Bermuda Open needs cash infusion to survive

I was quite impressed with the turn-out at last week’s BGA AGM, with a full house in attendance. 

Mind you, the house we were in, which was actually a room at the Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club, could only hold about 35 people but that, I can assure you, is a crowd for a BGA AGM.

The usual folks were in attendance and the usual sorts of comments and questions were made and raised. 

Perhaps the most important question raised was by Bob Legere, who quite rightly wanted to understand better why the BGA had been on what appeared to be a spending spree.

As it happens, the main overspend was on the Bermuda Open which, for the January 2010 playing of that event, the BGA itself put up $50,000 in order to provide a purse for the professionals. 

The event also had two corporate sponsors, TBI and HSBC, both of whom donated $5,000. 

To be sure, without the contribution by the BGA and the two corporate sponsors, there would not have been a professional purse to play for in January 2010. 

In fact, unless the new board can attract sponsorship for the 2011 Bermuda Open, now scheduled for June, the event could be in jeopardy of disappearing into the world of the forgotten.

One of the main objectives of the new board could be to improve the stature and status of the Bermuda Open. 

The new BGA board has two golf professionals in its make-up, both of whom could be quite useful in helping raise the profile of the Bermuda Open. 

They both should have a fairly long list of contacts in the professional golfing world and maybe they can attract a good number of them to our shores.

Professional golfers are attracted, prima facie, by the size of the purse attaching to the tournament. 

Critical to the resurrection of the Bermuda Open will be whether or not the new board is successful in raising money to put into the professional purse. 

One thing is for sure, the BGA cannot, and should not, finance the Bermuda Open again. 

It would be wonderful if the Bermuda Government would get involved and perhaps use some of the money they allocate to the Tourism budget to support the Bermuda Open. 

As Bob Legere pointed out the other day, in an interview with the Royal Gazette, substantial media coverage may be possible if the Bermuda Open purse was of sufficient size to attract players in sufficient numbers which in turn may attract the media. After all, Bermuda in June would look mighty attractive on television’s Golf Channel. 

The just retired BGA board began a transition two years ago to move from a somewhat lethargic period for golf in Bermuda. 

The new board now has a clean sheet upon which to paint a new and improved golfing programme for golf in Bermuda. 

I wish Nick Mansell, the new BGA President, and his board every success.