Golfing in Bermuda

[StrokerAce]

Hey spies.... my family and another family will be going to Bermuda for a week vacation this year and I've been given the green light to play golf there. 

I'm wondering if anyone has ever played in Bermuda, if they brought clubs or rented, any courses they were impressed with, tips, tricks, hints, etc.

Thanks!

[Just another lefty]

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 11:09 AM, GolfSpy Stroker said:

I'm wondering if anyone has ever played in Bermuda

Hi @GolfSpy Stroker, I lived in Bermuda from 2013-2017 and played all of the courses so I can probably answer any questions you might have except the rental club thing, since I just used my own clubs. I know Port Royal had nice new rentals while I was there but I can't say about the other courses.

The six courses are all fun but I was most impressed with Mid Ocean (private) and Port Royal (public). Both are in great condition and a lot of fun.  They are both really scenic and you won't be disappointed with either. Mid Ocean is the most expensive course on the island and although it's private, I remember they used to offer tee times to non-members (around $200). Port Royal will have some deals on GolfNow to make it much more affordable than the rack rate. If you play Port Royal, check out the tee plaque at the back of 16 tee (the iconic Par 3 hole on the ocean).

Turtle Hill at the Fairmont Southampton is an 18 hole Par 3 course with incredible views and would not disappoint if you have time to play it. If you're like me, when you hear "Par 3 course" you have an image of a bunch of short holes with mediocre course conditions. Turtle Hill is nothing like that. It's a top notch course with some really long holes (#14 is around 220). Several holes have up to 20 yards of slope differential so take a cart. I've walked this course many times and the front especially is a good workout.

Tucker's Point is close to Mid Ocean and parts of the two courses are very close to each other but the course conditions are not as nice at Tucker's Point (the view from 17 tee box at Tucker's Point is really incredible though). Belmont Hills is another step down in course conditions, fairly short and narrow but still fun.

What time of year are you going? The gnats can be brutal in the summer. Are you taking a cruise or flying? I've got some advice on your stay depending on which one you're going with.

  

 

 

[StrokerAce]

4 hours ago, Just another lefty said:

Hi @GolfSpy Stroker, I lived in Bermuda from 2013-2017 and played all of the courses so I can probably answer any questions you might have except the rental club thing, since I just used my own clubs. I know Port Royal had nice new rentals while I was there but I can't say about the other courses.

The six courses are all fun but I was most impressed with Mid Ocean (private) and Port Royal (public). Both are in great condition and a lot of fun.  They are both really scenic and you won't be disappointed with either. Mid Ocean is the most expensive course on the island and although it's private, I remember they used to offer tee times to non-members (around $200). Port Royal will have some deals on GolfNow to make it much more affordable than the rack rate. If you play Port Royal, check out the tee plaque at the back of 16 tee (the iconic Par 3 hole on the ocean).

Turtle Hill at the Fairmont Southampton is an 18 hole Par 3 course with incredible views and would not disappoint if you have time to play it. If you're like me, when you hear "Par 3 course" you have an image of a bunch of short holes with mediocre course conditions. Turtle Hill is nothing like that. It's a top notch course with some really long holes (#14 is around 220). Several holes have up to 20 yards of slope differential so take a cart. I've walked this course many times and the front especially is a good workout.

Tucker's Point is close to Mid Ocean and parts of the two courses are very close to each other but the course conditions are not as nice at Tucker's Point (the view from 17 tee box at Tucker's Point is really incredible though). Belmont Hills is another step down in course conditions, fairly short and narrow but still fun.

What time of year are you going? The gnats can be brutal in the summer. Are you taking a cruise or flying? I've got some advice on your stay depending on which one you're going with.

  

 

 

Yes, yes, Yes, yes!! 

This is pure gold and precisely what I was hoping for...thank you from the bottom to the top!

My wife made the accommodations... we're staying at the Grotto bay.

Thanks again for all the information. Very nice of you to share!!

[tony@CIC]

Yes, yes, Yes, yes!! 
This is pure gold and precisely what I was hoping for...thank you from the bottom to the top!
My wife made the accommodations... we're staying at the Grotto bay.
Thanks again for all the information. Very nice of you to share!!

We stayed at Grotto Bay several years ago and had a great time!

[Just another lefty]

@GolfSpy Stroker, I don't want to give unsolicited advice (like those guys that are always giving swing tips that you don't want) but if you want some non-golf tips (best beach, best chance to see/swim with turtles, best snorkeling, etc.) just let me know.

