Belmont Hills Golf Club

18 holes. 6,017 yards. Par 70. Rating: blue tees, 68.4; white tees, 66.8; red tees, 69.

Belmont Hills, opened in June 2003, was designed by California architect Algie Pulley Jr. and built on the site of the former Belmont Manor and Golf Club, a haven for celebrities in the early 1900s. "Hills" was added to the course name to reflect the dramatic design features that Pulley used to replace the previous, rather mundane layout. This is now a real shot-making test, heavily contoured and with more water than most other Bermuda courses. The sand in the bunkers is the same used at the famed Augusta National, site of the Masters. A waterfall connects two man-made lakes that can come into play on several holes. The final four holes are particularly challenging because of their tight landing areas bordered by out-of-bounds stakes. A bad hit or intervention by the ever-present wind can lead to lost balls and penalties. The pressure continues until the ball is in the hole, because the greens are heavily bunkered and multitiered. Putting surfaces are well-maintained TifEagle grass. Fairways are attractively defined by palm trees, and an automated irrigation system keeps everything lush. The course has the island's only double green, a 14,000-square-foot putting surface on holes 1 and 10.

Highlight Hole: The 7th hole, a 178-yard par 3, is bordered by a waterfall.

Clubhouse: The main clubhouse stands on the site of the former Belmont Hotel, close to the 9th hole. The building has lovely views of the Great Sound and Hamilton Harbour, plus an airy lounge, bar, pro shop, and restaurant. Blu' (441/232-2323) is an extraordinary dining experience. Its eclectic menu includes fork-tender Angus steaks; innovative seafood dishes such as salmon, crab, shrimp, and avocado wrapped in a tortilla; and irresistible desserts.

25 Belmont Hills Dr., Warwick Parish, WK 06. 441/236-6400. www.belmonthills.com. Greens fees $110 daily, $60 sunset (walking only after 3:30PM). Mandatory cart rentals $30 per person. Pull cart rentals (sunset only) $15. Shoe rentals $15. Club Rentals $45. Lessons $60 for 30 minutes, $90 per hour.

Bermuda Golf Academy

When you just want to practice or have some fun teaching the kids how to play golf in a relaxed environment, head for the Bermuda Golf Academy. The 320-yard driving range is floodlit at night until 10 (weekdays) or 10:30 (weekends) and there are 40 practice bays. If you get a rainy day, fine-tune your game in one of the 25 covered bays. Elevated target greens are placed 75 to 230 yards from the tees. You can also work on sand shots in the practice bunker or sharpen your putting on a 3,000-square-foot practice green.

Especially attractive for families is the 18-hole miniature golf course, which features pagodas, a waterfall, waterways—even a drawbridge to hit over on the 16th hole. The mini-course is lighted at night and takes 45 to 80 minutes to complete. Adjacent is a new restaurant and small café, As the name implies, the cuisine includes Japanese, Chinese, Balinese, English, Caribbean, Indian, and American. The café side has a wide range of hot sandwiches, wraps, salads, meins, noodles, and Indian dishes, plus full breakfasts. 441/238-8580.

10 Industrial Park Rd., off Middle Rd., Southampton Parish, SB BX. 441/238-8800. 441/232-0034. Driving range $5, $6 after 5PM. Miniature golf $10 adults, $8 children. Lessons $40 a half hour, $70 per hour.

Don't Replace Your Divots

Bermuda grass is so called because it came to the U.S. from Bermuda, but it actually originated in Africa, where it's called Devil's Grass or Wire Grass. The grass is considered holy in India, where it's used to feed sacred cows. In ancient times, Romans boiled it and used the juice to stop bleeding. Bermuda grass is a creeping plant, putting down roots where nodes touch the earth. Once dislodged by your stroke, the mat of grass will not re-root, so don't bother to replace your divots. Instead, fill them with the sand and seed mixture on your cart.

Fairmont Southampton Golf Club

18 holes. 2,684 yards. Par 54. Rating: 53.7.

Spreading across the hillside below the high-rise Fairmont Southampton, this executive golf course is known for its steep terrain, giving players who opt to walk (for sunset tee times only) an excellent workout. The vertical drop on the first two holes alone is at least 200 feet, and the rise on the 4th hole makes 178 yards play like 220. The Ted Robinson design is a good warm-up for Bermuda's full-length courses, offering a legitimate test of wind and bunker play. The front nine has almost constant views of the ocean and is more difficult than the back nine, with tight holes calling for careful club selection.

