The Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2026

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is one of the most distinctive stops on the PGA Tour calendar. Played at the stunning Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, the tournament combines coastal scenery with some of the most unpredictable weather conditions players face all season. Wind is typically the dominant defence, often influencing leaderboard movement more than course length or difficulty.

The Host Venue: Port Royal Golf Course

Port Royal Golf Course has hosted the Butterfield Bermuda Championship since its debut in 2019. Designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., whose portfolio includes celebrated venues such as Hazeltine National, Firestone South and Bellerive, the par-71 layout measures a modest 6,828 yards, making it one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour schedule while placing a premium on strategy, positioning and short-game execution over pure power.

While the scorecard appears short by modern standards, Port Royal is far from a pushover. The primary defence is its exposed coastal setting:

Constant Atlantic Ocean winds
Frequent gusts that vary by hole and direction
Elevated and exposed tee shots
Strategic bunkering
Coastal cliffside holes, most notably the famous par-3 16th

Unlike many PGA Tour venues where power dominates, Port Royal often neutralises driving distance and places a premium on precision, trajectory control and creativity.

Greens and Grass Complexes

One of the defining characteristics of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship is its paspalum turf throughout much of the golf course.

Paspalum Greens

Paspalum is a salt-tolerant grass commonly found at tropical and coastal golf courses.

Characteristics include:

Softer surfaces than typical bentgrass greens
More receptive to approach shots
Less emphasis on firm-and-fast conditions
A generally smoother putting surface when properly maintained
Reduced punishment on slightly mis-hit chips and pitches

Players who have historically performed well on paspalum often carry that form from venues such as:

Corales Puntacana Championship
Puerto Rico Open
Mayakoba (when on the PGA Tour schedule)
Certain Florida and Caribbean events
Around-the-Green Areas

The course’s short-game areas tend to favour:

Bump-and-run shots
Flighted wedge play
Creative recovery shots in windy conditions

Because the greens are usually receptive, proximity on approach becomes more important than simply holding the surface.

Course Characteristics

While modern PGA Tour venues increasingly favour power, Port Royal Golf Course is one of the shortest courses on the schedule at just 6,828 yards, playing to a par 71. The lack of length means virtually the entire field can reach the same scoring areas off the tee, reducing the advantage typically enjoyed by the longest hitters.

The course instead becomes a test of:

Wedge play and distance control
Around-the-green creativity
Scrambling ability
Putting on paspalum greens
Wind management

Because players are hitting shorter clubs into many greens, the field typically finds a high percentage of putting surfaces. The difference often comes when greens are missed. Those who can consistently save par from tight run-off areas, bunkers and awkward lies tend to separate themselves from the pack.

The ever-present Bermuda coastal winds add another layer of difficulty. Even from short distances, gusts can knock approaches offline, forcing players to rely on their short games throughout the week.
Previous Champions

Since the tournament began in 2019, every edition has been held at Port Royal Golf Course.

Year Winner Score

2025 Adam Schenk -12
2024 Rafael Campos -19
2023 Camilo Villegas -24
2022 Seamus Power -19
2021 Lucas Herbert -15
2020 Brian Gay -15
2019 Brendon Todd -24

Final thoughts:

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship presents a very different challenge from most PGA Tour stops. At just under 6,900 yards, Port Royal Golf Course is one of the shortest venues on the schedule, placing far less emphasis on power and far greater importance on precision, short-game execution and adaptability in the wind. The combination of paspalum greens, exposed coastal conditions and strategic design rewards players who can consistently save par when out of position and capitalise on scoring opportunities with their wedges. Strong scramblers, reliable putters and proven wind players have historically enjoyed success here, making it an event where skill around the greens can be every bit as important as ball-striking.

Headline Pick:

Ben Kholes +3.5 units W+3400/ +3.5 units T10 +340