Golf -- Tobago is the proud possessor of an 18-hole, 6,800-yard course at Mount Irvine. Called the Tobago Golf Club at the Mount Irvine Estates (tel. 868/639-8871), it covers 60 breeze-swept hectares (150 acres) and was featured in the Wonderful World of Golf TV series. Even beginners agree the course is friendly to duffers. Guests of the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel are granted temporary membership, use of the clubhouse and facilities, and a 15% discount on greens fees. The course is also open to nonguests, who pay US$55 (£29) for 18 holes or US$35 (£18) for 9 holes. Cart rentals are US$42 (£22) for 18 holes or US$23 (£12) for 9 holes. Tobago Plantations Golf & Country Club, Hampden Road, Lowlands (tel. 868/631-0875), lies on a 303-hectare (748-acre) estate that was previously a sugar-cane plantation. It adjoins the grounds of the Hilton Tobago. Some holes on this par-72, 7,000-yard course follow the coastline. Greens fees, including golf cart, are US$100 (£52) for 18 holes, US$68 (£35) for 9 holes.
Scuba Diving, Snorkeling & Other Watersports -- The unspoiled reefs off Tobago teem with a great variety of marine life. Divers can swim through rocky canyons 18 to 39m (59-128 ft.) deep, underwater photographers can shoot pictures they won't find anywhere else, and snorkelers can explore the celebrated Buccoo Reef (off Pigeon Point), which teems with gardens of coral and hundreds of fish in the waist-deep water. Even nonswimmers can wade knee-deep in the waters. Remember to protect your head and body from the sun and to guard your feet against the sharp coral. Nearly all the major hotels arrange boat trips here. After about half an hour at the reef, passengers reboard their boats and go over to Nylon Pool, with its crystal-clear waters. Here in this white-sand-bottom spot, about 2km (1 1/4 mile) offshore, you can enjoy a dip in water only 1m (3 1/4-ft.) deep.
Wreck divers have a new adventure to enjoy with the sinking of the former ferryboat Maverick, in 30m (100 ft.) of water near Mount Irvine Bay Hotel on Tobago's southwest coast.
Dive Tobago, Pigeon Point (tel. 868/639-0202; www.divetobago.com), is the oldest and most established operation on Tobago, run by Jay Young, a certified PADI instructor. It offers easy resort courses, single dives, and dive packages, along with equipment rentals. A basic resort course costs US$75 (£39), although for certification you must pay US$450 (£234). A one-tank dive goes for US$45 (£23).
Tobago Dive Experience, at the Manta Lodge, Speyside (tel. 868/660-4888; www.tobagodiveexperience.com), offers scuba dives, snorkeling, and boat trips. All dives are guided, with a boat following. Exciting drift dives are available for experienced divers. A one-tank dive costs US$48 (£25) without equipment; a two-tank dive starts at US$75 (£39); and a resort course costs US$70 (£36).
Frank's Glass Bottom Boat Tours, Blue Waters Inn, Bateaux Bay, Speyside (tel. 868/660-5438), takes visitors on trips to Angel Reef to see a collection of the largest brain coral in the world. Combined with a snorkeling trip, the cost is US$20 (£10) per person. A glass-bottom boat tour and snorkeling tour plus a guided tour of the Little Tobago Bird Sanctuary, costs only US$20 (£10), and is the most popular jaunt.
Tennis -- The best courts on the island are at the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel (tel. 868/639-8871). Nonguests may use one of the two courts here for TT$35 (US$5.60/£2.90) per hour. There is an additional TT$25 (US$4/£2) light fee on request.
