Bermuda’s golf story begins with a few soldiers swinging clubs on a hillside and ends—at least for now—with a public course hosting the PGA TOUR. In between are stories of ambition, exclusion, and quiet determination that turned an imported pastime into one of the island’s most inclusive sports.
By the 1890s, British troops stationed at Prospect Camp in Devonshire had built rough “links” for recreation. A handful of civilians joined in, holding small matches around Hamilton and St. George’s. For the officers and wintering visitors, golf was a colonial diversion; for most Bermudians, it was something glimpsed from the outside.
The 1920s transformed golf from curiosity to cornerstone. In 1922, two landmark courses opened—Mid Ocean in Tucker’s Town, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor, and Riddell’s Bay in Warwick, by Devereux Emmet. Within a few years, hotel courses followed, tying golf to Bermuda’s growing tourism industry. But the boom carried a human cost. The redevelopment of Tucker’s Town displaced long-time residents—mostly Black and mixed-race families—so that an elite resort community could rise in their place. The fairways were magnificent, but the loss echoed for generations.
For decades afterward, segregation defined the game. Black and Portuguese Bermudians could caddie or tend greens but were not allowed to play. Many learned in secret, rising before dawn to play “running golf”—quick rounds through 17 holes, never finishing near the clubhouse for fear of being caught. In 1950, that quiet resistance found a home. Bill Pitt, Erskine D. Simons, and George Lowe led the creation of Ocean View Golf Club on the old garrison course at Prospect, giving Black golfers a place to play in daylight for the first time. Ocean View became both a sporting milestone and a symbol of self-determination, eventually opening its doors to all.
As tourism grew, golf became central to the island’s image. The Bermuda Goodwill Tournament, founded in 1953 and still played today, brought club professionals and amateurs from abroad, spreading Bermuda’s reputation as a friendly, year-round golf destination. But at home, full inclusion took longer.
The 1960s finally brought change. The desegregation movement reached the fairways, and in 1970 the Bermuda Government took a bold step by opening Port Royal Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design built as a championship-caliber public course. For the first time, world-class golf in Bermuda was open to anyone who could book a tee time. Around the same period, Bermudian golfer Louis “Kid” Corbin helped challenge the PGA of America’s whites-only clause, linking Bermuda’s struggle for access to a broader civil-rights movement.
By the late 20th century, the island fully embraced its golf identity. Mid Ocean and Port Royal hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, and since 2019 the Butterfield Bermuda Championship has brought the PGA TOUR to Port Royal each autumn. Ocean View, now publicly managed, remains a community cornerstone, while new initiatives such as Black Golfers Week —an annual event launched by the Bermuda Tourism Authority to celebrate and advance diversity in golf through tournaments, free clinics, and cultural programs — and junior programs carry the game forward.
Today, Bermuda fits more golf history into 21 square miles than anywhere else. From soldiers’ rough links to public cliff-edge fairways, the island’s story isn’t just about design—it’s about access. The right to stand on the first tee in daylight, once denied, is now part of Bermuda’s everyday game.
Mid Ocean Club (Tucker’s Town)
Opened: 1921–22
Architects: Charles Blair Macdonald & Seth Raynor; later refinements by Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1950s)
Why it matters: Mid Ocean introduced Golden-Age strategy to Bermuda—template holes, bold diagonals, and wind-exposed angles. Statesmen and celebrities played here during the mid-20th-century tourism boom.
Tournaments & moments: Hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf (2007, 2008). Earlier decades saw high-profile invitationals and goodwill matches that helped cement Bermuda’s reputation as a winter golf destination.
Notes on design: Subsequent work respected the original Macdonald/Raynor concepts; greens and tees were modernized without changing the course’s architectural identity.
Port Royal Golf Course (Southampton)
Opened: 1970
Architects: Robert Trent Jones Sr.; comprehensive renovation by Roger Rulewich (2008–09)
Why it matters: Port Royal is Bermuda’s flagship public course—owned by the Government and accessible to residents and visitors. Its cliff-top par-3 16th became the island’s most photographed shot.
