Even before the Endurance World Open starts, the organisers can already lay claim to having achieved a minor miracle.

On the site of some old tennis courts at Turtle Hill, in the grounds of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, an impressive 1,400-seater, see-through arena has been created from nothing.

Its centrepiece is a glass squash court under a clear plastic "tent" draped over a large steel framework. Spectators and players will be sheltered from the elements, but they will also be able to look through the tent to enjoy the glorious views over the South Shore.

Complete with another, smaller structure to house a food and beverage hall, the site went from empty to being a venue fit for a world-class sporting event in the space of less than three weeks.

Power suppliers Belco had to put in a new electrical supply to the site, CableVision have established a link ensuring that they will be able to offer live coverage of the squash on pay per view. And with high-speed internet also installed at the site, live streaming from the event will be sent out across the globe on the world-wide web.

To create this state-of-the-art venue and to stage the biggest tournament in squash has cost just over $2 million. Ross Triffitt, the director of squash at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association, has played a major role in the planning and execution of the project, but he was quick to point out the contribution made by the local professionals who have worked on it and a team of dedicated volunteers.

"We started out by budgeting for the amount we needed to do the event as well as we possibly could," Trifitt said. "We didn't get the money to do that, because we fell a bit short on our sponsorship.

"So we had to make some cutbacks and work with a sliding budget. But what has happened is that our vendors have been so impressed with the project that they've come in and tried to help us do whatever we wanted to do.

"It's incredible the amount of work that has been done, quickly and to a very high standard by companies like Belco, BTC, CableVision and BCM McAlpine.

"Some people working on it have given a lot of time and expertise voluntarily because they've been so impressed with the project."

Triffitt gave a special mention to Jeff Roach and Marc de Vertuil, of BCM, and electrician Tony Sampson, of P&M Electrical Services, who were some of those who had gone beyond the call of duty to make the project a success.

The hilltop venue, with its stunning ocean views will help to showcase the Island to a potential television audience of two billion. Major squash tournaments have been played in glass courts near spectacular venues before, including at the Pyramids in Egypt and with the Hong Kong skyline as a backdrop. "The South Shore views are fantastic," Triffitt said. "Our aim is to outdo the Pyramids!

"This will have a positive impact on tourism in Bermuda, not only because of the people who are coming in for the event, but also because squash players tend to be affluent and in the right demographic to be repeat visitors to the Island."

Many people will be watching the sport for the first time next week and Triffitt said the uninitiated could expect a treat.

"We've had such a positive response from people who saw squash for the first time when we held tournaments at BHS (Bermuda High School)," Triffitt said. "There's nothing like seeing it live and being able to appreciate the athletiicism and the skill of the players at close quarters.

"The sport itself is played at a frenetic pace and the players need to be extremely fit. They train like sprinters and middle-distance runners, but they alo need good flexibility and the endurance capacity of endurance athletes to be able to keep going for up to an hour or two hours on court. In fact a survey by Forbes in 2003, showed that squash was rated the healthiest sport ibn the world."

Those who fancy trying the sport themselves will have the opportunity to join the BSRA at the tournament and the club's $100 initiation fee will be waived for spectators who sign up next week.