[StrokerAce]

On 4/13/2019 at 1:11 AM, Just another lefty said:

@GolfSpy Stroker, I don't want to give unsolicited advice (like those guys that are always giving swing tips that you don't want) but if you want some non-golf tips (best beach, best chance to see/swim with turtles, best snorkeling, etc.) just let me know.

Hey there... never did follow-up with you on your offer for some advice.

We leave next Tuesday and if you have any suggestions, tips, etc. I'd love to hear them!  We love to get out and about and explore around instead of just sitting at the beach all the time.  

Thanks!

[Just another lefty]

 

@GolfSpy Stroker So now that the PGA is going back to Bermuda next year you really want to play Port Royal (even though it's on the other end of the island). GolfNow has it at $117 at noon every day next week which beats the $180 regular rate. Maybe GolfNow has a competitor with a better rate?

The place you want to go for your best chance at swimming with turtles is the Clearwater Beach area. They have bus service to the park in front of the beach or you can take a taxi. This is part of the old US military base that used to be at Bermuda and they still have a gate to restrict cars from going out to the end which is called Long Bay Beach at the end on the left (looking east towards St. David's lighthouse). It's a bit of a walk from the gate to the beach but we almost always saw turtles there this time of year. They like to hang out in the seagrass beds which start out at 20 to 30 yards away from shore. Just make sure to go when the water is fairly calm so your visibility is good otherwise you won't see a thing. We got snorkel gear at Costco before we moved there, there are no places to rent gear in the Clearwater area. Maybe Grotto Bay rents gear if you don't want to buy some? If you do end up snorkeling, bring a small (like 1 or 2oz) bottle of baby shampoo. This is what the dive boats use on their masks to minimize fogging. It worked better for us than the actual anti-fogging solution you can buy for way more $. One thing to caution you on is the lack of services in this area. The only bathrooms are a tiny building in the park close to the bus drop-off point.

The best place for snorkeling on the island is Church Bay which is on the South Shore past Horseshoe Beach (the best beach - they have rentals and food unlike the Clearwater area) and Fairmont Southampton (where they have the par 3 course - Turtle Hill). It's quite a ways from Grotto Bay though. If you decide to go there, you have to swim out to the rocks, that's where all the fish are. It's pretty amazing on a calm day when the visibility is good, it's like being in a giant fish tank, really cool.

For non-beach stuff, they have Harbour nights every Wednesday evening on Front St. in Hamilton. They usually have "Gombey dancers" performing along with some vendors selling food and crafts.

Fort Hamilton is at the east end of Hamilton and was probably the best fort that we visited (unless you make it out to Dockyard at the furthest point west). They have a moat garden which is pretty cool and you can take some stairs down into the fort and walk around. There is also a really nice view of Hamilton Harbor from the top of Fort Hamilton.

One of the cooler experiences we had was feeding sea anemones when we went Bell Diving. This starts out from Dockyard. It's very loud with your head stuck in a helmet but it was also very memorable. I also went on a 2 wreck dive experience for non-certified divers. Wish I had done more of that, it was really incredible.

For eating out, if you don't stay and eat at Grotto Bay the whole time there are some nice places to go around the island.

For eating with a view in Hamilton, we ate at Red's Steakhouse upstairs. Nice steaks and a good view. La Trattoria doesn't have a view but is one of the best values we found. Great food and great staff, my kids favorite place.

For eating outside of Hamilton, Gibb's Hill lighthouse near Fairmont Southampton was a nice outdoor dining experience. It's called "The Dining Room" and had really great views and good food. There were a few gnats but really not enough to deter us. Eating at Blu at Belmont Hills Golf Course and the patio seating at Port Royal G.C. are also really nice views. If you want to actually eat on the beach you can go to Elbow Beach resort. If you go to Dockyard, the Frog and Onion was good. Dockyard also has the best mini-golf place.

Be sure to check out the cave on the Grotto Bay Resort grounds, that's pretty neat. The swimming at Grotto Bay was OK, the water just wasn't as clear as some other places. They did sink a boat off the beach (seems like it was 70' to 100' from the beach, not far) and it's only about 10' or 15' down so pretty easy to free dive down to. A little bit of coral on the boat and some fish hanging out there.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[StrokerAce]

13 minutes ago, Just another lefty said:

 

@GolfSpy Stroker So now that the PGA is going back to Bermuda next year you really want to play Port Royal (even though it's on the other end of the island). GolfNow has it at $117 at noon every day next week which beats the $180 regular rate. Maybe GolfNow has a competitor with a better rate?

