can be competitive at the two most prestigious tournaments on English soil, the Hildon Queen’s Cup to be held in June at Guards Polo Club and the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray the following month.
And, the man with an apparent Midas touch could make it happen. He’s done his homework and employed arguably England’s best player, Luke Tomlinson to captain the team.
Tomlinson knows what it takes to beat the Manchester United’s and Chelsea’s of the polo world including teams such as Dubai, Ellerston, Broncos and Black Bears.
Indeed his career highlights include winning Queens Cup with Emerging (2002) and Labergorce (2004) as well as the Gold Cup with Hildon Sport in 2003.
Luke’s brother and frequent team-mate, Mark, who now matches him on handicap at 7 goals is also named, as is 5 goal player, Tom Morley. Making up the quartet is the exciting young talent Ed Hitchman who plays off 3 goals.
The Tomlinson brothers, who are currently trying to qualify for the Argentine Open, will be joined by Ed and Tom later this winter. “We are looking to play together as much as possible, so the idea is that Ed and Tom will come to Argentina for a few weeks before they fulfil their duties on the England squad at the European Championships in April.” explains Luke.
“We’re hoping the kind of support, training and attention our team will receive will become the benchmark for other corporate sponsors entering the sport and are very proud to be part of Sir Charles’ plan”, he continued.
Sir Charles inherited his love of polo from his father who was a founder member of the Barbados Polo Club where Sir Charles latterly became Captain for 36 years.
In recent years Sir Charles, along with his son, Teddy, have built a polo centre on the Apes Hill Club development, at Waterhall, where he continues to play with his son Stephen, grandson Oliver and workmates.
Having bought his first five acres of Barbados land in 1958, Sir Charles, who is affectionately known as COW, now owns one of the most enviable property portfolios in the World.
But, he describes his Apes Hill Club as the jewel in his crown – the 470 acre site boasting panoramic views of North, West and East coasts of the Caribbean Island.
With an emphasis on offering families an ideal setting to indulge or invigorate their lives, Apes Hill Club is being sensitively developed by Landmark Land Company whose history includes the creation of Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, Kiawah Island, PGA West, La Quinta, Doonbeg in Ireland and Arcos Gardens in Spain. Their sensitive approach means 65% of the site will be left as an untouched area of outstanding beauty.
Residents from either the 200 houses or the 150 cluster units will have access to an 18-hole golf course, club house, spa, tennis courts, the polo centre, a luxury hotel and other recreational facilities all set in the stunning surroundings including beaches, deep tropical ravines, and with Bajan green monkeys chattering in the trees.
Understandably, many of the already released lots priced from US$300,000 have been spoken for and a waiting list is being held for as yet unreleased lots, it is hoped that the Apes Hill Club Barbados Polo Team will assist in raising the profile of this incredible investment opportunity to Britons and Europeans.
The whole development is set to cost around US$800 million (approximately £420million) and is a real boost to the economy and employment in the region.
“Polo has really grown in Barbados over the past decade which makes it a particularly ideal holiday home investment for polo and Golf enthusiasts”, said Sir Charles.
For an all-England, all-professional, team to reach the finals of either the Hildon Queen’s Cup or the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup would be a phenomenal achievement – it has been suggested that one would have to look to 50 years ago to find a previous record of such an occurrence.
“It’s ambitious, yes”, confirmed Luke, adding, “But if it’s anything like the Apes Hill Club, the results should reflect our attention to detail. No stone will be left unturned”.
And, while the weeks will probably fly by for those closely involved, this is another of Sir Charles’ developments for which one can hardly wait to see the results.
Editor’s notes:
Luke Tomlinson is the current Captain of England and this year played alongside his brother Mark for Cadenza. Together they were part of the 2003 winning Gold Cup team for Hildon Sport with Nina and JP Clarkin.
Ed Hitchman won the Ferguson Trophy for the best young player of 2005, and captained the England eight goal team at last years European 8 goal Championships in Holland.
Tom Morley made his senior England debut in 2006 against South Africa and has already been nominated to Captain the side at the European 14 goal Championships in Sotogrande, Spain next spring.