Dear Sir,

Port Royal Golf Course is more than a golf course. It is a public asset, owned by the people of Bermuda and managed on their behalf. It is also a tourism and marketing product, showcasing Bermuda to the world through international exposure, tournaments and visiting golfers. That role is important. Bermuda needs visitors, and Port Royal helps to attract them.

But Port Royal also has another equally important purpose: it serves the local community. It is where Bermudians and residents learn the game, compete, build friendships and enjoy a sporting and social outlet that benefits the island year-round. Local members are not incidental to Port Royal’s success. They are its loyal, repeat customers and its everyday ambassadors.

That is why any substantial increase in dues and fees should be approached with great caution. Members already accept that they give up many potential days of golf each year for the PGA event, outside tournaments, fundraising events and other closures tied to the course’s tourism and promotional role. In effect, local members are already helping to support that broader national purpose by sacrificing access to the course they pay to use.

Given that reality, it seems unreasonable to ask them to absorb increases of 25 per cent to 35 per cent, particularly for seniors, without transparent and audited accounts showing why such increases are necessary. If the course is losing money, members deserve to understand why. It is also fair to ask whether more revenue could be generated from the outside events and tournaments that make such heavy use of the course.

Just as important is the role of a strong members’ committee. A good committee is not merely ceremonial. It helps to organise events, supports club spirit, communicates member concerns and acts as a constructive bridge between the membership and management. When such a committee resigns over the new fee structure, and when its counterproposal is ignored, that should concern everyone. It suggests not simply disagreement but a failure to engage meaningfully with the very people who sustain the course week after week.

If Port Royal is truly a course for the people of Bermuda, then Bermudians and residents should not be priced out of their own public course. Keeping dues affordable is not only fair, but good business and good public policy. Supporting a respected and effective Members Committee is part of that same principle.

Port Royal must continue to balance its tourism mission with its community responsibility. One should not come at the expense of the other.

CHERYL SHANE

Warwick