Highlight Hole: The signature hole is the 214-yard 14th, but the most striking is the 174-yard 16th hole, which sits in a cup ringed by pink oleander bushes. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, less than a mile away, is the backdrop.

Clubhouse: Because the hotel and its restaurants are so close, there's no golf clubhouse per se, just a 10th-hole Golf Hut for snacks and drinks. The golf shop has a fine selection of quality golf wear and any essentials you might forget to bring. On the level above the golf shop is Bacci (441/238-8000), a fine Italian restaurant overlooking the course. If you have a yearning for steak, catch the hotel shuttle to the bottom of the hill, where the 320-year-old Waterlot Inn (441/238-8000) sits on the edge of the marina. It's unassuming from the outside, but inside it's all elegance, romance, and comfort, with beamed ceilings and windows overlooking the water and terrific sunsets. The Angus steaks here are among the best on the island, and the seafood is delectable, too. Both restaurants are open evenings only, from 6 to 10.

Fairmont Southampton, South Rd., Southampton Parish, SN 02. 441/239-6952. www.fairmont.com/Southampton. Greens fees $84, $65 after 3 PM with mandatory cart, $45 sunset walking after 4 PM. Pull-cart rental $7.50. Shoe rentals $10. Titleist club rentals $25. Lessons $50 a half hour, $100 per hour.

Mid Ocean Club

18 holes. 6,548 yards. Par 71. Rating: blue tees, 72.8; white tees, 70.7; red tees, 74.6.

The elite Mid Ocean Club is a 1921 Charles Blair Macdonald design revamped in 1953 by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Golf Digest ranked it 45th in the top 50 courses outside the United States. Patrons include celebrities and politicians such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Michael Jordan. Presidents Eisenhower, Bush Sr., and Clinton have also played here. The club has a genteel air, and a great sense of history. Even though it's expensive, you must play it at least once, walking it with a caddy to savor the traditional golf experience and the scenery.

There are many holes near ocean cliffs, but you'll want to linger on the back tee of the last hole, where the view up the coast is spectacular. You'll come away with memories of the course's many elevation changes and tight doglegs. One in particular is the 5th hole, Cape, where Babe Ruth is said to have splashed a dozen balls in Mangrove Lake as he tried to land too far down the fairway on the other side. Because Mid Ocean is the second-longest course on the island, the average woman player may have trouble reaching greens in regulation—and some men, too, especially when the wind is up.

If you haven't been here since 2006, you'll find the layout is now irrigated and the TifEagle greens are truer and faster than ever. Many trees were pruned or removed to increase airflow and encourage grass growth. This all happened in 2007 in preparation for the televised PGA Grand Slam, which the club hosted that year and again in October 2008. The tournament was held for years in Hawaii, so this was a coup for Mid Ocean and Bermuda.

Highlight Hole: The 433-yard 5th is a par-4 dogleg around Mangrove Lake. The elevated tees sit atop a hillside of flowering shrubbery, with the lake below. It's tempting to take a big shortcut over the water, but remember the Babe's experience. To the left of the green, a steep embankment funnels balls down into a bunker, setting up a delicate sand shot to the putting surface.

Clubhouse: Overlooking the 18th hole and the south shore, the Mid Ocean's peach-and-white clubhouse is classically Bermudian down to the interior cedar trim. You'll get a logo towel for your hefty greens fees, and there are other goodies available in the pro shop. Several of the club's rooms commemorate famous American and British 20th-century politicians who played the course—there's the Churchill Bar, the Eisenhower Dining Room, and the MacMillan Television Room. The latter two are for members only, but you can have a drink in the bar and choose from an international menu in the Eden Room (441/293-0330), which is open to nonmembers for breakfast and lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The menu includes a wide selection of salads, soups, and sandwiches.

1 Mid Ocean Dr., off S. Shore Rd., Tucker's Town, HS 02. 441/293-1215. www.themidoceanclubbermuda.com. Greens fees $225 ($70 when playing with a member). Nonmembers must be sponsored by a club member (your hotelier can arrange this); nonmember starting times available Mon., Wed., and Fri. except holidays. Caddies $50 per bag (tip not included). Cart rental $25 per person. Shoe rentals $6. Club rentals $40. Lessons $55 a half hour, $100 per hour.

