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Bermuda's Golf Courses and Ranges

These challenging but expensive attractions draw world famous players

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. They are shown alphabetically. 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 2007 and 2008

The 2007 event at the 6,666 yards Par 70 Mid Ocean Golf Course, Bermuda,  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.

The 2008 event will also be held in Bermuda.

This event was of huge interest to all 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. It is what the player who came 135th collected in 2006. 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. 

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 has 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, instead of in Hawaii. For two years, Bermuda taxpayers will foot the entire bill, expected to be considerably more than $1.5 million annually. The Mid Ocean Club is 400 yards shorter than the Tulsa course, but is expected to be a challenge for Woods and others. 

Participants will not include

• Tiger Woods. He did not participate in October 2007 for family reasons but hopes to in 2008 attending. Age in 2007 - 31. 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 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.

Participants 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 champion. His current year PGA tour money and position are $1,561,418 and number 32. He won the 2007 event
• Jim Furyk.
• 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 PGA Tour. He is the holder of the Claret Jug as the winner of the 2007 Open Championship 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.
• YouthNet Fun Charity Golf Tournament

Bermuda Golf Association

Second Floor, Armoury Building, 37 Reid Street, Hamilton. P. O. Box HM 433, Hamilton. New 2003 numbers are 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 and Country Club

97 Middle Road, Warwick Parish, WK 09. Telephone (441) 236-6400 or 236-1301 extension 7951. Fax (441) 236-6867. 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. 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. It was designed originally by Deveraux Emmett and first opened for play in 1924.  

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. It has an 18 hole par 69 course. 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). Previously the Belmont Hotel Golf and Country Club, it was renamed slightly to suit its new owners who are demolishing the old hotel and planning a mix of condominiums and a possible future small hotel. The course was reopened on June 1, 2003. It is now 6,000 yards long, instead of the previous 5,700 yards. It is more challenging, less hazardous and more attractive. 

Plans for the revamp by corporate organizations owned by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus were both rejected, with one by Californian Algie Pulley accepted. Pulley 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 two man-made lakes separated by a waterfall which will help facilitate both the irrigation and possibly a sewage treatment plant. 

The lakes, in an area between holes 2, 7 and 8, become a centerpiece. Golfers are steered away from residential areas. To reduce the hazards, the current par-3 fourth, where players in the past have often sliced right into adjacent houses, is eliminated and the eighth, were balls were often sent into Warwick Villas to the right, also underwent a change of direction. 

Holes 1 and 2 remain much the same but the third dog-legs up towards a new green just below the 4th green. The original 5th hole will 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 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.

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."

Horizons

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 at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the City of Hamilton, about 3 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. 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

Tuckers Town, St. George's Parish. Telephone (441)-293 0330. It was 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. 

The course was revised in 1953 by international golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. Sir Winston Churchill, Presidents Eisenhower, Bush and Carter, baseball hero Babe Ruth, golf professionals Robert Jones, Sam Sneed and many other celebrities have played 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. This course is legendary and hosts many tournaments. 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

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. 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.

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

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 at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the City of Hamilton, about three 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. 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

5 Middle Road, Southampton Parish, SB 02. Mailing address is P. O. Box SN 189, Southampton, Bermuda SN BX. E-mail prgc@bermudagolf.bm. A Robert Trent Jones 18 hole par 71 course. 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. Closed in 2008. Will reopen in January 2009 after a $10.1 million renovation of the 37 years old course. The layout will be lengthened from 6,561 yards to 6,757 yards. 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. Sunset golf is from 4:00 pm with a reservation. 

For visitors from the airport on a commercial airlines or cruise ship, the closest cruise ship berth is Dockyard, about 6 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. Public.  

Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club

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. General Manager is Sara Masters. 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 at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the City of Hamilton, about 5 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. 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.

Southampton Princess golf course

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 at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the City of Hamilton, about 6 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. 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.

St. George's Golf Club

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. 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. 

A scenic 18 hole par 62 course over 4,043 yards. 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.

This is the golf course that surrounds the long-disused former Club Med and Holiday Inn property. The course is to be revamped, considerably enlarged to a 6,000 yard course and redesigned by Nick Faldo, the three times winner of both the Open and US Masters Golf Championships. The course by his corporation Faldo Design is set to become the centerpiece of Bazarian International's proposed luxury hotel and resort development replacing the old Club Med resort. But a spokesman for the Premier said: 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. Established in 1991, it has completed projects in 14 different countries and is currently working in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Many have won awards for being top golf courses.

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. Instead, take a taxi. 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 TifEagle (a hybrid Bermuda) grass have been used. The facilities also have clay tennis courts.