Golf and golf equipment

[Scarlett]

It does seem such an obvious conclusion: at some point they just couldn’t keep setting large sums of cash on fire…

Now, it’s different to the LIV funding, but mentioned in my trip report at Xmas/NY, after playing the Royal Greens GC track north of Jeddah, that I had a feeling the course wasn’t really set to endure. One day they’ll probably just turn the taps off and the course will all be dead two years later. The Saudis are building a number of new courses and resorts closer to Riyadh and the LIV tournament formerly played at Royal Greens has actually moved to a Riyadh course. I’d suggest the holes of golf club mortality are lining up in a Swiss cheese model, to mix metaphors.







Nice course, but watering it via a desalination plant does not seem sustainable.

Here’s a (formerly) grassed course in Kuwait where a water dispute two years ago has pretty much led to the desert reclaiming the site…


Unlimited petro-dollars aren’t quite enough.

 

[Scarlett]

I got a round in before the whole thing gets ‘Trumped’! East Potomac Links (Blue course).

I can see both sides of the argument: it’s (was) a public links trust, with three municipal courses (one 18-hole and two 9-holers) designed for all golfers in the DC area. The green fees are relatively cheap for the location close to the National Mall and the day I played it was very popular with people still arriving after 5pm for an evening hit. So it seems to be really well utilised and important for DC golfers.

The course was fairly wide open and mostly basic design, and the conditioning was mediocre, so having it redesigned or redone to improve it might be a good idea. Imagine if they made it something of real quality like the Bethpage courses in NY? But, would that price it out of range of the golfers currently using it?

The conditions might also be a factor of the uncertainties, with all of the staff being made redundant last week. The US administration is/has transferred ownership away from the public trust and the president has (of course) grand plans. Those who understand that ETTD are rightfully worried.



A nice pleasant walk in the afternoon avoiding jet lag after a long travel day beforehand. Played with two young locals who were still very much learners and hopefully I put them at ease.

 

[Scarlett]

After golf in DC, I then headed out for games in Maryland and then West Virginia. Will pull some photos when next on wifi.