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Bermuda's Golf Courses and Ranges

Nine, in our total of 21 square miles of land area

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer to this webfile, please use "bermuda-online.org/golf" as your Subject

Introduction

Golf began in Britain (Scotland). Once it was a gentleman's pastime, knocking a stone down holes between the Scottish dunes. Golf was first played on seaside links with their crisp turf and natural hazards. Only later in the game's evolution did play on downs, moorland, and parkland courses begin. It has changed hugely since then. Golfers participate at every level, from a recreational game to popular televised professional tournaments. Despite its attractions, golf is not a game for everyone; it requires a high degree of skill that is honed only with great patience and dedication. Now it is an international business for men, women, boys and girls. Only in Scotland, where it is regarded as a social sport as well as a competitive one and where some people play all night if they wish to in June every year, is it still possible to play one or more rounds of golf for $50 for the whole day. 

Here is a partial timeline of the history of golf:

• 1354 - The first recorded reference to "chole", a possible antecedent of golf. It is a derivative of hockey played in Flanders.
• 1421 - A Scottish regiment aiding the French against the English at the Siege of Bauge is introduced to the game of chole. Hugh Kennedy, Robert Stewart and John Smale, three of the identified players, are credited with introducing the game in Scotland.
• 1457 - Gowf (as it was known in the British Isles), along with football, was banned by the Scots Parliament of James II to preserve the skills of Archery by prohibiting gowf on Sundays because it interfered with military training for the wars against the English.
• 1470 - The ban on golf is reaffirmed by the Parliament of James III.
• 1491 - The golf ban is affirmed again by Parliament, this time under James IV.
• 1502 - With the signing of the Treaty of Glasgow between England and Scotland, the ban on golf was lifted. James IV makes the first recorded purchase of golf equipment, a set of clubs from a bow-maker in Perth.
• 1513 - Queen Catherine, queen consort of England, in a letter to Cardinal Wolsey, refers to the growing popularity of golf in England.
• 1527 - The first commoner recorded as a golfer is Sir Robert Maule, described as playing on Barry Links, Angus (near what is now the town of Carnoustie).
• 1552 - The first recorded evidence of golf at St. Andrews, Fife.
• 1553 - The Archbishop of St Andrews issued a decree giving the local populace the right to play golf on the links at St. Andrews.
• 1567 - Mary, Queen of Scots, seen playing golf shortly after the death of her husband Lord Darnley, was the first known female golfer.
• 1589 - Golf was banned in the Blackfriars Yard, Glasgow. This is the earliest reference to golf in the west of Scotland.
• 1592 - The Royal Burgh of Edinburgh banned golfing at Leith, near Edinburgh, on Sunday "in tyme of sermonis." (Eng: sermons)
• 1618 - Invention of the featherie ball. King James VI of Scotland and I of England confirmed the right of the populace to play golf on Sundays.
• 1621 - First recorded reference to golf on the links of Dornoch (later Royal Dornoch), in Sutherland,  the far north of Scotland.
• 1641 - King Charles I played golf at Leith when he learned of the Irish rebellion, marking the beginning of the English Civil War. He finished his round.
• 1642 - John Dickson received a licence as ball-maker for Aberdeen.
• 1659 - Golf was banned from the streets of Albany, New York. It was the first reference to golf in America.
• 1682 - In the first recorded international golf match, the Duke of York and John Paterstone of Scotland defeated two English noblemen in a match played on the links of Leith. Andrew Dickson, carrying clubs for the Duke of York, was the first recorded caddy.
• 1687 - A book by Thomas Kincaid, Thoughts on Golve, contained the first references on how golf clubs are made.
• 1721 - Earliest reference to golf at Glasgow Green, the first course played in the west of Scotland.
• 1724 - "A solemn match of golf" between Alexander Elphinstone and Captain John Porteous became the first match reported in a newspaper. Elphinstone fought and won a golfing duel on the same ground in 1729.
• 1735 - The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh was formed.
• 1743 - Thomas Mathison's epic The Goff was the first literary effort devoted to golf.
• 1744 - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers was formed, playing at Leith links. It was the first golf club. The Royal Burgh of Edinburgh paid for a Silver Cup to be awarded to the annual champion in an open competition played at Leith. John Rattray was the first champion.
• 1754 - Golfers at St. Andrews purchased a Silver Cup for an open championship played on the Old Course. Bailie William Landale was the first champion. The first codified Rules of Golf were published by the St. Andrews Golfers (later the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews).
• 1759 - Earliest reference to stroke play, at St. Andrews. Previously, all play was match.
• 1764 - The competition for the Silver Club at Leith was restricted to members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. The first four holes at St. Andrews were combined into two, reducing the round from twenty-two holes (11 out and in) to 18 (nine out and in). St. Andrews was the first 18-hole golf course, and set the standard for future courses.
• 1766 - The Blackheath Club in London became the first golf club formed outside of Scotland.
• 1767 - The score of 94 returned by James Durham at St. Andrews in the Silver Cup competition sets a record unbroken for 86 years.
• 1768 - The Golf House at Leith was erected. It was the first golf clubhouse.
• 1773 - Competition at St. Andrews was restricted to members of the Leith and St. Andrews societies.
• 1774 - Thomas McMillan offered a Silver Cup for competition at Musselburgh, East Lothian. He won the first championship. The first part-time golf course professional (at the time also the greenkeeper) was hired, by the Edinburgh Burgess Society.
• 1780 - The Society of Golfers at Aberdeen (later the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club) was formed.
• 1783 - A Silver Club was offered for competition at Glasgow.
• 1786 - The South Carolina Golf Club was formed in Charleston, the first golf club outside of the United Kingdom.
• 1788 - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers required members to wear club uniform when playing on the links.
• 1797 - The town of St. Andrews sold the land containing the Old Course (known then as Pilmor Links), to Thomas Erskine for 805 pounds. Erskine was required to preserve the course for golf.
• 1806 - The St. Andrews Club choose to elect its captains rather than award captaincy to the winner of the Silver Cup. Thus began the tradition of the Captain "playing himself into office," by hitting a single shot before the start of the annual competition.
• 1810 - Earliest recorded reference to a women's competition at Musselburgh, Scotland.
• 1824 - The Perth Golfing Society was formed, later Royal Perth (the first club so honored).
• 1826 - Hickory was imported from America and used to make golf shafts.
• 1832 - The North Berwick Club was founded, the first to include women in its activities, although they were not permitted to play in competitions.
• 1833 - King William IV conferred the distinction of "Royal" on the Perth Golfing Society; as Royal Perth it is the first Club to hold the distinction. The St. Andrews Golfers banned the stymie, but rescinded the ban one year later.
• 1834 - King William IV conferred the title "Royal and Ancient" on the Golf Club at St. Andrews.
• 1836 - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers abandoned the deteriorating Leith Links, moving to Musselburgh. The longest drive ever recorded with a feathery ball, 361 yards, was achieved by Samuel Messieux at Elysian Fields.
• 1844 - Blackheath followed Leith in expanding its course from five to seven holes. North Berwick also had seven holes at the time, although the trend toward a standard eighteen had begun.
• 1848 - Invention of the "guttie," the gutta-percha ball. It flew further than the feathery and was much less expensive. It contributed greatly to the expansion of the game.

