Welcome to Port Royal

In addition to running the web’s Best Bermuda-Based Travel Blog (no really it’s true: Bermuda Shorts was honored last week on TravelBlogSites.com. Check it out!) I’m also a Resident Editor at Voyage.TV, a travel website loaded with smart HD videos and Q&A forums where travelers ask me questions about Bermuda. Loyal readers will remember last month’s video about the island’s very own rum swizzle—the woodsier, more savory version of a typical rum punch—so consider yourself in for another high-def treat. Get out your golf bags because today we’re talking about Port Royal Golf Course, home of the 2009/2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf and widely regarded as Bermuda’s finest course. What? You’ve never heard of Port Royal? Designed in 1970 by world-renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., Port Royal has recently undergone a $14.5 million renovation, a complete makeover spearheaded by original design team member Robert Rulewich. With TifEagle greens, a state-of-the-art irrigation system and sweeping ocean views from nearly every hole, it’s now one of the world’s premier public golf courses—and Voyage.TV was there to catch it in all of its glory. Be sure to watch until 2:52 when golf pro Eric West showcases the course’s signature 16th hole, a 238-yard cliff-hugging par three with nothing but the Atlantic between the tee and the pin (care to see how the pros fared on 16 at last year’s Grand Slam? Then check out this video I shot and edited from the event). Of course, if all of this golf has made you hungry—and no doubt it eventually will—then don’t miss Port Royal’s newest culinary addition, 64º. Named after Bermuda’s longitude, the casual bar and grill serves an eclectic mix of steaks and seafood in its ocean view dining room. Care to grab a drink after a long day on the course? Then head to its breezy outdoor terrace where you can sip cocktails while marveling at the vast blue ocean. Yes, it's just that good. Fore!