Tournaments & moments: PGA Grand Slam of Golf (2009–2014). Home of the PGA TOUR’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship since 2019.
Notes on design: The 2008–09 rebuild lengthened the course, rebuilt greens/bunkers, and upgraded infrastructure to tournament standards.
Tucker’s Point Golf Club (Hamilton Parish)
Opened: 1932 as Castle Harbour (Charles H. Banks); re-imagined and reopened as Tucker’s Point (2002)
Architects: Charles H. Banks (original); full redesign by Roger Rulewich (2002)
Why it matters: A classic hotel course reborn. The 2002 project created a modern par-70 with dramatic elevation changes while preserving the east end’s big-sky vistas that made Castle Harbour famous.
Tournaments & moments: Regional and corporate events; historically, the Castle Harbour era hosted international qualifiers and visiting-pro exhibitions.
Notes on design: Today’s course is effectively new—routing and green complexes reflect contemporary strategy and conditioning.
Belmont Hills Golf Club (Warwick)
Opened: 1924 (as Belmont, serving the Belmont Manor Hotel)
Architects: Devereux Emmet (origins); full rebuild by Algie M. Pulley Jr. (2002–03)
Why it matters: A hotel-era staple that evolved with the times. The early-2000s reconstruction converted a largely flat, parkland layout into a shorter—but more tactical—hillside course with tiered greens and added contour.
Tournaments & moments: Hosted Bermuda Opens and Goodwill-era events in the mid-20th century; a long-standing site for visiting-pro and local competitions.
Notes on design: Modern par-70 around 6,000 yards; strategy relies on elevation, angles into small targets, and wind.
Turtle Hill Golf Club (Southampton)
Opened: 1960s (resort par-3 attached to the Southampton Princess/Fairmont)
Architects: Work historically attributed to Ted Robinson Sr.; period references also cite Alfred H. Tull’s involvement
Why it matters: An 18-hole par-3 that plays like real golf—shot-making, elevation drops, coastal wind. Known internationally as a model of the short-course movement.
Tournaments & moments: Long-running World Par-3 Championship, plus national par-3 events and resort pro-ams.
Notes on design: Period upgrades improved greens, tees, and turf while retaining the drop-shot character. Night and festival-style golf have made it a gateway for new players.
Ocean View Golf Course (Devonshire)
Opened: Origins as military/recreational links (early 20th century); formally organized as Ocean View in 1950
Architects: Member-built origins; later municipal stewardship and incremental improvements
Why it matters: Ocean View is central to the desegregation of golf in Bermuda. By opening fairways to Black Bermudians and Portuguese communities during an exclusionary era, it became a civil-rights landmark as well as a community course.
Tournaments & moments: The Governor’s Cup and inter-club matches that symbolized integration; ongoing public programming and local championships.
Notes on design: Nine holes, par-35, hillside views to the North Shore. Straightforward architecture; the significance here is social as much as sporting.
Five Forts Golf Club (St. George’s)
Opened: 2021 (on the former St. George’s Golf Club site)
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Why it matters: Restores golf to the East End with a compact, resort-friendly par-62 that threads between 17th–19th-century fortifications and ocean views.
Tournaments & moments: New venue for pro-ams and resort events; a complementary option during Bermuda Championship week.
Notes on design: Short on yardage, long on scenery and angles; designed for pace of play and shot variety rather than brute distance.
Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club (Warwick) — Closed 2016
Opened: 1922
Architect: Devereux Emmet; later hole-by-hole updates (1990s–2000s)
Why it mattered: Bermuda’s oldest club course, draped over a slender peninsula—short, breezy, and strategic. A social hub for generations and a crucible for local talent.
Tournaments & moments: Early editions of the Bermuda Goodwill and numerous island championships.
Afterword: Closed in 2016 after financial headwinds. Much of the land has since been restored as the Riddell’s Bay Gardens & Nature Reserve, preserving public access and views while marking the end of a 94-year golf chapter.
