Did you know Bermuda had 15 golf courses?

For those of you who are history buffs, and for all golfers who enjoy nostalgia, Christmas is coming a few weeks early for you, thanks to Alan Gamble.

No, Alan is not going to dress up as Santa Claus and present each of you with a Christmas golf ball.  Nor is he going to tell you the secret of putting, even though he has told me he knows it. 

In fact, he is going to do much better than that for he has been working feverishly over the past few months to bring to life some of the history of golf in Bermuda.

How many amongst us knew that Bermuda, over the years, has had a total of fifteen different golf courses? 

How many of us have truly appreciated the importance the sport of golf has played in the development of tourism in Bermuda? 

The work that Alan has done will help remind the very few who did know and will serve to educate the vast majority of us who simply had no clue.

Alan has also managed to dig up a slew of pictures showing players of the past, and so you just might see a picture of yourself peering back at you as part of his display. 

I’ve actually seen some of these pictures and, I can assure you, they will bring a smile to your face.

Today, there are but seven active golf courses in Bermuda but our island has been home to fifteen different golf courses at one time or another. 

Alan has a map of Bermuda that shows the locations of these fifteen courses and I’m pretty sure that the vast majority of us simply were not aware of many of these golf courses.

Alan’s display of the history of golf in Bermuda is being set up in the Wardman Room at Port Royal Golf Course to coincide with the playing of the Goodwill. 

Goodwill week is December 6 and I understand that Alan and his team will be setting up the display in the Wardman Room over this coming weekend. 

It will be left standing for the entire week so I strongly encourage you to make your way out to Port Royal and have a walk through Bermuda’s golfing past.

Thanks Alex!

Speaking of the Goodwill, Alex Madeiros has done a great job at getting this event back in the limelight. 

Back in the good old days, the Goodwill was a major tourism boost for Bermuda at a time of year when hotel rooms were rather empty. 

Hotel rooms are still rather empty in Bermuda, and not just at this time of year, and the work being done by Alex and his team is beginning to bear fruit. 

Last week’s Gosling’s Invitational is an example of what can be done when a little money is mixed with some hard work. 

Major kudos go out to Gosling’s for their financial support and congratulations to Alex for organizing such a successful event.