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Six-time major winner Nick Faldo plans to transform St George's golf course into a venue that could host the PGA Grand Slam.

The new course in the old town - part of the Park Hyatt hotel project - will be open to the public on a pay-to-play basis.

The old course was not considered a major challenge even for top local golfers and Faldo admitted there would have to be considerable modifications.

But with the hotel and course planning for a 2012 opening, he has time on his hands.

"We are going to change things pretty dramatically. That's the exciting part."

The European Ryder Cup captain, who made an initial inspection of the site on Monday, says the new course will be flexible enough to suit weekend golfers and host major competitions like the PGA.

"They have had the Grand Slam here for the past few years and I'm sure in years to come we would love to submit our course for that."

The biggest challenge will be to ensure the course is long enough for tournament play, with space severely restricted on the east end peninsula.

"That's a challenge anywhere in Bermuda but we are looking closely, for tournament play, at creating another route, making use of double greens and features like that.

"Space is restricted but we could still have a 600-yard par five and a 240-yard par three.

"The main brief is to create a beautiful course but we will make sure that when a really decent player comes along we can set it up so he has some challenges as well."

The former world number one, known for his intensity on the course, said he brought the same focus and desire to his designs.

"I always had a talent for visualization, which was important in my playing career. I can see golf holes where other people wouldn't.

"I also had a reputation for being meticulous as a player, which is something I bring to course design.

"There isn't really a Faldo signature. I like to impact each piece of land where it stands on the globe. If I came with too many preconceptions I wouldn't need to come at all."

He said he took ideas for his designs from '35 years of walking around the world's best golf courses'.

But he insisted each course was always fresh, charactarising the design process as a form of self-expression.

He said the natural resources at the St George's course where as good as anything he'd had to work with.

"We've got some wonderful rugged coastlines to work with, which could make for some really dramatic holes."

Faldo, who lived in Bermuda for two years, said the course was a personal project for him.

"I love this island. It's got a lot of charm, it's a place I like to come and chill. I've made some good friends here and I'm really looking forward to this project."[[In-content Ad]]

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