SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — As one of the PGA Tour’s last stops of the season, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship continues to prompt a familiar question: Why Bermuda? How does an island off the East Coast, with a population of barely 65,000, manage to capture the hearts of PGA Tour professionals, sponsors and fans year after year?
Spend a week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and the answer becomes obvious. Bermuda may be small, but it delivers one of the most distinctive and challenging tournament experiences anywhere in golf.
When the PGA Tour arrives in Bermuda each November, it comes not just for the views but for the test. Port Royal Golf Course, host of the championship since 2019 and one of the best public courses on the island, has earned a reputation among players as one of the toughest courses they’ll see all season.
"It's hard as hell, man. I love playing in the wind, but this was, this was the most I've ever played in," said Chandler Phillips, who carded a final-round 71 to secure himself a second-place finish. "When we finished, me [and playing partners Max McGreevy and Alex Schenk] were walking back and we all agreed that this was probably the hardest ... I said it's the hardest round of golf I've ever played in my life just everything considered."
The layout is demanding on its own, but the real defense comes from the wind. It sweeps in off the Atlantic without apology, turning seemingly innocent approach shots into puzzles and exposing even world-class ball striking. When conditions kick up, players can be seen recalculating on every tee box, trying to solve a problem the island has no intention of making easy. And yet, ask the pros, and they love it. They love the test, the stunning scenery, and most of all, they love the atmosphere.
From the Tour’s perspective, Bermuda checks several important boxes. First, it’s a reliable late-season destination with warm weather and a championship-ready venue. Second, it delivers a global broadcast that showcases exactly what the island wants the world to see with crystal water, dramatic cliffs and a golf culture far deeper than many realize.
Most importantly, Bermuda treats the tournament like a national celebration. While the island population is comparable to Cheyenne, Wyoming or Kalamazoo, Michigan, the PGA Tour event is a significant moment for the island, with over 700 local volunteers embracing the event every year.
Given the size of the island, attendance always raises eyebrows. How large can a gallery actually be in Bermuda? But Bermuda solves this in its own way. The event draws a mix of locals, expats and traveling fans who plan their vacations around tournament week. The crowds aren’t enormous, but they’re engaged and players feel that.
The intimacy of the venue allows fans to stand close, hear conversations, follow groups easily and become part of the competition in a way that mirrors the old-school Tour experience. Year-over-year the tournament continues to grow with 6,602 attendees in 2023 and 8,273 attendees in 2024, and while the 2025 numbers aren't out yet, these numbers are definitely trending in the right direction.
Since 2019, the event has delivered more than $17 million in economic impact each year, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions were in place. Its charitable contributions have steadily grown, starting at $500,000 in 2019 and rising to more than $1 million annually, adding up to over $5.4 million donated in just six years.
With another successful year of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in the books, it’s clear that this isn’t just another stop on the schedule. It’s a partnership that benefits every side. The Tour gets a distinctive, competitive venue; Port Royal gets investment and global recognition; and Bermuda gets a spotlight to showcase that golf is part of the culture, not just an amenity. For a tiny island in the Atlantic, that’s a pretty big impact.
