JezzaL

Bermuda golf is a winter sport - despite the best weather being in summer, locals and all of the main golf courses' staff deem summer the off season. What happens is the courses effectively deteriorate in condition as the fairways turn straw coloured, the greens are like concrete and the sand in the bunkers sets like clay. Riddells is a lovely old course design, the guys in the pro shop are friendly and, at the hot deal price of $79, it is a decent value for Bermuda. If you are prepared to accept the limitations of summer play in Bermuda, I'd recommend a round now - if not, hold on until October when it is golf season again. A better bet, and a course which actually waters the grass in the summer, is the Turtle Hill 18 hole par 3 - it is 18 proper par 3s (it holds the World Par 3 Champs) and is always in immaculate condition. It is a challenge and a great way to sharpen up your short game.

Tucker's Point is in receivership and it shows. It is not quite as pristine as before and the greens are shocking for a course that charges top dollar. It is a nice lay out and the wind, as it did for us, provides a defence of par of some holes which would otherwise have few teeth. Get the GolfNow deal if you do come, but maybe wait until a new buyer pumps a bit of cash into course management first. Port Royal is a far better bet if you are limited to one round.

Well, it is hard to have a bad round of golf on a lovely sunny spring afternoon in Bermuda. Virtually every course here has stunning views out to the ocean and Ocean View is as good as its name implies. The fact it was Easter Sunday meant the course was not busy and a swift 18 holes was ideal for me, playing on my own as I was. Ocean View is a 9 hole course, but they have two sets of tees for men to use, so the second 9 is longer (in particular, two of the par 3s are about 50 yards longer, with one actually coming in at a different angle too - you cross the road to hit back over it), although both the par 5s are reachable in two for bigger hitters. Nevertheless, you are still essentially playing the same holes. It is still a pleasant enough lay out, with some elevation changes and dog legs, and a very good track for novices and high handicappers, given it is not as brutal on your scorecard as some other courses over here. I would say it is worth a look in between playing the bigger more expensive names on a Bermuda golf trip. Especially with GolfNow prices from $45, it is a bit of a bargain by Bermuda standards.

Now for the downside - it needs some work. The greens are slow and in places bumpy, and on the 8th patched with moss (for some reason they had stuck the flag right in the middle of a particularly bad patch when I played). There is no course planner/shot saver card - coupled with some of the hole images by the tee needing to be repainted and some of the yardage markers at the side of the fairways missing, it makes for a guessing game for yardages that few other courses these days require. It is a government course, as is Port Royal, but you are left with the feeling that this is very much the poor relation. This is a shame as, for the reasons mentioned above, it is otherwise not to be discounted when golfing in Bermuda. It is to be hoped these issues are addressed in the near future.

Turtle Hill (the former Southampton Princess course) is a proper par 3 course. What I mean by that is it is not a "pitch and putt" or a short beginner's course. It has 18 par 3 holes that would not be out of place on a quality 18 hole course (one stretches to 202 yards, and a couple of others are 180-190). It is extremely well maintained, has stunning views everywhere you turn and, with many elevation changes on the hillside course, with swirling winds coming off the sea, is a challenge for all standards of player. It recently held the World par 3 championship and you can see why.
Now to the downsides - without the GolfNow discount, this is a pricey course (it is Bermuda after all!), so look for the best slots from GolfNow to get decent value. The other downside is that, whilst I, and many other regular golfers, recognise it is not a beginner's course or somewhere for a novice holidaymaker to "have a go", this does not stop such players who are not adept enough to handle it from trying. This means it can require some patience to get through what should be a 2 hour round in nearer 3 hours. I did play on Good Friday, so maybe it was a busy day - try to play midweek and it may be an easier ride.
Nevertheless, don't let it put you off what is an enjoyable course to brush up on your mid/short iron play.

It has been close to 10 years since I last played Port Royal and, in that time, a substantial amount of money has been spent to bring it up the standard required to hold the PGA Grand Slam here. The most notable changes are ultra-fast greens and numerous bunkers - it is a far more challenging course as a consequence. Factor in gale force winds on holes 8-18 yesterday and, on such days, the course has plenty of teeth! I have played in the wind at links courses in the UK, but they tend to be lightly bunkered and watered, letting the terrain and elements be the test - the issue at Port Royal seems to be US-style bunkering, some hits over water, rock hard, fast greens and several uphill second shots to greens on the back nine (not to mention the famous par 3 16th that requires a hit over a cove to a green on a headland), coupled with the howling wind means that bump and run or low pitches are not an option on many holes. Unless you are a great manipulator of the ball, a master in the wind (realistically a very low handicapper - I used to play off 8 and am reconstructing my game after several months off, but it was more than I could manage), on most second shots the chances of stopping a ball on the green on holes 8-18 were remote. As a corollary, you need to be good out of bunkers (I am decent enough, so that was a saving grace at least), as you are likely to get plenty of practice.

I enjoyed the challenge, but not my final score! I will definitely go back (it is a great course, well kept and with helpful staff), but I will wait for a day when the wind is not quite so violent, as the set up of the course does not lend itself, in very windy conditions, to giving the average to good golfers a fair chance of playing even close to their handicaps.

One thing I would comment on is that, given its fame now, the course needs better marshalling - many tourists feel the need to stop to take photos (the views on the back nine are indeed stunning, but please consider those playing behind) - to keep play moving. It was close to 5 hours for a round on a Sunday, which is simply too long.

I had last played this course before its 2002 renovations, so was interested to see what had been done to it. There is limited space on a relatively short course, so was pleasantly surprised to see to the significant improvements made. With its length (some driveable par 4s and par 5s you can easily reach in two if you hit a long ball), it needs its tight fairways, doglegs and greens with undulations and subtle borrows to be a challenge to most players. Add in some stunning views, especially from the short 17th's tee, and it is well worth adding to its more illustrious neighbours on any Bermuda golf itinerary. If you can get the GolfNow reduced green fee, it is, by Bermuda standards, very good value for money too at $90 for 18 holes with a cart.