Golf was introduced to Bermuda when British Army officers brought their golf clubs in the late 1800s. Unlike in Scotland, where anyone can play and visitors are welcomed, private clubs in Bermuda do not welcome non-members without an introduction from a member. Most clubs are private but three - Ocean View, Port Royal and St. George's - all shown below separately - are owned by the Bermuda Government and with a management committee, Board of Trustees and golf pros approved by the present government. 

Golf is a superb but expensive pastime in Bermuda. One of the many reasons why golf is so expensive is the very high rate of import duty on both gas (petrol) and electric golf carts. Individuals from the UK hoping to play in Bermuda and with golf handicap certificates, should ask individual golf clubs in Bermuda whether they recognize them and offer any benefits in Bermuda such as discounted green fees. This introduction to Bermuda's courses gives you basic facts about each but excludes costs of using them. A summary is shown here:

• Belmont Hills, 18 holes, 6017 yards, par 70

• Fairmont Southampton Golf Club, 18 holes, 2737 yards, par 54.

• Horizons, 9 holes, about 800 yards, par 27

• Mid Ocean Club, 18 holes, 6512 yards, par 71. PGA Grand Slam site 2007, 2008

• Ocean View Golf Course, 2940 yards, par 35. 

• Port Royal, 18 holes, 6842 yards, par 71. Reopened in January 2009 after renovations. PGA Grand Slam site, 2009, 1010

• Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club, 18 holes, 5800 yards, par 70

• St. George's Golf Course, 18 holes, 4043 yards, par 62. Closed for demolition of nearby hotel and redesign

• Tucker's Point Golf Club, 18 holes, 6361 yards, par 70.

They are shown alphabetically below, in more detail. Please contact them directly - not through this author - for costs involved, if you wish to play there and on what date and time.

PGA Grand Slam of Golf Bermuda, October 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007.

The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) organization was formed in the United States in 1916 at the instigation of Rodman Wanamaker, a Philadelphia businessman, with the stated purpose of promoting interest in professional golf, elevating the standards of the game, and advancing the welfare of its members. By the early 21st century, the PGA had a membership of more than 25,000 playing and teaching professionals. 

The PGA of America's Grand Slam of Golf is for the winners of golf's four majors — the Masters, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. The Department of Tourism struck a deal with the PGA of America to play the prestigious 36-hole, $1.25 million event at the Mid Ocean Club (see below) from October 16-17, 2007, and again in 2008-2010, instead of in Hawaii. Bermuda taxpayers pay the entire bill, $ millions.

