With the coming implosion of the Club Med building in St. George's, the St. George's Golf Club is shutting its doors for good today.

Government has confirmed the new course will be taken out of state hands and run by Addax Holdings Ltd. for Bazarian International, the same developers as the Park Hyatt hotel.

Several maintenance department staff hope that the future holds some improvement for the course, but they also expressed caution.

"Until we see the plans, we really can't say anything," said Lloyd Van Putten. I hope whatever they do with the land, they don't take all the beauty. I just hope we can get it all back if something happens."

John Freeman agrees, worrying that the new hotel could wind up just like the one that will be imploded if the developer backs out.

"It would be a major blow to the St. George's community," he said. "If the hotel pulls out, we don't need another Club Med just sitting and rotting for another 20 years."

Despite their concerns, both men are optimistic about improving the facilities.

"I don't think anyone in the St. George's community has a problem with development. You might find people who take issue with some of the details, but we don't object to development," said Mr. Freeman.

Opposition Leader Kim Swan expressed concern yesterday that, while the new course was still promised to be open to the public, that over time the facility may slowly become more exclusive due to its private management.

"When we opened the club 23 years ago, the whole mandate was to provide a facility with open arms to the community," said Mr. Swan. "Along with Port Royal, it was a catalyst to encourage Bermudians to the sport.

"I'm worried about slippage away from that place. It was a good place. Having been a product of public golf, who's been involved with private clubs, I know the mindset of private companies."

Mr. Swan was also critical of the timing of the closure, which comes while one of the other two public courses, Port Royal, is closed for improvements.

The Royal Gazette reported last week that the Park Hyatt (St. George's) Resort Act 2008 will remove the course from the Golf Courses (Consolidation) Act 1998 – under which a single Board of Trustees manages the publicly-owned courses at St. George's, Port Royal and Ocean View.

The Park Hyatt (St. George's) Resort Act 2008 – currently tabled in Parliament – does however, say the developer must "ensure that the golf course remains accessible to the public during such times and on such reasonable terms and conditions as shall be approved by the Minister (Works and Engineering)".

Nolan Crane expressed concern about the change of ownership, expecting that the green fees will increase when the new course opens. "I hope the price stays reasonable," said Mr. Crane.

The cost of green fees and a golf cart stood at $90 per person this year, with discounts for pass holders, seniors, and people under 16, significantly less then the fees at private courses.

"We'll see," said Mr. Van Putten. "Let's just see what happens."