The place you want to go for your best chance at swimming with turtles is the Clearwater Beach area. They have bus service to the park in front of the beach or you can take a taxi. This is part of the old US military base that used to be at Bermuda and they still have a gate to restrict cars from going out to the end which is called Long Bay Beach at the end on the left (looking east towards St. David's lighthouse). It's a bit of a walk from the gate to the beach but we almost always saw turtles there this time of year. They like to hang out in the seagrass beds which start out at 20 to 30 yards away from shore. Just make sure to go when the water is fairly calm so your visibility is good otherwise you won't see a thing. We got snorkel gear at Costco before we moved there, there are no places to rent gear in the Clearwater area. Maybe Grotto Bay rents gear if you don't want to buy some? If you do end up snorkeling, bring a small (like 1 or 2oz) bottle of baby shampoo. This is what the dive boats use on their masks to minimize fogging. It worked better for us than the actual anti-fogging solution you can buy for way more $. One thing to caution you on is the lack of services in this area. The only bathrooms are a tiny building in the park close to the bus drop-off point.

The best place for snorkeling on the island is Church Bay which is on the South Shore past Horseshoe Beach (the best beach - they have rentals and food unlike the Clearwater area) and Fairmont Southampton (where they have the par 3 course - Turtle Hill). It's quite a ways from Grotto Bay though. If you decide to go there, you have to swim out to the rocks, that's where all the fish are. It's pretty amazing on a calm day when the visibility is good, it's like being in a giant fish tank, really cool.

For non-beach stuff, they have Harbour nights every Wednesday evening on Front St. in Hamilton. They usually have "Gombey dancers" performing along with some vendors selling food and crafts.

Fort Hamilton is at the east end of Hamilton and was probably the best fort that we visited (unless you make it out to Dockyard at the furthest point west). They have a moat garden which is pretty cool and you can take some stairs down into the fort and walk around. There is also a really nice view of Hamilton Harbor from the top of Fort Hamilton.

One of the cooler experiences we had was feeding sea anemones when we went Bell Diving. This starts out from Dockyard. It's very loud with your head stuck in a helmet but it was also very memorable. I also went on a 2 wreck dive experience for non-certified divers. Wish I had done more of that, it was really incredible.

For eating out, if you don't stay and eat at Grotto Bay the whole time there are some nice places to go around the island.

For eating with a view in Hamilton, we ate at Red's Steakhouse upstairs. Nice steaks and a good view. La Trattoria doesn't have a view but is one of the best values we found. Great food and great staff, my kids favorite place.

For eating outside of Hamilton, Gibb's Hill lighthouse near Fairmont Southampton was a nice outdoor dining experience. It's called "The Dining Room" and had really great views and good food. There were a few gnats but really not enough to deter us. Eating at Blu at Belmont Hills Golf Course and the patio seating at Port Royal G.C. are also really nice views. If you want to actually eat on the beach you can go to Elbow Beach resort. If you go to Dockyard, the Frog and Onion was good. Dockyard also has the best mini-golf place.

Be sure to check out the cave on the Grotto Bay Resort grounds, that's pretty neat. The swimming at Grotto Bay was OK, the water just wasn't as clear as some other places. They did sink a boat off the beach (seems like it was 70' to 100' from the beach, not far) and it's only about 10' or 15' down so pretty easy to free dive down to. A little bit of coral on the boat and some fish hanging out there.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Awesome man....you are THE MAN!  totally totally cool of you to share this.  Really appreciate it!
Our whole family is super excited and can't wait for the trip.
Thanks so much.

[Just another lefty]

4 minutes ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

Our whole family is super excited and can't wait for the trip.

Hope you guys have a great time!

[Just another lefty]

@GolfSpy Stroker How was the trip? Hope everything went well.

[StrokerAce]

Pretty cool to see the PGA tour playing at a course that I was able to play out in Bermuda.

Port Royal is a nice course but I didn't think it was terribly difficult. The wind might make it a little more challenging but I think the winner is going to go really low.

[fozcycle]

I played Port Royal in 1972....while stationed there in the US Navy........absolutely great golf.


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