THE Best Little Golf Course in the West.

It?s a catchphrase that had the Southampton Princess used to market its delightful par-three lay-out surrounding the hotel when the property first opened its doors back in the early 1970s, few would have argued.

The golfing boom of the last 30 years has seen more elaborate par-three courses spring up at hotels and resorts across North America, but it?s probably still fair to say that the Fairmont?s little gem remains one of the best of its kind anywhere in the world.

Now we?re told it?s about to be torn up and a huge chunk of the course replaced by the ubiquitous ?golf villa?.

According to plans unveiled last week, the course will be reduced from 18 to 10 holes . . . greens and fairways replaced by 145 vacation homes.

What a crying shame!

A Mid Ocean, Port Royal, Tucker?s Point or Belmont Hills it is not, but the Princess has established itself as something of a unique attraction for a destination where golf has traditionally taken pride of place.

The hotel would have us believe that they?re actually enhancing their golf product with talk of an ?improved lay-out? and the building of a ?Short Game Golf Course and Academy . . . with one hole used for private instruction and clinics?.

But who are they trying to kid.

Hotel general manager Norman Mastalir dressed up the project as follows:

?We believe this redevelopment programme is one which will re-energise the tourism sector in Bermuda.

? . . . Bermuda can only benefit from a continued diversification and enhancement of its tourism product, which attracts new visitors and adapts to the needs of its current guests.?

Really!

It?s difficult to understand how decimating the golf course is going to appeal to any of the hotel?s repeat guests, particularly those who enjoy walking straight out of their rooms onto the first tee.

The game isn?t played over 10 holes, it?s played over 18.

And it doesn?t seem to make a great deal of sense erecting a bunch of golf villas if in order to do so you have to destroy the actual golf course.

But as we all know this development isn?t about golf at all, it?s about corporate greed, the opportunity to cash in on another precious piece of the Rock . . . and to heck with the consequences.

The company can obviously make a whole lot more money developing condos and vacation homes than they can running a golf course. And that?s the bottom line.

Shame on them. And shame on Government, whose planning department will no doubt endorse the entire development.

On an island where already there?s a dearth of activities for the visitor, we?re about to see one of the most popular attractions destroyed.

Now that sounds like good business sense.