Tiger Woods the architect isn't exactly doing his part, yet, to help make golf affordable for the masses
Tiger Woods‘ first golf course design is due to open in Dubai next year. It will not be open to the public. It will be open only to members and guests of an exclusive, 80-suite boutique hotel
It’s called Al Ruwaya and will be located in Dubailand, the hub of Dubai’s tourist center. Plans also call for 320 villas. Golf course revenues in golf-nuts Dubai averaged nearly $8.8 million in 2006, compared to $1.3 million in Great Britain and Ireland, according to accounting and consulting firm KPMG, as reported by ABC News.
Now, I’m not criticizing the project nor Woods’ reported big fee. I just hope that, as Woods architectural career goes along, he gives a little something back to the game that has made him filthy rich.
There have been other celebrity architects, Pete Dye being one of the more famous ones, who have donated their talents for practically free to build affordable courses.
I have a feeling Woods will too, eventually. I just hope he doesn’t wait too long, especially with the numbers of people dropping out of the game because it’s growing so expensive.
Imagine what a Woods-designed course with cheap green fees would mean.
| « To save the image of golf, get rid of Tim Finchem and put a Democrat in charge of the PGA Tour | Raul Castro better than Fidel in at least one respect: Bring on the golf » |
16 comments
Greg and others first???
Where are the Nicklaus Foundation...Palmer Foundation etc. Woods has done well with his foundation and I hope he continues.
from www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/:
"I can proudly say more than 10 million young people have been touched by the Tiger Woods Foundation. Through character development programs, scholarships, grants, junior golf teams, and the Tiger Woods Learning Center, the Foundation is helping young people reach their goals."
Does this count as giving back to the game, Tim?
Along those same lines, I'd also like to ask when Ritz-Carlton is going to start charging $39.95 per night for their luxury suites?
When are we going to be able to purchase a Ferrari for $5,000?
A 100-foot Benetti yacht for $100,000? A Gulfstream Aerospace personal jet airplane for $250,000?
Maybe those examples are too hard to comprehend. Try these:A magnum of Dom Perignon for $20. A steak dinner for two at Morton's for $40.
That's right, these things will never happen. That is, they won't happen unless all the people working at these establishments decide that they don't need to be paid for their services, and the investors don't care about making a profit, and they welcome the prospect of certain bankruptcy.
Woods' advisory fee will be but a small, very small, fraction of the cost of building that luxury course in Dubai.
Alex USMC 1969-73
Imagine, also, if he designed some affordable courses that weren't available only to the rich and well-heeled.
That would count a lot, too.
I'm not saying he should give hand-outs to everyone, just put his name on some cheap, accessible courses for the masses, like other architects have done, and like many others have not.
Woods is a special player and his name can do a lot.
Do you actually believe that Tiger has the ability to design a golf course? Unless he has been studying intensely about soils, water tables, flora, landscaping, etc, his contribution to any course will be to put his endorsement on it for a fee.
And who says that the rich and famous would ever think of putting their names to anything that is "cheap and accessible...for the masses?"
Alex USMC 1969-73
Well... Isaac Mizrahi designs clothes for Target. I guess anything's possible.
I've never heard of Isaac Mizrahi.
It must be a woman thing.
However, there is someone with a similar name running a Motel 6 down on Milwaukee Avenue.
Alex USMC 1969-73
Better?
Comment feed for this postComments are closed for this post.
Jason Scott Deegan:
The Accidental Golfer:
Kiel Christianson:
View from Europe:
Recent comments