Ryder Cup in Dubai? Fatter Chance Now.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 17, 2009 12:54 PM EST
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PrintIf I mention the rumor that Leisurecorp is going to try to make a serious bid to have the 2018 Ryder Cup to a European colleague, they laugh. Out loud. It's a preposterous idea on its own. Seriously, who would go to Dubai to watch the Ryder Cup? Anyway, the prospect of that seems a whole lot worse now.
The Golf Watch tied together a news item that I saw about tennis to this potential bid in a way that I didn't catch.
Israeli tennis sensation Shahar Peer was denied a visa to play in a tennis tournament this week in Dubai. The issue has sparked a great deal of controversy and has caused the Women's Tennis Association to reconsider playing a Tour event there.
With the inaugural Race to Dubai and a course design from Tiger Woods on the way, should we begin to reconsider our golfing ties to the area?
As someone who is a public policy wonk (not wank), I think that there is a dubious relationship with Dubai. There is a lot of chatter about civil rights abuses, treatment of the poor, and potential anti-Western sentiment in the region that puts off a number of people from within and outside of the city. Still, recent trends tell us that golf seems to follow the money and sometimes does so without regard for due diligence. Need I mention Bobby Ginn again? So, I find it difficult to believe that golf would run away from the region if Dubai is willing to sink a ton of money into it. There's a big reason that Tiger's first design project is in Dubai. They could pony up for it.
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there will be a lot of ticked off Euros....
….but at least the weather will be warmer. :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
don't bet on it
Short of opening a Radio Shack in an Amish town, Dubai is the world’s worst business idea, and there isn’t even any oil. Imagine proposing to build Vegas in a place where sex and drugs and rock and roll are an anathema. This is effectively the proposition that created Dubai – it was a stupid idea before the crash, and now it is dangerous.
This is the opening paragraph in an article on the impending failure of that Emirate. When I was there in 2002, I called Dubai “a high-charged blend of Arab traditionalism and Los Angeles.” The skyline has grown exponentially since. I suppose a crash in the current economy isn’t unexpected.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
I'd like to go one day
Just to check it out for myself. Is it worth it?
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 17, 2009 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
The tennis story
I blogged about twice in the last three days without bringing in the connection Dubai also has to golf. It may seem strange but I follow other sports than Golf and the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
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