South Ocean Golf Course (New Providence Island; tel. 242/362-4391): This course, designed by Joe Lee with four challenging water holes, is so isolated from the congestion of Nassau that you can imagine yourself on a remote island. The rolling terrain is hilly and dotted with palm trees; from this relatively high elevation, you'll enjoy views over the "Tongue of the Ocean." We think this course is better and more demanding than the other major choice on New Providence Island at Cable Beach.

Cable Beach Golf Course (New Providence Island; tel. 242/327-6000): The oldest golf course in The Bahamas, this par-72 green was the private retreat of British expatriates in the 1930s. Today, it's managed by a corporate namesake of Arnold Palmer and owned by Cable Beach casino marketers. Small ponds and water traps heighten the challenge, amid more than 7,000 yards of well-maintained greens and fairways. Despite these assets, however, we still prefer the competition: the Ocean Club Golf Club and the South Ocean Golf Course.

Ocean Club Golf Club (Paradise Island; tel. 242/363-3925): Tom Weiskopf designed this 18-hole, par-72 course, and it's a stunner. With its own pitfalls, including the world's largest sand trap and water hazards (mainly the Atlantic Ocean) on three sides, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player have endorsed this course. For the best panoramic ocean view -- good enough to take your mind off your game -- play the par-3 14th hole.

The Reef Course (Grand Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island; tel. 242/373-2002): Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., this is the first golf course to open in The Bahamas in 3 decades. The course boasts 6,920 yards of links-style playing grounds.

The Royal Oasis Golf Resort & Casino (Grand Bahama Island; tel. 242/350-7000): This megaresort offers two golf courses, Bahamia's Ruby and Bahamia's Emerald. Both are par-72, with rolling, sandy terrain, but they're not as challenging as the South Ocean Golf Course.

The Four Seasons Resort Emerald Bay Golf Club (Exumas; tel. 242/358-4185), is one of the great oceanfront courses of the western world, a challenging Greg Norman signature course that opened in 2003 with six panoramic oceanfront holes. Designed for players of various skills, it is reason enough for golfers to visit the Exumas.