Local golf promoter Alex Madeiros believes that people who don't see the benefit of the PGA Grand Slam are missing the point.

In yesterday's Royal Gazette, former Bermuda Golf Association president Bob Legere questioned the impact the event actually had on the Island, and called the Slam nothing more than an expensive televison commercial.

He also suggested that the $1.4 million the Department of Tourism ploughs into the tournament annually would be better spent supporting local events such as the Bermuda Open, the Gosling's Invitational and the Goodwill Tournament.

And while Madeiros, whose To A Tee company runs the Gosling's and Goodwill events, agreed with Legere's belief that more money should be pumped into the local golf scene, he said the former BGA boss' assessment of the Grand Slam was wrong.

"The Grand Slam provides local employment to many small businesses such as myself and although the focus tends to be on the $1.4 million I think people do not realise that a lot of that is put back into the local economy," said Madeiros.

"I disagree that the event does not have an impact on Tourism. Because Legere is not in the tourism business he would be unaware of certain facts.

"Because of the Grand Slam of Golf, Bermuda now has an edge on the competition to host the German PGA throughout the year. This alone will bring millions of dollars to our economy should we be successful.

"The fact that Bermuda has the ability to host such a prestigious event only solidifies our efforts for events such as this. In fact they (the German PGA) are eager to return to Bermuda to complete their assessment and will be here in November."

It's not just the German PGA that have taken an interest in Bermuda. The German tourism group 'eest', which is based in Wildsteig, has a website focused purely on the Island, www.traveltobermuda.de.

And the company's president, Walter Langenberger, contacted this newspaper yesterday to say that he was already in the process of planning a golf promotion in Europe based on bringing people to Bermuda.

According to Madeiros the interest generated in Europe has come from being able to market the Island as being the home of two Grand Slam courses, Port Royal and Mid Ocean.

"I attend many golf related trade shows and conferences throughout the year and the fact that we can say that Bermuda is host to the PGA Grand Slam strengthens our position in the market place," he said.

"I also know of visitors that have confirmed their golfing trips because of the Grand Slam. They could not believe the beauty of the Island and the condition of the golf courses. They had an image of Island golf that was inaccurate and the PGA Grand Slam helped change that."

Ultimately, Madeiros is convinced that the Grand Slam has been, and would continue to be, of enourmous benefit to Bermuda, and is hoping that the event comes back to the Island for years to come.

"Bermuda has, and will continue to benefit tremendously from the PGA Grand Slam for many years to come," he said, "and I hope the Bermuda Government will work hard to ensure the PGA Grand Slam stays in Bermuda."

n Bermuda's golfers had a mixed first day at the World Amateur Team Championships in Argentina yesterday.

They finished the day tied for 49, after the opening round of the Eisenhower Trophy which is being held jointly by the Buenos Aires Golf Club and Olivos Golf Club.

The Island's team of Jarryd Dillas, Terence Daniels and Jun Hardart began at Olivos, and while Dillas finished the par-71 course at one over, following a round of three birdies and four bogeys, his team-mates didn't fare so well.

Daniels carded a seven-over, which included three double-bogeys, while Hardart had an eye-watering 28-over par 99, which included three triple-bogeys, a quintuple-bogey, and three pars, the first, 10th and 18th.