Bermuda Tees Up First Celebrity Golf Tournament

Bermuda's first Bermuda Celebrity Golf Invitational tournament will kick off from April 26 to May 1 at Port Royal Golf Course, said Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) officials. The event will inaugurate a week of golf-themed activities across the island, including Black Golfers Week, scheduled to begin April 27.

The celebrity golf gathering will feature retired star athletes including Olympic champion Sugar Ray Leonard, MLB and NFL star Bo Jackson and New York Giants Hall of Fame player Lawrence Taylor.

Bermuda officials have targeted golf- and sports-themed tourism as key to increasing the territory's visitor arrivals.

Players will participate in a week of competition and "fellowship to help drive change on a global scale for the local golf community in Bermuda," said BTA officials in a statement.

Officials said a portion of the event's proceeds will benefit Bermuda's Sports Pathway program, which helps emerging athletes "remove barriers to entry and advancement in sports through sports tourism initiatives" that meet objectives defined in Bermuda's National Tourism Plan.

"We look forward to our invited celebrity guests showcasing their love of golf while simultaneously indulging in our island's enchanting appeal," said Tracy Berkeley, the Bermuda Tourism Authority's interim CEO.

Berkeley invited "tourism partners" and others to support the event "by either sponsoring a table at the Legends Dinner or by joining a panel discussion featuring some of our celebrity guests."

"This event is another opportunity for us to celebrate Bermuda's rich legacy and showcase the power of inclusivity as a unifier in sports," said Hazel Clark, BTA's director of global sales and business development.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.