Should a player win more than one major Championship this season, the foursome will be completed through the Major Champions Points List composed of past major Champions who compete in this year's majors. Past PGA Grand Slam champions include defending champion Jim Furyk, Angel Cabrera, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Tom Lehman, Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman, Nick Price and Ian Woosnam. 

2009 participants at Port Royal Bermuda from October 21-21 2009 following a multi-million dollar reconstruction, included 2009 US Masters winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina and the winners of the US Open (June 18-21) at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, New York (Lucas Glover); the British Open (July 16-19) at Turnberry, Ayrshire in Scotland (won by Stuart Clink of the USA); and the 91st PGA Championship (August 13-16) at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota (won by South Korea's Y. E. Yang). The event was aired on TNT TV, where it will be broadcast in prime time to more than 89 million US homes and to international audience of more than 100 countries. 

The 2009 event was won by Lucas Glover. He became the champion of champions. The US Open winner stormed to a five-shot victory at the PGA Grand Slam. Glover shot a second-round 66 on the second day of the two-day event to finish on 11-under, well ahead of Angel Cabrera who snatched second place from Stewart Cink (five-under) on the final hole. Y.E Yang ended the day little better than he started it, finishing one-under for the tournament but for a while looked like he might push Cink and Cabrera close for second. The Korean's eagle at the shortened par-four fifth took him to four-under in four holes, but he struggled on the back nine and his challenge faded under a barrage of bogeys on the back nine.

The 2008 and 2007 events were held at Bermuda's Mid Ocean Club. The 2009 event was held October 20-21 at the Port Royal course, Southampton, Bermuda., also expected to host the 2010 event. The 2009 Grand Slam will be aired on TNT TV, where it will be broadcast in prime time to more than 89 million US homes and to international audience of more than 100 countries

The 2008 Grand Slam, starring Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen was held at the 6,666 yards Par 70 Mid Ocean Golf Course. Jim Furyk won Bermuda's second PGA Grand Slam on October 15, 2008 following a dramatic finish. American Furyk beat Padraig Harrington in a playoff with an eight-foot eagle putt to claim $600,000 in prize money and a "Feel The Love" pink jacket. Thousands of spectators created a tense Mid Ocean atmosphere — with millions more watching on television across the world — as the contest went down to the wire for the second year in a row.

The 2007 event at the same course involved a purse of $1.35 million and was won on the third-play-off hole by Angel Cabrera, $600,000,136. Second was Padraig Harrington, $300,000 136. Third was Jim Furyk, $250,000, 138. Fourth was Zach Johnson, $200,000, 139. It was only the second time in the 25-year history of the Grand Slam that it had gone to a sudden death play-off. It was of huge interest to all serious golfers in the USA and elsewhere, especially  who qualify out of the Q School, the graduation process for those who want to participate in the American PGA tour and its PGA Grand Slam aftermath, plus their supporters, families, friends and fellow-golfers. Q School graduates can anticipate earning $1 million or more in their first year as a tournament professional. Compare this to what happened in the first British Open Championship in 1860 when the winner Willie Park Senior won not cash but a leather belt and the golfer who came second pocketed £7 sterling.

Participants did not include, in 2008

• Tiger Woods.  He won the US Open played on the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California in June 2008 and qualifies for the 2008 Grand Slam but because of reconstructive surgery to his knee has ruled himself out of it. He did not participate in October 2007 for family reasons either. Age in 2008 - 32. Height - 6ft 1in. Weight - 185lbs. Birthplace: Cypress, CA. Eldrick (Tiger) Woods is among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the world number one, Woods was the highest paid professional athlete in 2007 and 2006, having earned an estimated $100 million from winnings and endorsements. Earlier in 2007 he won his 13th professional major golf championship, five short of Jack Nicklaus' record and has more wins on the PGA Tour than any other active golfer. He is the only active golfer in the top ten in career major wins and career PGA Tour wins. Woods has been credited with prompting a major surge of interest in the game of golf, doubling attendance and TV ratings, and generating interest among a multicultural audience.

• Phil Mickelson. The World number two turned down an invitation to take part in the event at Mid Ocean Club because it clashes with other commitments.

 Participants in 2008 included:

• Jim Furyk filled the gap left by Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open Champion, made his third consecutive Grand Slam appearance and fourth overall. He won the 2003 PGA Grand Slam of Golf title, and was runner-up in 2006. Furyk finished third in 2007 when the PGA Grand Slam of Golf made its debut at Mid Ocean Club, the first venue outside the U.S. to host the event.
• Double-major winner Padraig Harrington, Masters champion Trevor Immelman, and South African Retief Goosen who was the winner of the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Opens and made his third appearance in the season-ending showcase event.

