There seem to have been a lot of troubling signs already this year that the golf gods are pretty upset about something.
Call me paranoid, but there seem to have been a lot of troubling signs already this year that the golf gods are pretty upset about something. Beyond the extended winter mess that still has clubs throughout most of the country, as March begins, wondering if they’ll see any green on their properties by Memorial Day, there was the sad news that the famed Eisenhower Tree at Augusta National Golf Club fell victim to February’s brutal ice storm as it cut through Georgia.
And speaking of Eisenhower, we now have the most golfingest President since Ike, and even that doesn’t appear to be doing any good for the game, or the club industry.
True, there has been negative reaction, from the moment he was sworn in, to how much Barack Obama likes to play golf (and if you want to keep count along with other haters, go to www.obamagolfcounter.com). You would still think, though, that his having now played 160 rounds while in office (according to that site) could lead to some benefits for the properties, and people, that depend at least in part on the game’s popularity for their livelihoods.
Based on the coverage of the President’s latest golf outings during his most recent vacation, however, maybe we ought to take up a collection and send him some equipment so he can take up archery or bowling or something.
Here’s the headline from a Time magazine article that was among several hundred similar reports on our President’s latest “golf experience”:
Obama Plays Water-Guzzling Desert Golf Courses
Amid California Drought
The article went on…and on…to highlight the perceived hypocrisy inherent in Obama’s “playing some of the country’s thirstiest golf courses” after making speeches designed to highlight the state’s critical water shortage.
“He then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the hospitality of some of the state’s top water hogs: desert golf courses,” the Time article said.
The article included a brief reference to how California superintendents and golf industry professionals have been taking proactive steps to try to address the drought situation not just for their properties, but as community leaders.
But that was hardly enough to stop the “water hog” accusation from still ringing loudly in every reader’s ears.
So if you get word that the President would like to come to your club for Round #161 (or beyond), you may want to make sure that you and your staff are well-prepared to try to counteract any misconceptions or bad press that may be part of the privilege.
And by the way, there was also a report last month that when visiting a youth center in Miami, Michelle Obama was introduced to SNAG (Starting New at Golf), the version of the game that uses scaled-down clubs, soft balls and velcro targets to try to get kids and new players interested and engaged in golf more quickly. Again, you can call me paranoid…
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