BERMUDA golf is heading in the wrong direction with the hike in fees at the island's public courses, said former European Tour player and head of the Opposition UBP Kim Swan yesterday.

Swan, who played eight holes at the newly revamped Port Royal on Wednesday with Premier Ewart Brown, said he was concerned when the Premier said Port Royal's new increased fees will be comparable to Bermuda's private courses like Mid Ocean and Tucker's Point.

"As one who appreciates all levels of golf in Bermuda – public, resort and private – I am concerned that we are moving away from having a true public facility that is available and affordable for everyday men and women, boys and girls," said Swan yesterday.

"This week's soft opening at Port Royal was an informative public relations exercise by the Premier and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown. However I did come away with yet one more concern about the direction public golf is going in Bermuda. It arose when the Premier said the fees increase at Port Royal are comparable to other private courses in Bermuda. That to me is comparing apples with oranges and a sign that we are heading in the wrong direction and forgetting the meaning of public golf.

"Dr. Brown needs to compare Port Royal with public courses – such as the renowned Bethpage State Park Golf Course, a New York State-owned facility which will host the US Open this June. That course has been extensively upgraded and truly meets championship status but famously remains affordable to local residents. This is the mandate and undertaking missing from the Premier's presentation at Port Royal on Wednesday."

And Swan said it wasn't just the increase in fees at Port Royal that he was concerned about.

"The Port Royal situation is not isolated. Patrons of Ocean View Golf Course, the birthplace of integrated golf in Bermuda, have recently seen their rates hiked and many are up in arms about it. St. George's Golf Course is now closed indefinitely, while the Bazarian Group tries to find financing for a new hotel resort – a highly uncertain undertaking at the best of times.

"My main concern is what appears to be a shift in the official mindset about the meaning of public golf in Bermuda – a shift that takes us away from affordable, accessible golf. Those in charge of our public courses have little empathy for the value of affordable, public 'pay as you go' golf. Personally, I am familiar with the extreme differences between dedicated public golf facilities and the most exclusive of private courses.

"We in Bermuda enjoyed for many years the true public golf experience – affordable, accessible golf to anyone wanting to play – at all our Government courses."