Sandals Emerald Bay Celebrity Getaway & Golf Weekend Presented By Sandals Resorts And "Access Hollywood" Kicks Off On The Island Of Great Exuma, Bahamas

GREAT EXUMA, Bahamas, Sept. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrities are flying in for an exotic getaway weekend to play some golf for a good cause!  Sandals Emerald Bay is rolling out the red carpet for invited guests to attend the Sandals Emerald Bay Celebrity Getaway & Golf Weekend, hosted by Sandals Resorts and Access Hollywood, with special guests TV personality Billy Bush and golf legend Greg Norman. The event began Friday, September 27 and continues through the weekend until departures on Monday, September 30.

In addition to Billy Bush and Greg Norman, an impressive gathering of celebrities including Garcelle Beauvais (Franklin and Bash), actress and Access Hollywood Live co-host, Holly Robinson Peete & her husband Rodney Peete (NFL), Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), Mad Men's Kevin Rahm, Ray Donovan's Steven Bauer, RHOC's Gretchen Rossi & Slade Smiley, Hairspray's Marissa Jaret Winokur and Mayte Garcia (Army Wives) have already arrived on the island, thanks to generous sponsorship from American Airlines and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, for some fun-in-the-sun at the lavish, Luxury Included^® resort.

The three-day event kicked off yesterday with arrivals and guests enjoying the breathtaking beaches, segueing into early evening with a Welcome Junkanoo Beach Party, true Caribbean style. Today (Saturday) guests had leisure time, while playing some water sports, enjoying the Red Lane^® Spa and taking an Island Routes Caribbean Adventure Tour. At sundown there will be a chic poolside lounge party with buffet dinner, followed by a lively round of Texas Hold 'Em poker. Tomorrow's celebrity golf tournament at Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course designed by Greg Norman, will be highlighted by the much anticipated "Million Dollar Hole-In-One Shootout" that allows five of the best golfers a chance to shoot a hole-in-one for a $1 million donation to the Sandals Foundation, winner to be announced. The evening culminates in a gala dinner and awards ceremony that will include a decadent dessert buffet.

"We are thrilled to host such a fabulous weekend for our celebrities and other guests," says Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International. "And we welcome our friends at Access Hollywood back to host this golf weekend along with legendary golfer Greg Norman, who designed the spectacular Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club, a true golfer's paradise and is an ideal partner for our brand.  We hope everyone is having a great weekend!"

Guests enjoy Sandals Emerald Bay's amazing amenities throughout their weekend stay. Truly bringing Sandals Resorts' Luxury Included^® concept to new heights, Sandals Emerald Bay, which debuted on February 4, 2010, is a 500-acre resort set along a one-mile stretch of white sand beach on one of the Bahamas' most beautiful Out Islands. In addition to being the first, and only, Sandals Resort to offer a Greg Norman-designed golf course, Sandals Emerald Bay boasts a world-class, 150-slip marina; professionally-trained butlers, 245 beachfront rooms and suites; gourmet dining at seven a la carte restaurants; a wide array of land and water sports, including scuba diving for certified divers; daily and nightly entertainment; a lavish 29,000 sq. ft. Red Lane^® Spa featuring 17 treatment rooms and premier services that embrace the best of the Caribbean region featuring exclusive Red Lane^® signature skin-care products; and, of course, lots of relaxation and endless sun.

Link to images: http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=sandals/[170892427]&ep=1/60/1&s=3 
More photos will be available throughout the weekend on Wireimage.com.

Sandals Resorts:
With 14 stunning beachfront settings, Sandals Resorts has earned a worldwide reputation for providing two people in love with the most romantic vacation experience in the Caribbean.  Sandals Resorts welcomes guests to the islands of Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas and soon Grenada with a myriad of exclusive amenities from luxurious accommodations and Butler service to gourmet specialty dining and premium wines and spirits. The award-winning Sandals Resorts is also the perfect venue for dream destination weddings, vow renewals, honeymoons, or what Sandals Resorts has coined WeddingMoons®.  For more information on Sandals Resorts Luxury Included experience, please visit www.sandals.com.

About the Sandals Foundation
The Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created to continue and to expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken. It is the culmination of three decades of dedication to playing a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where we operate across the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment. One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community. To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org

About Island Routes Caribbean Adventure Tours
Island Routes Caribbean Adventure Tours offers guests the ultimate in Caribbean destination experiences, bringing together and certifying the premier excursions that spotlight what is unique and beautiful in each of its island locations. Each and every Island Routes tour has gone through a comprehensive selection process that includes an assessment of safety standards and procedures, guest satisfaction ratings, training, insurance coverage and commitment to sustainable tourism protection. Island Routes is currently available for bookings in Antigua; The Bahamas; Barbados; the Cayman Islands; Jamaica; Saint Lucia; Grenada; Aruba; St. Maarten; Dominican Republic and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Island Routes Caribbean Adventures has received the World Travel Award for "World's Leading Caribbean Attraction Company" and has set the tour industry standard by becoming the only tour company to receive a Six Star Diamond from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS), and has done so two years in a row. For additional details, please visit www.islandroutes.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IMAGES AVAILABLE AT WIREIMAGE

SOURCE Sandals Resorts