Participants in 2007 included:

• Angel Cabrera. Age - 37. Height - 6ft. Weight - 210lbs. Birthplace - Cordoba, Argentina. Turned Pro - 1989. Known affectionately as "El Pato" (the duck) Angel Cabrera is the 2007 US Open and 2009 US Masters champion. 
• Jim Furyk. 2003 Open Champion.
• Padraig Harrington. Age - 35. Height - 6ft 1in. Weight - 196lbs. Birthplace - Dublin, Ireland. Irish. Currently the highest placed European in the world rankings. He has won tournaments on the European Tour and the 2008 PGA Tour. He is the holder of the Claret Jug as the winner of the 2008 and 2007 Open Championship in England and at Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland. His first professional victory came in the 1996 Spanish Open. He has finished in the top ten on the European Tour's Order of Merit seven times, including second places in 2001 and 2002 and third places in 2003 and 2004 and eventually won the Order of Merit in 2006. He was 2007 Runner-Up in the PGA Grand Slam.
• Zach Johnson. Age - 31. Height - 5ft 11in. Weight - 160lbs. Birthplace: Iowa City, IA. He turned professional in 1998 on the developmental tour circuit and in 2003, he topped the money list on the Nationwide Tour with then record earnings of $494,882. He won his first PGA Tour event at the 2004 BellSouth Classic. On April 8, 2007, Johnson won the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, by a margin of two strokes over Tiger Woods and others. He is #15 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

Bermuda courses

Designers of the ten local courses include Charles Banks, Deveraux Emmett, Robert Trent Jones,  and Charles Blair Macdonald. There will eventually be a new one on the 250 acre former US Naval Annex in Southampton Parish  - in an area now re-named Morgan's Point - but it is several years away. Many international events occur in Bermuda. Check directly with  the golf clubs shown below for rates for playing, tee-off times, temporary or regular memberships, carts or pull carts, clubs, lessons and any specials. 

 Golfers in these islands since the 1940s have included Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George Bush and Jimmy Carter; Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan and Edward Heath; Britain's Royal Family; and Babe Ruth. They, Bob Hope and countless others have enjoyed local conditions.

Some local golf clubs give lower rates to local senior citizens who are members but not to non-locals. Golfers can now book up to 60 days before tee off. Annual Bermuda golf tournaments include: 

• Belmont Invitational, resumed in November 2001 after it folded in 1999 after some 26 consecutive years.
• Bermuda Amateur
• Bermuda Institute Annual (first was on May 18, 2003).
• Bermuda Open
• Buckaroo Open Golf Tournament
• Celebrity Golf Tournament annually, every January, in aid of the Bermuda Riding for the Disabled registered charity.
• Debbie Franklin Memorial Golf Tournament, each November
• Easter Lily Invitational for Ladies in March.
• Goodwill Tournament, every December. Played  at Belmont, Mid Ocean, Port Royal and Riddell's Bay. (Won several times by the St. Charles Country Club of Winnipeg, Canada). More than 400 overseas golfers arrive.
• International Open Golf Championship in October, with leading players
• Ross "Blackie" Talbot Memorial Charity Invitational Golf Tournament in April. Celebrity players have included film star and actor Michael Douglas.
• In June, The Royal Gazette Annual Hole-in-One Golf Tournament, at Riddells Bay Golf Club. With many tournament merit prizes. Categories include Juniors 10 years and younger; Juniors 11-12 years; Juniors 13-17 years; Men's Open; Ladies Open; Driver Open; Seniors Open (Over 55 years). Those who succeed in getting a hole-in-1 will become a member of The Royal Gazette Hole-in-1 Club.
• St. George's Foundation Charity Golf Classic, sponsored by the Belgian beer brewing firm of Stella Artois that sells beer in Bermuda via Goslings Ltd.
• Senior Golf Classic, every January
• Valentine's Mixed Foursome Invitational in mid February
• World Corporate Golf Challenge.  In April, with a qualifying tournament at Riddell's Bay and a Bermuda corporate team at Montego Bay, Jamaica, at the Half Moon Resort.
• YES Annual Classic Golf tournament run as a fundraiser by the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.
• YouthNet Fun Charity Golf Tournament

Bermuda Golf Association

Victoria Place, 31 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 10. P. O. Box HM 433, Hamilton. Phone 295-5772 or fax 295-0304.

Bermuda Junior Golf Association

P.O. Box HM 224, Hamilton, HM AX. A very successful local sports development program, begun in 1975 when the Bermuda Golf Association (BGA) formed the Golf Development Committee which forged the basic development for junior golf in Bermuda. 

