ONCE UPON A TIME,

A Millionaire's Paradise

The original development of Great Harbour Cay began in the mid-1960s with a $38 million investment and the dream of creating a hideaway for a very privileged few. A trust held the majority of the island's real estate holdings over the last 25 years, until recently when Pristine Resorts Limited purchased the assets of the trust.

Great Harbour Cay's close proximity to the southeastern United States, combined with its unspoiled beauty and seeming remoteness, made it a tropical, private and very exclusive haven for the rich and famous during the late 1960s. Golf course designer Joe Lee fashioned an 18-hole championship golf course on rises of land that overlooked the sea. With over 125 golf courses designed in seven countries, Joe considered the original 18-hole, par 72-regulation golf course to be one of his best. A marina basin lined with waterfront town homes and luxurious yachts became the social centre of the community.

In the beginning, famous and some say the infamous, including Hollywood celebrities, came to play in this idyllic environment. Cary Grant danced the night away in the clubhouse. Brigitte Bardot graced the beaches with her beauty. Jack Nicklaus had a house on a hilltop along the back nine. Earl Blackwell, author of the celebrity best dressed list, enjoyed a home on the island. Great Harbour Cay was popular with the socially elite Rockefeller clan. Dame Margot Fonteyn, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ingrid Bergman and Hugh O’Brian were regular visitors; Curt Jurgens also lived on the island.