Pink Bunkers

There is no lack of sand in Bermuda, and you'll find a fair share of it in the bunkers. The texture is fine and soft, with pulverized pieces of pink shell just as you'll find on the island's famous pink beaches.

Ocean View Golf Course

9 holes. 2,940 yards. Par 35. Rating: 68 playing white then blue tees, 68.7 playing yellow then red tees.

If you want to play with locals or just mingle to talk golf, Ocean View is the place to be after the workday ends. Only 10 minutes from Hamilton, it's very popular. Switch tees on your second loop of the 9 holes for an 18-hole round playing 5,658 yards to a par of 70. The first hole is a tough par 5 with a long, tight fairway flanked by a coral wall on one side and a drop-off to the shore on the other. The course is aptly named; there are panoramas from many holes as well as from the clubhouse and the restaurant patio. The club has a 260-yard driving range where the wind is often at your back, giving you a pleasant feeling that your drives are longer than they really are.

Highlight Hole: The green on the 192-yard, par-3 9th hole is cut into a coral hillside that's landscaped with colorful plants. It's a demanding shot when the wind is gusting from the north or west.

Clubhouse: Inside Ocean View's modest clubhouse is the Out of Bounds Restaurant and Bar (441/295-4916) overlooking the north shore. Open for breakfast and lunch, the small dining room has a menu with the usual burgers, sandwiches, and salads, as well as Bermudian favorites such as fish chowder and fish-cake sandwiches.

2 Barker's Hill, off N. Shore Rd., Devonshire Parish, DV 05. 441/295-9092. www.oceanview.bm. Greens fee (18 holes) $85 with cart, $60 walking before 3PM, $60 sunset with cart or walking. Club rentals $35. Lessons $50 for half hour.

Port Royal Golf Course

18 holes. 6,757 yards. Par 71. Rating: blue tees, 72.6; white tees, 70.1; red tees, 73.7.

One of two government-owned courses (Ocean View is the other), Port Royal is a perennial local and visitor favorite. The course is set to reopen in January 2009 after a year-long renovation that added irrigation, rebuilt tees and returfed them with Bermuda 419 grass, rebuilt and returfed greens with Tifeagle grass, and redesigned bunkers. Two holes, 12 and 13, have been rerouted and now play as a par 4 and par 3. The revamped course is almost 200 yards longer than before.

One hole affected by the lengthening is the 16th, arguably Bermuda's best-known golf hole, which now plays 220 yards from the back tee. The green of this stunning par 3 occupies a treeless promontory with a backdrop of the blue waters and pink sands of Whale Bay. When the wind is blowing hard onshore, as it frequently does, this can be a tough green to reach. The holes leading up to the 16th are the icing on the cake, with ocean views on 7, 8, 9, and 15. The 1970 Robert Trent Jones Sr. layout has many elevated tees and greens and some clever doglegs. There are plenty of hills, on the back nine in particular.

Highlight Hole: Like the much-photographed 16th hole, the 387-yard, par-4 15th skirts the windswept cliffs along Whale Bay. The well-preserved remains of the Whale Bay Battery, a 19th-century fortification, stand next to the fairway.

Clubhouse: The Port Royal clubhouse also underwent renovation, but was not finished at press time. Open for breakfast and lunch (until 5 PM) is the Fresh Bermuda fish, burgers, peas and rice, and pasta are always on the menu. The bar, open from 11 AM to 8 PM Monday through Thursday, and later on weekends, has flat-screen TVs, usually tuned to sports events. 441/234-5078.

Off Middle Rd., Southampton Parish, SN BX. 441/234-0974; 441/234-4653 for automated tee-time reservations. www.portroyalgolf.bm. Greens fees: $140 including cart and practice balls. Sunset rates are $85 with cart, $70 walking in summer (Apr.-Oct.); and $65 with cart, $50 walking in winter (Nov.-Mar.) Pull cart rentals $10. Shoe rentals $15. Club rentals $37. Lessons $50 for half hour.

Birdies

If you see yellow-crowned night herons on the fairways, tip your hat to the greenskeepers' best friends. The natural shellfish predators have a taste for the land crabs that once dug countless little craters in fairways and greens. Up until the mid-1970s, the crabs were controlled by pesticides that also had a dire effect on the bird population. Then Dr. David Wingate, president of the Bermuda Audubon Society, came to the rescue by importing several pairs of herons. They flourished, as have the bluebirds, who do their part by eating insects. All courses provide bluebird nesting boxes along the fairways.

