Shadow sports minister Ben Smith has lashed out at the Government for its revised membership rates and fee structures at the island’s public golf courses.

Among a host of changes at Port Royal Golf Course is a 30 per cent increase in family membership to $8,500, a 25 per cent hike in full membership to $5,000 and a 25 per cent increase for seniors to $2,700.

Green fees for local weekends, local seniors and non residents have increased, while there is also a mandatory cart fee on top of the increase from 7am to 11am on weekends, which also applies to walkers.

The revised membership rates and fee structure at Ocean View includes a 24 per cent increase for full membership to $1,300 and 42 per cent hike for seniors to $1,000 along with green fees for both 18 and nine holes.

Smith said the situation at Port Royal, which led to the resignation of the club’s entire Members Executive Committee, “exposes a deeper problem with the PLP Government’s priorities”.

“At a time when the minister has allocated a significant portion of the new sports budget increase to public golf courses, Bermudians are now being told they must pay sharply higher fees to use those same facilities. That is a double hit to the taxpayers that are funding the system, and then being priced out of it,” he said in a press statement.

“What makes this worse is the complete breakdown in trust. An entire members’ committee has resigned. Their proposals were ignored and there are serious questions about transparency, including the absence of up-to-date audited financial statements. Bermudians are being asked to pay more without being shown the full picture.

“Public golf courses should be accessible community assets, not increasingly exclusive spaces. If government believes higher fees are necessary, then it must justify that decision with clear financial evidence, proper consultation and a plan that protects access for seniors, juniors and everyday Bermudians.

“Right now, this looks like a Government that is out of touch investing heavily in one area of a sport, while making it harder for people to actually participate.”

In response to Smith’s criticism, sports minister Owen Darrell said he had “100 per cent confidence” in the work that the Board of Trustees Government Golf Courses are doing running the island’s public golf courses.

“The Opposition have a role to play in raising opposing views and that’s fine,” he said.

“I’m not going to get into opposing views and put 100 per cent confidence in the operations and the running of the Government golf courses with the board of trustees, which I have appointed.

“It’s unfortunate that some of the membership feel that an increase in fees is something that they are not willing to accept and they have a choice. Some of them have decided that they’re going to reduce or withdraw their membership but, if you do the numbers, membership still comes at a very, very discounted rate for the amount of golf that some of these members play.

“I cannot shut down a golf course every single weekend and during the prime times because only a few individuals wish to play. It is a public golf course and cannot be available for just a small group of membership.

“I’m sorry to hear that the membership board [Port Royal] decided to take the steps [resignation] that they did. But when we are servicing the public it does not come at no costs and to raise those standards the board has felt that in order to stop the over reliance on the public purse that they were going to make some adjustments.

“I also understand from chairman Wade that they put out an initial proposal, they gave both committees a chance to come back and send a counter proposal, and my understanding is that they met somewhere in the middle.

“If that is the case then I am happy with the work the board of trustees are doing and it is not my role to interfere in the day-to-day operations of either golf course.

“But I can tell you that the Government will continue and remain committed to making sure that facilities are available and they are at top-notch quality for locals as well as tourist alike.”