by Bermuda often feels like a fantasy, a land that we see on television and in advertisements but one that can’t possibly exist in real life. The island was initially used as a port for shipping across the Atlantic Ocean but quickly became a popular vacation destination in the early 20th century as accessibility improved to the point where the east coast of the United States could reach Bermuda in two hours by plane. With vacation seekers came the need for golf, and one name stood above the rest when it came to golf course architecture in the early 1900s: C.B. Macdonald.
This summer, Fried Egg Golf is taking a group of our readers and listeners to Bermuda for a two-day trip to see Macdonald’s Mid Ocean Club and visit Port Royal, host of the PGA Tour’s Bermuda Championship. To get a better sense of the history of golf on the island and what makes Mid Ocean Club so special, I talked with Mid Ocean Club member David Woodcock. David is a native of Scotland but has lived in Bermuda for more than a decade and has been a member at Mid Ocean for nearly the entire time. Needless to say, his knowledge of the island and the culture surrounding Mid Ocean Club is extensive.
Fried Egg Golf: What is the history of golf in Bermuda and when in that history did Mid Ocean Club come about?
David Woodcock: Golf in Bermuda is barely over 100 years old. When C.B. Macdonald visited the island for the second time in 1919, he noted (in “Scotland’s Gift: Golf”) there was no golf course that was “worthy of the name.”
Within a few short years of that visit we had not one, not two but three golden age architects visit the island to lay out routings; Macdonald and Raynor at Mid Ocean, Devereux Emmet at Riddells Bay, and Charles Banks at Castle Harbour. Sadly, Riddells has been lost to the vagaries of classic club mismanagement and Castle Harbour has been repurposed as the Tuckers Point resort course with a change to the original routing and adjustments to a number of holes to make way for resort villas and other properties. Mid Ocean is the last surviving representation of what was originally laid out by its designer.
Mid Ocean has stood the test of time, first as a course for the portfolio of attractions for the Furness, Withy Steamship Company to bring its clientele to Bermuda, and then as a club following the closure of the Steamship Company. The course was rescued by a concerned and well-heeled group of Bermudians to set up the Mid Ocean Club as we know it today.
FE: What about Mid Ocean Club’s property made it appealing for golf?
DW: C.B. Macdonald was told by many that Cuba may be the preferred location for his next development, but having visited the island once in 1904 and again in 1919 he was certain that Bermuda was better fitted. He scoured the island and eventually landed on Tucker’s Town as the most desirable piece of property – “the beauty of the situation is unsurpassed.” The valleys where there was soil consisted of onions, potatoes, and Easter lilies with only six inches of soil beneath it and coral rock at the base.
Following the opening of the course, Macdonald described the “achievement in a semi-tropical climate as great as the National Golf Links of America has been in the temperate zone.” I can’t think of a more ringing endorsement or better comparison for the course.
High above Mid Ocean Club and the Atlantic Ocean (courtesy of the club)
FE: What is your favorite aspect of the course’s design?
DW: The routing. Bermuda has a landmass of only 21 square miles. What Macdonald and Raynor were able to do with the parcel of land given to them to create the masterpiece they did is nothing short of spectacular. The course winds its way through the peaks and valleys of the natural landscape and most of the time you feel like you are all alone out there.
FE: There are plenty of C.B. Macdonald designs in the United States, albeit they are all at difficult-to-access private clubs. Why should someone get on a plane to see his work at Mid Ocean Club?
DW: I think you’ve answered the question in the question. If you are a devotee of golf course architecture and haven’t been to Mid Ocean, you are missing out. The club has a long history of welcoming overseas members, guests, and visitors which has been one of the cornerstones of what makes the club so special. Like Bermuda it is a real melting pot of cultures and golfers from all over the world.
FE: You often see photos of the club’s famous Cape Hole. What is it about that hole that makes it so special?
DW: I think it’s the sheer size and scale of the hole which takes the breath away. The Cape is the fifth hole in our routing before an uphill par 4, so you kind of forget it’s coming up on you as you cannot see what’s ahead of you. Once you arrive on the green of the fourth, you look straight ahead and see Mangrove Lake out in front of you and a longish tee ball to a wide and (sometimes) inviting fairway.
The Cape Hole at Mid Ocean Club (courtesy of Alex Bates)
FE: Building off that, is the Cape your favorite hole at MOC or does another stand out?
DW: It’s certainly a great hole, no doubt about it. Is it my favorite? I’m not sure. For me there is no one stand-out hole on the course (cliche alert). They’re all great in their own way, each offering a unique challenge and asking multiple questions of the golfer. Depending on how I’m playing, or the time of year, I might be more comfortable with certain holes than others.
Yes we have all the template par 3s and a great selection of others (Road Hole, Punchbowl etc.) but for me, one of the ones I always enjoy is the par 4 14th (Leven). It’s not overly long, nor does it have substantial elevation change but to score well, it demands strong position play off the tee and a well-struck approach to a green that is one of the most subtle and hardest to read on the course. A birdie here is a real feather in the cap for the round.
FE: What is one thing about Mid Ocean Club that would surprise others?
DW: I think probably the size and scale of things. Photography, however good it may be, tends to flatten out the topography that you’re looking at. Seeing the course in person makes for a visual feast, the course is part of that but so is the flora and fauna, the pastel-colored Bermudian houses, and the crystal clear waters that you see at the start, middle, and end of your round.
FE: What’s the best item on the menu at the Beach Club?
DW: On a cold, damp round in the winter months, I am a sucker for a bowl of fish chowder which would not be complete without a liberal dash of sherry peppers and black seal rum. For this group, coming in the summertime, it’s tough to look past a typical Bermudian fish sandwich washed down with a Dark & Stormy.
Bonus points for grabbing a MOC Muffin at the halfway house too. That is a mid-round favorite.
FE: Finally, our group will be staying in downtown Hamilton. What is one place you would recommend they visit?
DW: If you’re wanting walking distance from the hotel, you’re spoilt for choice:
- For the history buffs – Take the public ferry to Dockyard to see the National Museum.
- For the culture vulture – Book a tour of the art at the Hamilton Princess and indulge in the world-class collection that the Green family has amassed
- For the watersports lover – Perhaps a jet ski tour or some scuba diving, all of which can be arranged at the hotel.
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Big thanks to David for his time and willingness to share about the island he calls home! If you’re interested in seeing Mid Ocean Club for yourself, consider joining us this August for a bucket-list trip that you’ll remember for a lifetime. Plus ones encouraged!
