Bermuda's biggest charity golf event, the Ross (Blackie) Talbot Memorial Tournament, will be aiming to raise more than $150,000 this year with some 400 players expected to sign up by the end of this week.

The 11th edition of the annual event, which has so far raised more than $750,000 for charity including $175,000 during last year's 10th anniversary alone, is scheduled to take place at Riddell's Bay on Tuesday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 2.

Four shotgun starts on the morning and afternoon of each day are expected to be fully subscribed with actor Michael Douglas among those who have already entered.

Organiser Clem Talbot, son of the legendary entertainer after whom the tournament is named, said yesterday a new feature of this year's competition would be a video documentary on the history of the event, including highlights of this year's play, which would be screened on local TV, probably in the lead-up to Heritage Week.

A number of contests will be held in conjunction with this year's tournament including a closest to the pin shootout and longest drive shootout in which the ladies' and men's winners from those competitions in each of the shotgun starts will play off to determine an overall winner.

Prizes include a trip for two (airline and accommodation) to St. Andrews in Scotland and to Scottsdale in Arizona.

A Renault Cabriolet will be on offer in a hole-in-one competition on hole number 17 on both days and a three-day trip to Butch Harmon's School of Golf for a hole-in-one on the third.

Charities benefiting from this year's event will be The Family Learning Centre, The Physical Abuse Centre, WindReach Recreational Village and The Ross (Blackie) Talbot Foundation.

Lead sponsor is again the Bank of Bermuda with Centre, TBI, Eurocar, XL Capital, Ace, HSBC, BTC, Bacardi and Logic Communications among the main sponsors.