Belmont Hills Golf Club

97 Middle Road, Warwick Parish, WK 09. Telephone (441) 236-6400. Fax (441) 236-6867. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment. features include Sunset Rate. Carts are mandatory for most of the day. It was designed originally by Deveraux Emmett and first opened for play in 1924. Formerly the Belmont Golf Club, then connected with the now-defunct and destroyed Belmont Hotel, mostly recently the Belmont Hills Golf and Country Club.  From September 2001, it became under the management of Belmont Golf Course Management Ltd, 97 Middle Road, P. O. Box WK 251,   Warwick WK BX. It is owned by Richard Halsey. For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is City of Hamilton, about 4 miles away to the east. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Or if without clubs, consider taking the # 8 bus - the only way by public transportation - most of the way to the course. 

It has an 18 hole. 6,017 yards long course, par 70. Facilities include a pro shop, snack bar and restaurant. A periodic Golf Special including green fees and cart is from Monday to Friday for tee times from 2:00 pm. It closed in January 2002 for up to 15 months, for very extensive renovations (shown below). The course was reopened on June 1, 2003. It is more challenging, less hazardous and more attractive, designed by Californian Algie Pulley and his son Jeff, both of whom had had earlier carried out improvements at the former Castle Harbour course. This one has greens made faster by Tiff-Eagle sprigs, fairways made more lush by an irrigation system and a million-gallon lake located between holes two, seven and eight. Golfers are steered away from residential areas.

Holes 1 and 2 remain much the same s before but the third dog-legs up towards a new green just below the 4th green. The original 5th hole became the 4th and the original 6th the 5th, with a new green further to the left than before. The original 7th became a new par-five 6th winding its way through the lakes, with the  7th a new par-3. Rather than a dog-leg, the 8th is short, tight and straight and 9th almost the same but with the green moved slightly to the left with a new clubhouse to the left. The old 10th is the present 15th and 11th is where the 14th was. Each has new greens. The present par-5 10th became an even longer 12th, with a new green on the original 11th fairway. The 11th became the 13th, a straight par four over the existing "Ian Crowe" lake.

With safety in mind, the old 12th became the 14th, directed away from houses to the right. The 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th remain much as they were, except the 16th has a new green 30 feet to the left to take play away from homes on Belmont Road. Rubble taken from the demolition of the old Belmont hotel was used to fill in the large hollow on the 18th, long considered the most unfair of the golf course. With protected caves underneath the fairway, decisions were taken on how best to level out the land.

Overall, accurate iron play, rather than big hitting, is the key to success on this course. Take care to try to avoid hitting the ball into the lake. 

Bermuda Golf Academy and Driving Range

Off Middle Road, on Industrial Park Road, Southampton Parish SB 04. This not a golf course but something different for Bermuda. It's a pleasant alternative. On a 12 acre site, its hours are 8 am to 10:30 pm., seven days a week. Special lighting offers residents and visitors the chance to get into the swing of things after dark. Facilities include a 40 bay (25 covered), 320 yard driving range, with eight target greens placed from 75 yards to 230 yards out. An automated system tees up golf balls - 90 at a time - as well as cleaning them and removing any of below par quality. The driving range facilities here are appreciably more extensive than the other driving ranges located at three of Bermuda's golf courses.

For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is Dockyard, about 6 miles away to the west. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. If without clubs, take the # 8 bus to the entrance to Industrial Park Road and walk. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Public. Open late.  Ask about playability on the day you have in mind.

The greens, slightly elevated by stilts, appear bunkered. There is also a trap to practice sand shots and a 3,000 square foot putting surface. Other amenities include video equipment to record and analyze individual golf swings; a restaurant and bar. Television in the restaurant carries the Golf Channel.

Board of Trustees of the three Bermuda Government Golf Courses

Bermuda Government appointed under the Golf Courses (Consolidation) Act 1998. See Bermuda Government Boards. 

Castle Harbour

See "Tucker's Point."

Fairmont Southampton Golf Club (18 holes)

Fairmont Southampton Hotel, South Road, Southampton Parish SN 02. For reservations call (441) 238-0446. Part of and adjacent to the Southampton Princess Hotel complex. An 18 hole par 54,  manageable yet quite challenging course over 2,684 yards. With superb marine and landscape views. Carts are mandatory and included in the green fees. There's a pro shop, tennis courts, bar and restaurant. Single Annual Membership; Double Annual Membership and an Initiation Fee. Members get special benefits.  For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth used to be (until 2007) the City of Hamilton, about 5 miles away to the east, but is now Dockyard, about 8 miles away.

If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Buses (# 7 or 8) go only to nearest stop about half a mile away below the hill. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. 

Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment.

Unpopular plans to build villas on Fairmont Southampton's golf course have been ditched. However, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts still proposes creating 130 villas, fractional units and townhomes and a new beach club in a major development at the luxury hotel. In 2006, 600 residents signed a petition objecting to the original plan for 91 golf villas and 54 other units on the par-three course, reducing its number of holes from 18 to ten. It now appears development will take place on land around the golf course and elsewhere, although Fairmont stresses the course itself will remain intact. In response to concerns about traffic, the number of proposed units with assessment numbers has also been halved, while parking will be incorporated using "aesthetically pleasing landscape design", according to Fairmont. Twenty-two residential units will now be available to Bermudians only, while tennis courts initially intended for green space will instead go on top of a relocated water storage facility on Turtle Hill.  

