The world's top sports marketing company has been brought in to promote Bermuda's golf courses - and yesterday it dangled the prospect of bringing Tiger Woods to the Island.

Mark McCormack's International Management Group (IMG), whose clients include Tiger Woods and Venus and Serena Williams, is to carry out a three month study into the shape of Bermuda's golf product, recommend improvements, and market the sport.

One objective will be to stage a major televised championship which will put the Island on the golfing map.

Roddy Carr, the managing director of IMG Tourism, who is doing the report, said yesterday: "That (Tiger playing) is a possibility down the road because certain events travel and he plays Skins games (money-per-hole events) and he is committed to the Target shoot-off, so there's a possibility of that.

"It is a huge investment to get him to go somewhere, so we might look at a celebrity event. You have a very famous person who comes here, Michael Douglas, and that may be more suitable to attempt to get the clientele we want to come here.

"Tiger Woods is very convenient but very expensive. I have to provide a shopping list of what I consider to be suitable, affordable television events that would get the job done of promoting Bermuda.

"Television, television and more television sells golf and promotes tourist destinations such as Hawaii and elsewhere. It is a proven formula.

"But ultimately, you can't put the cart before the horse, so we have to determine the quality of the golf here.

"These are very affluent clients and there is no point in spending an enormous amount of money (marketing) until the product is right."

Mr. Carr, a former professional who played on the European circuit, said Bermuda had three championship quality courses, Port Royal, Belmont and Mid-Ocean.

His job would be to see if the golf product was up to the standard of competing destinations, particularly in the Caribbean, which have invested hundreds of millions recently, and to ensure there were enough guaranteed tee-times.

And he will look at whether there needs to be a new course if the former naval base at Morgan's Point, Southampton, is developed to bring Bermuda's overall golf product up to par.

Mr. Carr said there were 250 specialist golf holiday promoters and none of them sold Bermuda.

"They need to find out (about Bermuda). The specialist tour operators demand to have tee availability and that is something we can tackle," he said.

Tourism has booked a stall at the world's largest golf holiday trade show, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, in the US in December.

Mr. Carr, who has developed golf strategies for Ireland, Spain and Barbados, said the Bahamas had spent $100 million in the last five years on golf courses. It can take four or five years from developing the idea and getting planning approval, to completing the course, he said.

"Steps can be taken now (in Bermuda). If my report says X,Y and Z needs to be done, there is nothing that can't be done in 12 months here with what you have on the ground to bring the product up to what may need to be done."

The $45,000 contract is to provide an action plan by September 30 this year to plan market and promote golf in Bermuda. It will also set goals for revenue from golf over the next three to five years, proposing a branding, and completing an audit on the quality of the Island's courses.

Tourism Minister Renee Webb said: "Through their expertise, we expect them to determine how to extend the high season with golf tourism, develop a short break golf product for the US East Coat, and a plan to convert cruise ship golfers to long-stay land based visitors.

"We will use golf to promote travel to Bermuda during the November to March period, making Bermuda a year-round tourist attraction.

"We feel that this aggressive programme is one that will provide us with both a clearer understanding of what we need to do to reach this lucrative market, and build the groundwork for an improved and profitable golf experience."