Albany's posted guest policy is clear about dining. A guest can eat at Albany's restaurants only when the hosting member is "present and seated" before the guest orders, and the bill goes on that member's account unless the member authorizes the guest to pay part or all of it by credit card. Amenity guests get five visits a year to things like golf and tennis, and each visit is logged at Concierge in the Charles building at Albany Marina.
For four days in early December, a single-day ticket stands in for all of that. The 2026 Hero World Challenge runs November 30 to December 6 at Albany, with public rounds Thursday, December 3, through Sunday, December 6. If you live along Adelaide Road, in Coral Harbour, or out toward South Ocean, the tournament's own logistics give you an advantage the visitors staying across the island don't have.
The gate rule, and the four days the course opens
Albany's guest policy is the baseline for the other fifty-one weeks of the year. The dining directory lists Aviva, WAVE, Footprints, Vesper, NINETEEN, Azul, Bisou Bisous, Grill Shack, Revive and The Beach Club. Every one of them sits behind the member-hosting rule. The tournament's spectator information covers gates, parking and shuttles, and it doesn't mention restaurant hours or dining access.
What changes is the golf course. Organizers sell single-day Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday admission through Ticketmaster, and the official site says a limited number of grounds tickets are on sale. Children 12 and under get in free, according to the venue page. For a family in southwest New Providence, that makes the Albany fairways one of the easier December outings on the island to plan.
How the week actually runs
The first three days are private. Monday's amateur practice rounds, Tuesday's amateur outing and Wednesday's official Pro-Am are all closed to the public. Gates open to ticket holders from Thursday.
| Day | Date | What's on | Gates open | TV window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Nov 30 | Amateur practice rounds | Closed to public | — |
| Tuesday | Dec 1 | Amateur outing | Closed to public | — |
| Wednesday | Dec 2 | Official Pro-Am | Closed to public | — |
| Thursday | Dec 3 | Round One | 10 a.m. | GOLF Channel, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
| Friday | Dec 4 | Round Two | 10 a.m. | GOLF Channel, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Dec 5 | Round Three | 10:30 a.m. | GOLF Channel, 12 to 2:30 p.m.; NBC, 2:30 to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday | Dec 6 | Final Round | 10 a.m. | GOLF Channel, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; NBC, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
All times are Eastern, as the organizers list them. Two evening events sit outside the grounds ticket: Friday's Beach Party is invite only, and Sunday's SUNDOWNERS at 4:30 p.m. requires an EIGHTEEN badge.
The 2 p.m. cutoff that favors anyone with a car
There are two ways in, and they suit different people.
Spectators coming in their own vehicles must use Albany's East Gate, off Adelaide Road, and then follow signs to public parking in Lot C. Will call is also at the East Gate security entrance.
Everyone else rides the complimentary shuttle from the valet pick-up area at Baha Mar. You need a tournament ticket, wristband or credential to board. On every public day it leaves every 30 minutes, and on every public day the last scheduled shuttle to Albany departs at 2 p.m.
Set that 2 p.m. cutoff against the TV windows above. Thursday and Friday coverage runs until 4:30 p.m. Saturday's NBC broadcast runs until 5 p.m. On Sunday, network coverage of the final round starts at 1:30 p.m. The shuttle's operating hours stretch to 5 p.m. for the ride back. But a visitor who wants to arrive for the last few hours of the round has missed the bus.
A neighbor ten or fifteen minutes from Adelaide Road doesn't have that problem. Here is how the weekend can work from the southwest side:
- Thursday or Friday, morning. Gates open at 10 a.m. Weekday rounds start the field fresh and the shuttle crowd builds through midday.
- Saturday, after lunch. Gates open later, at 10:30 a.m., and NBC carries the back end of Round Three from 2:30 to 5 p.m. That afternoon is out of reach for anyone arriving by shuttle after 2 p.m. and an easy drive for anyone nearby.
- Sunday, mid-afternoon. The final round finishes on network television before 4:30 p.m. Driving in through the East Gate lets you time your arrival to the leaders rather than to the shuttle schedule.
What comes through the gate with you
Bag rules apply whichever way you arrive, so check them before you leave the driveway. The tournament permits:
- Opaque bags 6 by 6 by 6 inches or smaller, including backpacks, camera bags and chair bags
- Clear plastic or vinyl bags up to 12 by 12 by 6 inches, or a one-gallon clear resealable bag
- Phones and tablets on silent mode, under the PGA TOUR's mobile device policy
- Umbrellas without sleeves, and collapsible chairs without carry bags
- Binoculars without a case, and portable radios with headsets
- Strollers, small diaper bags, plastic baby bottles and medically necessary supplies
The full list, including what isn't allowed, is on the spectator information page. Event details can change before December, so check that page the week of the tournament.
Who will be on the course
The draw for a grounds ticket is a small field of top players walking a course most of the neighborhood only sees from the road. The initial 2026 field, announced by the tournament and reported by Golfweek on October 19, 2026, includes Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Russell Henley, Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim, J.J. Spaun, Robert MacIntyre, Justin Thomas, Ryan Gerard, Hideki Matsuyama, Jacob Bridgeman, Tom Kim, Sepp Straka and Akshay Bhatia. Three spots remain open as tournament exemptions. Tiger Woods is the host.
The 2025 finish is a reason to stay for the closing holes. Matsuyama and Alex Noren both shot 8-under 64 on the final day to tie at 22-under 266, which forced the first playoff at Albany in a decade. Matsuyama won it on the par-4 18th with a 9-iron to three feet, his second Hero World Challenge title at Albany after 2016. Scheffler won in 2023 and 2024, and he shared the lead after the first round in 2025.
Proceeds benefit the TGR Foundation, the Tavistock Foundation and the Bahamas Youth Foundation.
Above the grounds ticket
The packages page lays out the paid tiers above general admission. EIGHTEEN gives one hospitality credential for each competition day, and only selected packages add Friday's India Nite Beach Party and Sunday's SUNDOWNER Celebration. Inside the Ropes brings two guests inside the ropes for one round, with a commemorative photo with the pro pairing and two EIGHTEEN passes for that day. The Pro-Am package covers the Tuesday amateur outing, a pairing luncheon, the Wednesday Pro-Am and dinner, plus EIGHTEEN credentials Thursday through Sunday. Ask the tournament directly for prices; the packages page doesn't list them.
Where to eat once you're back outside the gate
A grounds ticket covers the golf, and Albany's posted dining rule calls for a member host, so these are the nearest options for lunch or dinner on tournament days that are open to the public.
- Cucina di Mare, #1 Coral Harbour Plaza West, serves coastal Italian with seafood, pasta and a cigar lounge, and it lists daily hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with reservations online.
- Kyma Seafood Grill, at One West on Windsor Field Road, serves Greek and Mediterranean-inspired seafood indoors and outdoors, has a bar, and does a weekend brunch that pairs naturally with a Saturday afternoon at the course. Its OpenTable page was taking bookings as of October 2026.
- Avery's Restaurant Bar & Cigar Lounge in Adelaide Village serves sit-down Bahamian food, and Da Spot in Adelaide does casual al fresco Bahamian dishes for dine-in or takeout. Both were last featured in November 2025, so call ahead before you plan around either one.
After Sunday the East Gate goes back to its usual routine. Albany's grounds are open to ticket holders on December 3, 4, 5 and 6, from 10 a.m. on three of those days and from 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
If Hero week leaves you curious about owning a home at Albany, the team at Bond Bahamas works across southwest New Providence and is happy to answer your questions at your own pace. Download the Balmoral Guide to start the conversation.
