Column: Bermuda A Golf Hub Since The 1800s
[Column written by Kim Swan]
Over a century ago, Bermuda emerged as a golf destination, enhancing its tourism by drawing influential figures and establishing numerous golf courses since the 1800s.
Bermuda, with the most golf courses per square mile of any country, came about because the desirability of Bermuda as a golf mecca was identified over 100 years ago. Many influential people frequented Bermuda, which bode well for the development of our tourism prospects. One hundred years ago, Bermuda was in its infancy stages, developing our country into a tourism mecca.
In 1895, the first US Amateur was held at Newport Country Club, Rhode Island, and its first champion was the now legendary C.B. McDonald – the famous golf course architect—who was familiar with Bermuda. In the early 1900s, C. B. McDonald, along with many influential businessmen and women, including global icons and future US Presidents, were being lured to Bermuda by the growing popularity of the game of golf.
List of Bermuda Golf Courses [past and present]:
- Prospect Golf Link [Devonshire Golf Links] 1800s
- Hamilton Golf Links [Spanish Point] 1800s
- St. Georges Garrison Links [Million Dollar] 1880s
- Mid Ocean Club, 1922 – Charles Blair McDonald & Seth Raynor
- Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club, 1922 – Devereaux Emmet
- Belmont Golf Club, 1924 – St. George’s Hotel Golf Club, L – Devereaux Emmet & Albert H. Tull
- 1924 St. George’s Hotel [Rose Hill] Golf Course – Deveraux Emmet
- 1927 Grasmere & Fairylands Hotel & Golf Club, Pembroke – Roy Herne, Golf Professional
- Frascati Hotel Golf Club, 1928 – Devereaux Emmet & Albert H. Tull
- Shore Hills Hotel & Golf Club, 1929 – Devereaux Emmet
- 1931 The Castle Harbour Hotel & Golf Club – Charles Banks
- 1950 Ocean View G.C. rebrands Devonshire Golf Links [lengthens course east of Barkers Hill]
- 1963 Southampton Princess – Albert H. Tull
- 1970 Port Royal Golf Course, Robert Trent Jones Sr
- 1971 Holiday Inn Golf Course [Hotel course encompasses the former Garrison Course and lengthens using land north of Hotel near Fort St. Catherine’s Beach]
- 1985 St. George’s Golf Club [Bermuda Government rebuilds the former St. George Hotel Rose Hill Golf Course and the Holiday Inn Golf Course]
- 1988 Ocean View Golf Course [Bermuda Government returns Ocean View to be operated as a Bermuda Government Quango]
- 2004 Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Course [the golf course was remodeled under John Mason & Algie Pulley]
- 2004 Tuckers Point [Rosewood] Golf Club [the golf course was remodeled under Roger Rulewich]
- 2009 Port Royal Golf Course [the golf course was remodeled under Roger Rulewich]
- 2020 Five Forts Golf Course [St. Regis] [the golf course is included in the St. Regis Lease and was modified by the construction team to accommodate the hotel development but the Robert Trent Jones design was maintained]
- Existing Golf Courses
1898 ad reveals Hamilton Golf Links in Spanish Point
“Folklore has always held that there was a golf course in Spanish Point, and when evidence was found to verify a golf course was discovered in Fairylands—Fairylands and Grassmere Hotel & Golf Course [built in 1920s], the search intensified to find missing pieces about the golf course that Hamilton Princess guests would play in the early 1900s.”
Retired top servant Mr. Mansfield “Jimmy” Brock, an avid golfer from the 1940s, said, “When I built my house in Spanish Point, we discovered remains from a golf course on my property.”
The Hamilton Golf Links or Links at Spanish Point has also been verified as an active golf course that was easily accessible to visitors craving golf vacationing at hotels like The Hamilton Princess or other central hotel properties. It is through separate ads placed by Eagles Nest Hotel and a Mr. R. R. Higinbotham property ad that identifies the name of the golf course as Hamilton Golf Links and its location on Spanish Point Road.
To this point, much had been frequently written about the Garrison Golf Links at Prospect and St. George’s. Clearly, the presence of the Garrison golf courses was often referenced, and their availability in Bermuda was widely publicized and promoted in connection with the British military.
Golf was growing in its popularity in Bermuda. An excerpt from the Royal Gazette dated 1898 entitled, “GOLF” states as follows: “For the last three weeks, the Links Spanish Point have every day been thronged with admirers of the noble game. A tournament which commenced on the 4th… was only brought to a close on Friday last, and during the period mentioned many and severe have been the trials through which the numerous competitors have struggled for victory.
The handicappers appear to have given every satisfaction, several of the players being so nearly matched that until the final strokes it was impossible to pick out the winners. For the Ladies Prize, Mrs. Hickman was expected to win, but in the finals Miss E. Hutchings succeeded in carrying off the Cup. For the gentleman’s prize, there was much excitement, His Excellency the Governor having to play against Mr. Levingston, Jr., who had just previously won a game from Mr. Hankey, Worcester Regt.
In this final His Excellency carried off the prize, winning easily by 12 strokes. We understand that arrangements are being made to commence another tournament.”
The presence of the Hamilton Golf Links at Spanish Point in the 1890s demonstrates that Bermuda was a golf pioneer in the Western Hemisphere.
I learned a lot. Thank you.