Senators passed a bill yesterday to transfer the management of public golf courses from the Ministry of Works and Engineering to the Ministry of Tourism and Transport.

Opposition Senate Leader ? and pro golfer ? Sen. said Bermuda needed a new signature championship public golf course in order to be a bona fide premier international golf destination. However, plans to build one at Morgan?s Point had been shelved.

?The Government courses, as we know it, grew out of the need as far back as 1968 for Bermuda to meet growing demand from the tourist market and also the desegregation of the sport of golf and other social entities,? Sen. Swan said.

Referring to a 2003 IMG Study by Tourism on the further development of golf tourism in Bermuda, Sen. Swan said golf tourism revenue could double to $38 million per year if the Island built another golf course.

But Independent Senator said he had no problem with the transfer as it was going ?from one big Ministry to another big Ministry?.

Opposition Sen. said golf tourism was nothing new and had been around since the beginning of tourism on the Island.

?It has been an integral part of the tourism almost since day one,? Sen. Richards said.

?I do not know how the transfer from Works and Engineering, the ?can-do? part of Government, to a ?marketing Ministry? will help upgrade the golf courses!?

He also said centralising the boards of the three public courses ? Port Royal, St. George?s and Ocean View ? into one Board of Trustees added to the problem of deteriorating golf courses. However, Minister of Works and Engineering and Housing Sen. said the public were against building a course on Morgan?s Point and he did not think a course should go there.

?We do not do things the way you want us to do them. It is as simple as that!? Sen. Burch told the Opposition.

Sen. Burch also said he supported Minister of Tourism and Transport Dr. Ewart Brown?s logic that he could not market golf tourism properly if it had no control of it, and the bill was passed.

Two other bills were also passed, including The Department of Works and Engineering Amendment Act 2006 and the Bermuda Housing Amendment Act 2006 which allowed the Bermuda Housing Corporation to mortgage homes for 35 years.