A revamped St. George's Golf Club will officially re-open all 18 holes today ? almost a year later than originally expected following a renovation process fraught with difficulties.

Premier Ewart Brown will be among a group of 52 golfers teeing off at 10 a.m. this morning in the St. George's Legacy Tournament ? an event which the course trustees hope will mark the beginning of a new era at the public facility which had fallen into a state of considerable disrepair.

All greens have now been replanted with salt-resistant paspalum grass to guard against the ocean spray which played havoc with St. George's' putting surfaces in the past while most bunkers have been enlarged and their sand replaced.

Bill Pitt, general manager of Port Royal and also the overseer of St. George's, said yesterday that other than a considerable amount of cosmetic work that still needs to be done to the trees and bushes which line the fairways, the course was now in "fantastic shape".

"We're really happy with the way it looks and that there is now a first-class, 18-hole course now available in the East End," he said.

"The ambience of the course has been improved a great deal while all the greens and bunkers have improved significantly. It's taken a little while but now that people can see the finished product I'm sure they'll agree it was worth the wait."

Problems with the delivery of grass sprigs and sand from the US caused severe delays throughout the renovations ? delays which prompted many club members to voice their anger and frustration at the apparent chaos.

Georgia-based supplier, Rapid Turf of America, were the company responsible for supplying the paspalum grass and previously had a successful track record dealing with other local courses such as Tucker's Point and Belmont Hills.

For some unexplained reason, however, when dealing with St. George's the supplier did not comply with the strict growing regulations laid down by the Ministry of the Environment ? a failure which meant that a request to import the grass was subsequently turned down in the middle of last summer.

The mishap proved a disaster for the original timetable laid down by the trustees, as there was not enough time for another supplier to be approved or for a new shipment to be sent before the summer growing season concluded.

Another US supplier was located in time for the beginning of April, but any aspirations of opening the entire course to the public before the end of 2005 had already been quashed.

The upgrade has also witnessed the installation of a reverse osmosis plant to assist in the course's irrigation while improvements to the clubhouse have also been made together with the addition of a new fleet of golf carts.

The regular rate for a round of 18 holes with a cart now stands at $85.

Meanwhile, an announcement as to whether the Island's premier public course, Port Royal, will be closing for an extensive upgrade is expected before the New Year.