IT WAS back in May, 1997, that golf great Jack Nicklaus offered Bermudians a spectacular course on land at the former Southampton Naval Annex that when complete would come close to matching California's much-heralded Pebble Beach.

Furthermore, the Golden Bear promised, perhaps somewhat ambitiously, he could deliver within a year.

Of course, Nicklaus would never get chance to fulfil his pledge.

The main reason for that being the company who hired him, Morgan's Harbour Investment Limited (MHIL), a group involving British-based Renaissance Resorts and a number of would-be Bermudian entrepreneurs were never able to fulfil theirs.

Some years after being dubiously selected by Bermuda Land Development Company from a number of bidders to transform the Annex into an up-market resort, complete with championship golf course, they were dumped by the PLP Government, their plans no nearer fruition than when they first accepted the contract.

To this day not a shovel of earth has been moved since the American Navy vacated the land.

More than six years have passed since the BLDC first began their deliberations on how the area could be best utilised.

One of the last tracts of undeveloped land, probably the most expansive of all, remains out of bounds to the public at a time when demand for open space, particularly from Bermuda's sporting organisations, has never been higher.

Of course, this Government - and the last for that matter - have argued and still argue that the issue of pollution is at the crux of the problem.

Huge amounts of waste oil, which leaked from storage tanks on the base, reportedly seeped into caves. The Americans apparently also left behind hazardous heavy metals, including mercury, lead and cadmium.

And until it's resolved how such waste can be removed and who pays for it, then, according to the authorities, we can't move forward.

Yet for years and years that same waste was concealed in a relatively small area of the land while the US Navy shared their home with the likes of triathletes, cyclists, road runners, swimmers, sailors, kart racers and any number of other sporting organisations.

And as far as we're aware there were no negative repercussions.

How ironic that when Bermuda had no control of the land, it was regularly at the public's disposal, yet since the handing-over it has remained under lock and key.

Wouldn't it now be sensible, under controlled supervision, to allow those same sports enthusiasts and others who once enjoyed access, similar privileges to those which they were once entitled?

Wouldn't it make sense that while discussions on how to dispose of the waste continue - and they could go on for several more years - a small chunk of the Budget be set aside to build a running/walking/cycling track around the peninsula, to install a few soccer pitches, a couple of basketball/netball courts or even construct a temporary tarmac track for our motorcyclists and kart racers?

The cost would be affordable, the benefits immense, and providing the proper supervision put in place, the health risks minimal.

Given the present economic climate and the precarious state of the tourism industry, it remains unlikely that any developer will consider investing in the type of multi-million dollar project first envisaged for Morgan's Point.

Indeed, it may be many years before another blueprint is produced.

In the meantime, it would appear a terrible disservice for the Bermuda public to continue to be denied the opportunity to utilise this prime piece of real estate when so little is available elsewhere.

- ADRIAN ROBSON