Hitting Bermuda's Links

Golfers looking for the ultimate place to hit the links need travel no longer than a two-hour flight from the East Coast. Bermuda, the “Jewel of the Atlantic,” devotes more of its land to golf courses than any other island on the planet. Here are some of the best places on the island to hang your hat, tee off, and fuel up.

Overlooking breathtaking Hamilton Harbour is The Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa, an all-suite property that combines a resort’s amenities with a boutique hotel’s personal service. Its 6,100-yard course, Belmont Hills, was designed by Algie M. Pulley Jr. and boasts undulating greens, narrow fairways, and enough traps to prove a challenge to even scratch players. Shooting par on the 17th hole, with a panoramic view of the harbour and Great Sound, will take particular concentration. Blu Bar & Grill, the award-winning onsite restaurant, more than satisfies a worked-up appetite.

Designed in 1932 by Charles H. Banks and enhanced in 2002 by Roger Rulewich, Tucker’s Point Golf Course pairs dramatic tees and winding fairways with spectacular views of aquamarine waters. Its 88-room Rosewood Tucker’s Point hotel is home to Tucker’s Bar and The Point Restaurant & Terrace – both stylish places at which to refresh with a Dark ‘n Stormy or a Bermuda Rum Sizzle.

Ranked by Golf Digest as the world’s best public course is the Robert Trent Jones-designed Port Royal Golf Course. The 6,842-yard course’s wavy terrain is echoed by the sea that’s visible from two extraordinary cliffside holes. Since 2009, Port Royal’s been the site for the PGA’s prestigious Grand Slam tournament every October, but for the spectator who misses it, tournaments abound year-round.