The Government is taking legal advice on how to recoup a ?substantial? amount of money paid out to an American supplier for golf course grass which never arrived on the Island.understands that the board of trustees responsible for Bermuda?s three Government-run golf courses hopes to sue Rapid Turf, a Georgia-based company, which was meant to supply the seawater-resistant paspalum grass for St. George?s Golf Club.

The back nine holes at the East End course have had to be closed because of the condition of the grass, which was put in as an emergency measure when the specialist turf failed to turn up.

A source close to the club, who would not be named, told this newspaper that the company was understood to have gone bust, meaning it could be difficult for Government to get its money back.

?This guy had been doing business in Bermuda for at least seven years and other golf courses were in a similar situation and they lost funds also,? said the source.

?It wasn?t just the Government. He got into a financial crisis and a lot of things were taken on trust, as he had done business here for quite a long time.?

The source said the board of trustees was taking legal advice from a US attorney. They said a ?substantial amount? of money was paid for the grass.

Rapid Turf did provide a first delivery of grass, which was used on the front nine holes at the Park Road course. But the second part of the order never materialised.

The source said: ?All the grounds had been torn up so the other grass had to be put on the back nine. The board was given some bad advice that the grass would carry through the summer months.?

Golfers using the course are now being asked to use the front nine holes only until the back nine are repaired. It is hoped that will be done by late November or early December

Lionel Paynter, president of St. George?s Golf Club, called last night for the Government to act swiftly to fix the course.

?This is a beginning but they need to do something with the back nine.

?They have closed it, but what are they going to do? Have they closed it to redo the grounds or just closed it to avoid any further harassment or complaint??

He said the club had cancelled a two-day event scheduled for next month at the course and would continue to use other venues until the back nine holes were usable.

Wendall Brown, chairman of the board of trustees for all three of the Government-run golf courses, said: ?The board is aware of the problem and the challenges at St. George?s and we are working on a plan to rectify the problem.?

He added that he could not comment further.

Rapid Turf could not be contacted for comment yesterday. As reported previously in this newspaper, the company does not have a business licence in Effingham County, where it is based and is not responding to email or telephone messages.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Tourism said she could not comment as the person responsible for the Government courses was off the Island.

The Ministry of Tourism took over the St. George?s course as well as the Port Royal and Ocean View courses earlier this year from the Ministry of Works and Engineering.