Golfers who played the Cable Beach golf course prior to 2001 will not recognize the venerable track today.
The nines have been reversed, sand traps removed, greens enlarged and water - a lot of water - has been added to Nassaus oldest course.
Opened on the eve of the Great Depression in 1929, Cable Beach has seen many changes in its 74-year life span. For example, the first and last holes once ran along Goodmans Bay across West Bay St, an area that is now a public park.
But the latest remodeling, by Fred Settle Jr of International Golf Design, is probably the biggest change ever. It was made necessary when the government claimed a strip of land 50 yds deep at the western edge of the golf course to build a new road.In redesigning the smaller course, Settle somehow retained much of the charm of the original Emmet Devereux design. The course is now par 71 and measures 6,453 yds from the blues, compared to par 72 and 7,040 yds from the blue tees before the makeover.
"Its more of a shot-makers course now," says Hartley Pinder, a long-hitter who is director of golf at the Cable Beach course. Theres water on both sides of many holes, particularly on the front nine, and some of it is hidden from the tees.
"Its not a difficult course to play," says Pinder, "as long as you dont automatically reach for the big stick on all the par fours."
Twelve or more ponds on the course, affecting play on 16 holes, are actually part of the new irrigation and drainage system, a big improvement over the old course. "In the past, we sometimes had to close for up to three days after a heavy rain," Pinder says. "Today, we can reopen in an hour or two."
Conditions are excellent at both Cable Beach and at the South Ocean Beach golf course, at the south west side of Nassau - the only other course open to the general public.
South Oceans newly rebuilt driving range was expected to be in operation by mid-year.
The other two courses, Ocean Club course on Paradise Island and Lyford Cay course at the west end of New Providence, are open only to members and their guests. Hotel guests at Atlantis, Ocean Club, Harborside Resort and the Marina at Atlantis may also play at the Ocean Club course, featuring more water - six lakes and spectacular ocean views.