Horizons (9 holes)

Off South Road, at the junction with Southcote Road, Paget Parish. Access it via Horizons & Cottages.  A 9 hole par 27 mashie course. For reservations, telephone (441) 236-0048. Tee off times are by reservation only. Guests at Horizons & Cottages have priority but the general public is welcome. There are no carts. Other facilities include tennis courts and a restaurant. 

For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth used to be (until 2007) the City of Hamilton, about 5 miles away to the east, but is now Dockyard, about 10 miles away.

If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. If without clubs, take the # 7 bus to property and walk. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment. Ask about playability on the day you have in mind.

Mid Ocean Golf Club (18 holes)

Tuckers Town, St. George's Parish. Telephone (441)-293 0330. Designed originally by Charles Blair MacDonald to fit into the natural terrain. It was a par-71 layout, over 600 acres of rolling countryside, 6,519 yards from the back tees. MacDonald won the first US Amateur Golf Championship in 1895 and later designed the National Golf Course in the USA.  The course first opened in 1922. Ralph A. Kennedy of Mamaroneck, NY, regarded at the time as the "Dr. Livingstone of Golf," rated it one of the five best courses in the world in the 1920s. In recent years it was once ranked 45th by Golf Digest for courses outside the USA. Widely considered to be Bermuda's number one course.

It was revised in 1953 by international golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower,  John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have played here, as well as the Duke of Windsor in 1940, British Prime Ministers Sir Winston Churchill, Harold MacMillan and Edward Heath. Golf professionals Robert Jones, Sam Sneed and many other celebrities also have golfed here. When Babe Ruth, normally as good with a club as he was with a bat, played the 433-yard fifth, known as the "Cape," he knocked eleven straight balls into Mangrove Lake before finally driving one over the hazard. In the 1990s this course hosted the Merrill Lynch Classic and later the Gillette Classic. The first three holes run parallel to the ocean. All the greens were re-built in 2002. A private club, an introduction is needed from a member, or try an hotel's Social Desk or cruise ship's Shore Excursion office.

For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is Town of St. George, about 5 miles away to the south west. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. If without clubs, take the # 1 bus to property and walk. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Private but will accept some off-the-street golfers by prior appointment if referred by a member. Ask about playability on the day you have in mind.

Ocean View Golf Club (9 holes, Government-owned)

2 Barker's Hill Road, Devonshire Parish DV 05. P. O. Box DV 358, Devonshire DV BX. Phones: Office 295-9092 (fax 295-9097); Pro Shop 295-9093; Tee Times 234-4653; Golf Pro 296-3917; Maintenance 236-6758; Restaurant/Bar 295-9069. E-mail oceanview@bermudagolf.bm. A Bermuda Government-owned public golf course, the regulatory agency of which is the Ministry of Tourism, charging membership fees to locals and admission fees to tourists and visitors.

A 9 hole par 35 course over 2,819 yards. 

On February 23, 2010 it was reported by Bermuda's daily newspaper The Royal Gazette that Government officials are looking for someone who is Bermudian to take over the running of Ocean View Golf Club. But anyone interested will be faced with the fact that the club has consistently lost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Over the past four years (up until January 31, 2009) the club has lost $1.4 million. Chairman of the Trustees, Wendell Brown, said over a year ago that Ocean View was no longer financially viable. The trustees and Department of Tourism have been in talks with three separate groups about taking over the running of the course which was originally formed to give black players a course of their own when they were denied admission to other clubs. 

Anyone taking over the course will have to be very creative in order not to lose a lot of money on the venture and agree to a long-term deal, 10 years or longer. Whatever happens, it will not become private and certain other conditions will apply. It could be a public/private sector partnership or a community/cooperative organisation to manage the entire facility. In an unaudited statement, Government admitted that "over the past few years Ocean View Golf Course has operated at a deficit. This has been increasing each year, from $340,000 in 2005/06 through $375,000 in 2006/07 to $427,000 in 2007/08. The deficit for the current year up to January 31, 2009 is $244,000, giving a total deficit for these four years of almost $1.4 million. But before anyone takes charge of the course, Government and the trustees have admitted money must be sunk into the venture and that prospective operators must consider the installation of an irrigation system along with putting in a 100,000-gallon water storage tank or lake and pump station. The cost? In excess of $600,000.

