Port Royal Golf Course: “Public Golf At Its Best”
[Written by Kim Swan & Jayson Jackson]
Playing host to iconic sports celebrities over the past few days has brought home how significant Port Royal Golf Course is to showcase Bermuda at its best; we often take for granted what a magnificent asset this government-owned golf course truly is for our island home.
It is a PGA Tour championship golf course with exceptional coastal beauty, open to the public but suitable for socializing in business or pleasure setting.
Port Royal Golf Course is set on the beautiful Atlantic coastline and recently celebrated 50 years in 2020 as a world class championship golf course.
Framed against the backdrop of a 17th century Whale Bay Fort on the beautiful south shore coastline, our signature hole #16 is in view of the migratory humpback whales, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and treacherous holes on the PGA Tour.
Environmental Consciousness
With limited open spaces in Bermuda, we have adopted strategies to lessen our environmental footprint along our pristine coastline.
Fostering relationships with local agencies such as the Bermuda Audubon Society, the Bermuda National Trust, and other key community stakeholders is the cornerstone to our environmental stability project and its symbolic relationship to our golf course product in our overall vison for Bermuda public golf courses.
In fact, since 2022, Port Royal Golf Course has introduced an Integrated Pest Management Program to reduce pesticide applications and promote a healthy, disease-resistant, and stress-tolerant turfgrass system that creates an environment for sustainable high performing turfgrass playing surfaces.
Port Royal has played host to more than 35 Bermuda Open Championships and was purposefully redeveloped by Roger Rulewich in 2007, specifically to host a world class event – a vision of former Premier and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown. Port Royal Golf Course has now hosted five PGA Grand Slam of Golf events and four PGA Tour Butterfield Bermuda Championships since 2009; clearly a legacy for public golf that place Port Royal among the elite Public Golf Courses in the world, and indeed, the best value for money in golf.
Thankfully, being a public golf course of world class stature, Port Royal Golf Course remains available to all hotels in Bermuda to market in their quest to lure visitors from around the world to our shores.
Ironically, the original opening of Port Royal Golf Course in 1970 coincided with the opening of the iconic Southampton Princess Hotel and the Holiday Inn in St. George’s.
Today in 2023, the importance of Port Royal Golf Course is even more urgent to support the restoration of the Southampton Princess, our largest and most viable tourism product, only a short commute away.
The majesty that her name suggests is accentuated when sitting at our clubhouse being mesmerized by a magnificent sunset. Apart from our jaw dropping beauty, Port Royal’s contribution to Bermuda far exceeds the economic miracle it participated in since 1970.
We are so proud that Port Royal Golf Course, as a government entity, has carried forth one of the greatest examples of inclusion, social re-engineering, and diversity since its introduction to golf 52 years ago, long before diversity and inclusion became household terms.
Notwithstanding, our present day mandate and vision is to grow the game of golf among the people in Bermuda and by inviting more new golfing visitors, we are embracing environmentally friendly and agronomically sustainable practices which will position us as a world leader in agronomic best practices.
Our five manmade ponds and shoreline vistas offer a unique ability to provide sanctuary for migratory winter birds traveling north or south, and local birds. Vagrant birds also take residence on the golf course if blown off from winter storms or spring overshoots. Over 400 birds have been recorded in Bermuda: an amazing record for an island with only 21 square miles.
In conclusion, we encourage golfers to experience the majesty of Port Royal Golf Course. A course enjoyed by major golf champions, celebrities, business tycoons and the common man and woman – a world class championship golf course at an affordable price; public golf at its best at Port Royal Golf Course.
- Kim Swan, Chairman of Bermuda Government Golf Courses, and Jayson Jackson, Golf Course Superintendent, Port Royal & Ocean View Golf Courses
Absolutely agree! The Port Royal Golf Course truly embodies the essence of Public Golf At Its Best I had the pleasure of visiting this gem recently, and I must say, it exceeded all my expectations.
Lovely photographs. I used to enjoy golf at St. Georges Golf Course too. Sadly, not any more