Fifty years ago, Frank Cutajar planted hundreds of seedlings at the golf course which now lies at the Fairmont Southampton — and today those trees still frame the fairways.

The former golf course manager from Toronto has returned to Bermuda this week for a vacation and wants to find out how some other “seedlings” of his are doing half a century on — a group of youngsters who joined the Island’s first junior golf clinic.

Mr Cutajar, 75, told The Royal Gazette that he set up the programme for children whose parents were members of the club and it was a big success, becoming over-subscribed and gaining mentions in the local press.

This Sunday, he is planning a reunion for anyone who was a member of the clinic. The event will take place at the Fairmont Southampton’s Pool Gallery from 2pm to 4pm.

“In 1966, I was manager of the Southampton Golf and Beach Club,” Mr Cutajar said. “The golf course, being new, looked like a cow pasture. There was no budget for landscaping, so with the help of the head of the Botanical Gardens, we planted seedlings in 500 beer cans and when they were 12 inches tall, we planted them around the golf course. They were little seedlings and they are still there.”

Displaying a selection of newspaper clippings from his time on the Island, the father-of-two added: “I was the first to start a junior golf programme on the Island and it is my hope to reunite with these children, who are now in their fifties. I just thought those children would get a kick out of seeing themselves when they were little.”

One of the clippings refers to a Princess Golf Club junior championship and lists participants, including Craig Christensen, Norman Dunstan, Judy Kemp, Carol Lindo, Jeffrey Lindo, Michael Madeiros, Blake Marshall, Anthony Perrone, Dianne Perrone, Janet Rans and Than Trott.

During his time on the Island, Mr Cutajar worked at the Reefs as assistant manager, then helped open the Carlton Beach Hotel, which is no longer there.

He was part of the team which reopened the Hamilton Princess in 1964 and has returned to join in the hotel’s 50th anniversary celebrations this week.

He left Bermuda in 1969 and went to Paris, where he worked for the American Embassy for two years, helping to host functions during the Vietnam War negotiations that led to the Paris Peace Accords.

Mr Cutajar then returned to his native Canada, opening a chain of restaurants in Toronto. “It was time to go home and start a career there,” he said.

* To find out more about the reunion, e-mail frankmcutajar@hotmail.com.