In the Request for Proposal (RFP) sent out to prospective operators, it is stated that the maintenance facility "is in poor condition and needs to be improved as a secondary priority. The estimated cost for this would be in the region of $500,000." In late 2008 Government sent members of Ocean View a notice that their fees, then $1,500 a year, would rise to $2,000. Seniors, many of whom look back to the past when they were forced to mow greens and keep the course playable on what has always been regarded as a 'working man's club', are now charged an annual fee of $1,250 compared to the $780 charged in 2008. Family membership which could be obtained for $2,565 in 2008 has now risen to $3,500. That was met with anger by many members. But the trustees who operate the course said that the increases were necessary in order to keep the facility open.

In the past, the trustees and Government had relied on the Port Royal course to subsidize Ocean View. The problem with Ocean View is the traffic. It's only nine holes so unlike an 18-hole course you can only have so many on the course at any one time. That means fewer green fees. Port Royal was reopened in the summer of 2009 and also had to raise green fees significantly. It is now believed that Port Royal is losing money and cannot both subsidize Ocean View and St. George's which has been closed. Ocean View historically has been a working man's club and was taken over by Government in the 1990s but before that it was run by the members.

It is not generally known by most Bermudians or golfing visitors that the site of one of the units of the clubhouse here was once a grand old manor house known as Watlington House, now used as a storage facility. It was used for British Army purposes during World War 2. The former Fort Langton and part of its structure were used as the foundations for the clubhouse after the war and more of the former fort became the bus garage in the 1970s. On the field below the bus garage, now the golf course, were two US Army posts during World War 11. One was a unit of the US  Army Signal Corps and the other was the US Army's Artillery, at APO 856. It was a unit (including 1st Platoon Battery A)  of the 423rd Field Artillery Group, under the command of Captain F. W. Clipper, US Army.

For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth used to be (until 2007) the City of Hamilton, about 5 miles away to the east, but is now Dockyard, about 12 miles away. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus).  Instead, take a taxi. Buses only go a part of the way. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Public. Ask about playability on the day you have in mind. 

Port Royal Golf Course (18 holes, Government-owned)

5 Middle Road, Southampton Parish, SB 02. Mailing address is P. O. Box SN 189, Southampton, Bermuda SN BX. E-mail prgc@bermudagolf.bm. It opened in 1970 as a Robert Trent Jones-designed 18 hole, 6,561 yards par 71 public course. Re-opened in January 2009 after a final-cost $15.9 million (originally $7 million budgeted) renovation of the 37 years old course including increase of the course yardage by 281 yards to 6,842 yards. Phones: Office 234 -0974 (fax) 234-3562. Pro Shop 234-0972; Tee Times 234-4653; Golf Pro (fax) 234-3630; Maintenance 234-1182; Restaurant/Bar 234-5037; Tennis Courts 238-9430 or 238-9070. In June 2006, the Bermuda Government's House of Assembly passed an Act that switched responsibility for the Government golf courses from the Ministry of Works & Engineering to Tourism. It hosts many tournaments and has been the home of the Bermuda Open. Sunset golf is from 4:00 pm with a reservation.

Since it re-opened, a $3,000 initiation fee became applicable, plus a yearly subscription of $3,500, but some elderly Bermudians are exempted from the former. Also, Bermudians pay 30% less than visitors.

For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is Dockyard, about 8 miles away. 

Buses go to nearest stop about 600 yards away. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Check rates with course depending on time of day and time of year. This is the highest-rated by far of Bermuda's two government-owned and run courses, considered one of the best - and most expensive - of world public courses. More rounds are played here than on any other Bermuda course. The signature hole has been the 176-yard, par 3 16th, the small green of which, perched on the edge of the coastal cliffs, has become notorious. Drive too far left and the ball ends up in the ocean. Site of the October 19-21, 2009 and 2010 PGA Grand Slam venues. With these in mind, in a $14 million Bermuda taxpayers investment, the greens were rebuilt, a huge amount of earth was moved by bulldozers, new sand put into trickier bunkers, cart paths repaved, a landscaping project completed, a new restaurant - 64 Degrees - and bar, pro shop and locker rooms,  re-routing two holes, creating new bunkers, a computerized irrigation system from tees to greens, and the planting of TifEagle on redesigned greens. Bermuda Cedar trees also replaced Casuarinas and the course was lengthened to 6,842 yards, to make it the longest on the Island. The reverse osmosis plant produces 250,000 gallons of water per day on 1,200 new sprinkler heads. 

Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club (18 holes)

26 Riddell's Bay Road, Warwick Parish WK 04. or P. O. Box WK 236, Warwick, WK BX. Telephone (441) 238-1060 or (441) 238-3225 for starting time. Fax (441) 238-8785. The club opened in 1922. It was the first 18-hole course in Bermuda, originally over 5549 yards and was designed by Deveraux Emmett (who also designed the Congressional Golf Club near Washington, DC).  

