THE opening of the newly renovated Port Royal Golf Course will be delayed for a few months, said chairman of the Board of Trustees Wendall Brown this week.

But he vowed that Port Royal will be ready to host the 2009 PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October.

Port Royal has been undergoing a $14 million renovation and was due to open this month.

But a combination of things have set the grand opening back although next week a select group of golfers led by Premier Ewart Brown will get a sneak preview in an eight-hole tournament.

Brown also told the Mid-Ocean News this week that a Director of Golf has been chosen. Although he declined to name the newly appointed director, he did say the person will be coming to Bermuda shortly from the UK.

"Bermuda should be proud of what has been done. Once the course has fully grown in people will be able to really appreciate it," said Brown adding that next Wednesday those who will play the eight holes will be able to see "what progress has been made".

Asked when all 18 holes will be open to the public, Brown said: "I would say anywhere between April and June. It is going to be dependent on the weather. These big downpours we have been having affects the course through erosion. Also if we have a harsh February or March the grass tends to become dormant if the temperature stays below 60 degrees. It takes a few days for it (the grass) to wake up and realise (it is warmer) and then it starts growing. But the course will most definitely be ready for the Grand Slam.

"The front nine is ready to be played - it is really the back nine (which has been delayed). There were a couple of issues which caused the back nine to not be as far along as the front. We lost about three or four weeks of planting time. We had an issue with the nurseries and had to wait a few weeks to transfer the grass from the nurseries. If we could have started when it was scheduled we could probably open up the course today. But although those four weeks doesn't sound like a lot, it is for growing because we would have enjoyed four more weeks of very hot weather."

Brown said that a number of Bermudians had applied for the post of golf pro.

"We have not named the pro. We are in the process of hiring a Director of Golf from the UK and he is due on the island in the next few weeks and it will be his task to appoint a professional. There have been applications from several Bermudians and he will be the one to determine who will be hired. At this time I would rather not give his name ¿ I want to wait until he is on the island."

Brown said those who had played Port Royal before the renovation, would be very happy with the changes made by Roger Rulewich who was an apprentice for original designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. when the course was constructed nearly 40 years ago. "He understood the philosophy (of Jones)," said Brown.

The Roger Rulewich Group was formed by a select group of alumni from the Robert Trent Jones Sr. firm when it closed its offices in 1995.

Talking about some of the changes made, Brown said that the course's bunkers have been restored to their original size and also some more added. "One thing you will notice is that all the holes all protected by bunkers.

"Over the years erosion from the winds affected the bunkers which became smaller and we also took some trees down so the course looks more like it did when it first opened."

The course has also been extended. "The new yardage is about 6,850. We have also put a lake in on the right of (dog leg par five) number two but the only time that it should come into play is when you are playing off the championship tee boxes. We have put them right back.

"I think one of the best holes now is (par three) number three. We have enlarged the pond so that now when you are on the tee box it looks very intimidating. The pond has been extended and really comes into play because if you hit the top of the bank you will now roll right back into the water."

The sixth hole, which always had problems with the green has also be changed.

"There was a little hut - a shelter - and that is where the tee box is now. We have lowered the green. We had two problems there. One was that the trees shaded the green and also the water used to run on to the green. Now the water runs around it.

"I think number six is the prettiest hole right now. You will really be able to appreciate it. We also put bunkers below the green and the fairway and it looks like two headlights looking at you when you are up on the tee box.

"We have lengthened (par three) number eight so that from the championship tees it plays about 220 yards. It has also become very tight but we have really expanded all the greens since we are using tiff eagle and the greens will be faster. Number eight will be a tough hole and we have cleared some of the trees on the right hand side.

"Fifteen (par four) will also be more challenging since we have moved the green back and picked up another 30-40 yards."

Port Royal's signature hole - the scenic par three 16th - will also be tougher from the championship tees.

"We have extended it to 235 yards; it is very daunting. And the lake on (par five) 17 has been extended. One of the reasons was for water capacity."

Even after all 18 holes are officially opened, Brown said there were a couple of other things to be done.

"We will eventually be putting a tee box on the southern side of Pompano Road on (par four) number four which is the hardest ranked hole. We cannot do it at this particular time but eventually we are going to wind the road through the course. So number four will eventually be extended by about 50 yards as will number five whose green will be on the other side of Pompano road. That is not going to be done now but we have had talks with Works and Engineering to have the road travel through the course and that will give us those extra yards."