- Apes Hill Barbados has appointed Killian Cullen as its Director of Golf.
- Cullen joins from Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.
- He previously served as Senior Assistant Professional at Portmarnock Golf Club in Dublin.
Apes Hill Barbados has handed the running of its golf operation to Killian Cullen, an Irish professional whose CV runs from the links of north Dublin to the parkland of British Columbia.
Cullen comes to the Caribbean from Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, where he had been Senior Associate Golf Professional since 2022. Before that he was Senior Assistant Professional at Portmarnock, one of the best-known links in Ireland. The resort lists his experience as covering golf operations, instruction and player development, member and guest relations, team management and tournament organisation, and says he is a strong player who uses technology in his coaching.
Cullen said the job offered room to grow personally and professionally and that he was “tremendously excited about what is being built here”.
What Cullen takes on
The centrepiece is Ron Kirby’s 18-hole championship course, set in the hills of St. James. Alongside it are Little Apes, a nine-hole short course, the island-green 19th hole and the Golf Performance Centre, which uses technology for instruction, practice and player development.
Cullen will also be closely involved with the annual Barbados Legends event, the Staysure Legends Tour stop hosted at Apes Hill by Ian Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champion, former world number one and Apes Hill ambassador.
Cullen will also work on the resort’s racquet sports, which include tennis and padel, as well as its wellness and other lifestyle offerings. The resort says this reflects its move towards a destination where golf sits at the heart of a wider luxury experience.
“He understands that a great golf operation is ultimately about people and experiences, and we believe he is an excellent fit for Apes Hill,” said Sunil Chatrani, the resort’s executive chairman.
Chatrani said the resort had wanted golf expertise, leadership and people skills, and that Cullen’s ambition, humility and wish to keep developing as a leader had impressed it as much as his record at top clubs.
A busy autumn in St. James
The appointment comes a month after Apes Hill entered GOLF’s Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World for the first time. The magazine also singled out its accommodation for “Best Lodging”. Earlier in September the resort brought in British chef Sophie Michell to overhaul its restaurants and in-villa dining.
The 475-acre property combines golf with residences and villas, hiking, a beach club and wellness facilities. Its championship course holds Audubon International certification for environmental and sustainability practice.
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Related: Apes Hill Barbados Partners With Sophie Michell on New Resort Dining Plans
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.