When the Duke of Windsor played there in August 1940 during his stopover in Bermuda on his way to the Bahamas as Governor with his American wife, he pulled off a spectacular shot on the home hole. The course is now par 69 over 5,588 yards. Privately owned, an introduction from a member is required for non-members. With a bar and restaurant. On a peninsula, the first hole is the most difficult in Bermuda. It is the only golf club in Bermuda where all the golf carts are electric. They switched in May 2001 but the decision was made in 1997 when the club imported its first electric cart. The new carts are quieter than gas carts, more cost effective and easier to maintain. They are guaranteed to run on a single charge for a minimum of 36 holes for the first three years and have the ability to run for a maximum of 72 holes per charge.

For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth used to be (until 2007) the City of Hamilton, about 5 miles away to the east, but is now Dockyard, about 8 miles away. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Buses go only to nearest stop about a mile away. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment.  Ask about playability on the day you have in mind.

St. George's Golf Club

Closed from end of July, 2008, for the demolition of the former Club Med hotel, which sits adjacent to the course.  It will reopen when the new Park Hyatt opens, probably not until at least 2012. Government has confirmed the new course will be taken out of state hands and run (although will still be owned by the government) by Addax Holdings Ltd. for Bazarian International, the same developers as the Park Hyatt hotel. The Park Hyatt (St. George's) Resort Act 2008 will remove the course from the Golf Courses (Consolidation) Act 1998 under which a single Board of Trustees manages the publicly-owned courses at St. George's, Port Royal and Ocean View. But it is stipulated that the developer must ensure that the golf course remains accessible to the public during such times and on such reasonable terms and conditions as shall be approved by the government. The Bill also includes an islet off Tobacco Bay Park classed as National Park under the re-designed course. It is believed such an addition will not only enhance the golf course's attractiveness, but it will provide increased yardage required to achieve championship status. Neither Coot Pond or Tobacco Bay however will be included in the development. 

1 Park Road, St. George's GE 03. Or e-mail sggc@bermudagolf.bm. North of and near Town of St. George. Not on bus route. Phones: Office 297-8067 (fax 297-2273); Pro Shop 297-8353; Golf Pro 297-3660; Tee Times 234-4653; Maintenance 297-8370; Restaurant/Bar 297-1836. 

An 80 acres scenic 18 hole par 62 course over 4,043 yards, first opened in 1985. There is a bar and restaurant, phone (441) 297-1836. Cruise ships pass by. With sunset golf (from 4:00 pm) with a reservation. Extensively renovated in most of 2006. The reverse osmosis plant located just below the putting green means the greens and tees can now be watered as needed.  For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the Town of St. George, about 2 miles away to the south. Many cruise ship visitors play this course. Buses (# 1 or 3 or 10 or 11) go part of the way. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year.  This was one of the last designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior prior to his retirement. The 18th hole is named after Bermuda's first Governor, Richard Moore.  One of the greens overlooks historic Fort St. Catherine.

The course is to be revamped, considerably enlarged to a 6,000 yard course and redesigned by British golfer Nick Faldo, the three times winner of both the Open and US Masters Golf Championships and 2008 Europe Ryder Cup captain. The course by his corporation Faldo Design is set to become the centerpiece of Bazarian International's proposed luxury hotel (Park Hyatt) and resort development replacing the old Club Med resort. But the public would still have use of the golf course. The new golf course site will extend across land currently occupied by the 18-hole St George's public short course and over land alongside the ocean and Fort St Catherine's. Faldo Design's golf course architectural practice is dedicated to designing outstanding golf courses in every continent.

Tucker's Point Golf, Beach & Tennis Club

(Formerly Castle Harbour Golf Club), Tuckers Town, St. George's Parish, Bermuda HS 02. Telephone (441) 298-6959 for reservations or fax (441) 293-1051. General Manager is Bruce Fraser. Originally designed by Charles Banks and Robert Trent Jones, with later amendments by Californian Algie Pulley, it began as an 18-hole course, but was cut back to 9 holes during World War 2. It became a challenging 18 hole, par 71 course over 6,440 yards with sea views, when it was opened by the Governor of Bermuda in December, 1959. It has a scenic opening hole and incredible views. But with closure of the Castle Harbor hotel, it became 9 holes from January 10, 2000. It was completely re-vamped and reopened in April 2002 as 18 holes again. Of a very high standard, it is a private club for members only, similar to the Mid Ocean Golf Club. A par 70 course.  The re-vamped Tucker's Point Golf, Beach and Tennis Club was formally opened in December 2004.

For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the Town of St. George, about 6 miles away to the east. Take a taxi as buses (#1) go only to nearest stop about half a mile away below the hill. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment.  Ask about playability on the day you have in mind. #s 13 and 17 are new signature holes, back to back in east and west directions. # 17 has sweeping views of Tucker's Town and Castle Island.  #13 has a panorama of the entire north coast and west end of the island with spectacular vistas and sunsets. The old number 10 is now number 12, reconfigured. Number 9 has been re-laid. Rye grass, Bermuda grass and a hybrid Bermuda grass have been used. The facilities also have clay tennis courts.