Riddell's Bay Golf & Country Club

18 holes. 5,854 yards. Par 70 (72 for women). Rating: blue tees, 68.5; white tees, 66.9.

Opened in 1921, Riddell's Bay is Bermuda's oldest course and one of the island's "must plays" for its scenery and precise shot-placing demands. Designed by Devereaux Emmett, who went on to plot the Congressional Golf Club near Washington, D.C., it receives periodic fine-tuning and upgrading at the hands of Ed Beidel. Don't let the 5,800-yard length fool you; this tight layout is cleverly woven into a peninsula that is only 600 yards wide in some places. The first hole, a 424-yard par 4 (par 5 for women) doglegs to an elevated green, serving notice of difficulty to come. Positioned between Riddell's Bay and the Great Sound, and with Popplewell's Pond in the interior, the course has water views and a fair number of water encounters. For instance, the sea lies all along the right side of dogleg on hole 8, and the 9th demands a drive across an inlet. The 10th tee box perches above a beautiful inlet where boats are moored.

Highlight Hole: The 8th hole, a 360-yard par 4, doglegs along the water to a green near the brink. With a tailwind, big hitters often go for the green. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is a distant backdrop.

Clubhouse: The Riddell's Bay clubhouse, a refurbished 150-year-old farmhouse, has locker rooms, a well-stocked pro shop, a bar made of Bermuda cedar, a lounge overlooking the 18th green and 1st tee, and the Riddell's Bay dining room (441/238-1060 Ext. 112), open for breakfast and lunch. On the menu are salads (including a nice smoked salmon and goat cheese plate), sandwiches (the Riddell's Bay Fishcake is a signature dish), burgers and, of course, a fine fish chowder. The dining room is open 10 AM to 3 PM weekdays and 8 AM to 6 PM weekends.

Riddell's Bay Rd., Warwick Parish, WK 04. 441/238-1060. www.riddellsbay.com. Greens fees $155, including mandatory cart. Shoe rentals $15. Club rentals $40. Lessons $50 for half hour, $90 for hour.

Taxi to Tee

If you bring your own clubs, budget for taxis to get you to the various courses. It's dangerous to carry your golf bag on a scooter, and clubs are not allowed on public buses. Taxis are expensive, but most rides are relatively short.

Tucker's Point Golf Club

18 holes. 6,361 yards. Par 70. Rating: blue tees, 71.5; white tees, 68.9; red tees, 68.5.

If you remember the old Castle Harbour Golf Club, you'll recognize some of the views, but not the holes. Roger Rulewich, a former senior designer for the late Robert Trent Jones Sr., mapped out a stunning site layout in 2002, making the most of elevation changes and ocean views. It's longer than nearby Mid Ocean, and holds more surprises. On many holes, you tee off toward the crest of a hill, not knowing what lies beyond. Topping the rise reveals the challenge, often involving a very elevated, sculpted green with a scenic vista. The course is fully irrigated and beautifully groomed. The final resort component—the 88-room Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa—is scheduled to open in spring 2009. If you're not a guest at the hotel, you must have an introduction (your hotelier can do this) for playing and dining privileges.

Highlight Holes: There are many outstanding holes, but the par-4 17th is one of the most picturesque in Bermuda, with sweeping views of Tucker's Town and the Castle Islands. A rival is hole 13, where the perspective is the north coast and the Royal Navy Dockyard 20 mi away on the island's western tip.

Clubhouse: The 20,000-square-foot Tucker's Point Golf Clubhouse, a traditional Bermudian British-colonial design with covered verandas and tray ceilings, stands on a hilltop with a commanding view. Within are posh locker rooms, a large pro shop, and superb dining. You can relax with a cocktail or dine alfresco on the second-floor veranda while enjoying a panorama of Castle Harbour and Tucker's Town. The Grille (441/298-6983), an elegant yet comfortable dining area, has an extensive menu that includes sublime fish chowder, lamb, salmon, and tuna tartare, as well as catch-of-the-day and omelet specials. Breakfast is served on weekends, lunch every day, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday in winter. In summer dinner is served at the Beach Club.

9 Paynters Rd., St. George's Parish, HS 02. 441/298-6970. www.tuckerspoint.com. Greens fees $230 with cart, $120 with cart for members' guests. Shoe rentals, $10. Club rentals $45. Lessons $60 for half hour, $100 for hour.