Golf does have an unfortunate history of being exclusionary, although it's roots are decidedly working class. Two stories today allow us to poke some fun at those who would bar the door behind them, not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that.
Like your humble blogger, I'm quite sure you're puzzled at the lack of media attention paid to Donald Trump. Publicity-wise, that man simply can't get arrested.... He gives so much and asks so little of us in return.
Golf Digest has been running a series on Disruptors, Innovators and Risk-Takers, which will feature the Donald in November. As of now they're baiting the trap with a short excerpt, though with this particular subject I find that a little goes a long way. I don't actually think that Trump is any of those, as the extent of hiss innovation seems to be putting his name on things. But as always, the reader is encouraged to come to his or hew own conclusions...
The piece gets off to rousing start, running this picture under the header, "I'm Huge:"
Errr OK, Donny, but as a fan of the Gipper, I'm a "Trust but Verify" kind of guy.
Here's his mission statement that will no doubt grab most of the attention:
On where grow-the-game efforts are flawed: "I would make golf aspirational, instead of trying to bring everybody into golf, people that are never going to be able to be there anyway. You know, they're working so hard to make golf, as they say, a game of the people. And I think golf should be a game that people want to aspire to through success."
That's actually a fun mix of Willie Suttonesque logic with profound cluelessness. We all get that he markets to the wealthy because, duh, that's where the money is. But if people don't come to the game as they grow up, he'll find a rather small universe of potential buyers for his over-priced real estate and golf clubs and resorts.
I have little problem with his business model, though I also have little interest in it. I'm just surprised that this son of a down-to-earth developer of subsidized housing in Queens, who speaks like he never left those streets of Queens, has become our guide to garish luxury. Go figure...
Though this was my favorite:
Trump on his expanding golf empire: "Somebody made the statement that Donald Trump has built or owns the greatest collection of golf courses, ever, in the history of golf. And I believe that is 100 percent true."
Yeah, and who else tried and in what sense is this a good thing? And he's doubling down on his Pinehurst comments:
On his much-discussed criticism of Pinehurst No. 2 during this year's U.S. Open: "I'm an honest person—I'm a very honest person—and I think that Pinehurst on television looked horrible. It was very bad for golf. ... Golf is very much about beauty. And they took the beauty away... I will tell you, as somebody that understands selling, courses like that will kill golf."
Much discussed? I guess in the sense that many folks called him a buffoon for those comments... Trump has actually built and/or restored some decent golf courses, but here he's just in blowhard mode and good luck getting a U.S. Open after trashing their venue (though accepting the PGA at Bedminster was his tacit admission that that wasn't in the cards).
And this is the perfect close:
On his penchant for self-promotion: "I believe you can do great things, but if people don't know about it, what difference does it make?"
If only. At least it affords an excuse to run this picture for the umpteenth time:
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| It never gets old, does it? |
Our companion story comes courtesy of Shackelford, who has for some time been having fun with Scottsdale National Golf Club. Developed by GoDaddy.com founder Bob Parsons, its business model seems entirely focused on avoiding as many of those pesky members as possible. Below is a screen shot of his latest missive to members, and Shack has links to prior versions of the same ilk:
Remember, there's no point applying as membership is by invitation only.
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