The Week That Was, november 13, 2011

thailand When the Rain Comes

Thailand isn't going to attract many vacationing golfers for a while.

Historic flooding has put at least 20 courses in metropolitan Bangkok out of commission, according to the Bangkok Post, and the deluge is expected to reach other courses soon. The Post's story mentioned only two tracks that have been affected: Royal Gems Golf & Sports Club and Royal Gems Golf City.

The president of the Thai Golf Course Association told the paper that he doesn't know when the courses will begin to rebuild or how long it would take them to reopen. He did, however, offer an estimate of the damage: $1 million or more per course.

More than five feet of rain has fallen on Bangkok since March.

And in Other News . . .

. . . brazil What's funnier, the Republican Party's search for a presidential candidate, or the 2016 Olympics' search for a golf course designer? The latest from Rio: Not even one of the design bids that have been submitted so far includes proper legal and financial documentation. As a result, it's unlikely that the winner of the design competition will be announced on December 23, as originally planned. . . . [read more]

. . . switzerland I don't know what makes Samih Sawiris run, but he's doing it at a brisk pace in the Swiss Alps. Thanks to Sawiris, a big-thinking developer, the BBC can now describe the formerly sleepy village of Andermatt as “a forest of cranes” with streets that are “filled with the noise of cement mixers and diggers.” In addition, Golf Course Architecture reports that the village's Kurt Rossknecht-designed golf course is largely finished. Still to come are a six-hole practice course, a soon-to-open hotel, a combination clubhouse/ski center (construction begins next year), and scads of villas and apartments. Some villagers believe that Andermatt is getting worse instead of better, but Sawiris just keeps on running. “From every project I do,” he says, “I make sure that everyone around it is a winner.” . . . [read more] and [more]

. . . canada Now that Winnipeg has reclaimed its lost hockey team, it appears to be eager to get out of the golf business. The Pride of Manitoba has solicited bids from private groups interested in building houses and shopping centers on seven of the city's 13 golf properties. The reason: The city's courses lose $1 million a year, money that could be spent elsewhere. “[It] doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to accept every idea that comes our way,” said a city official. The city's residents will have their say when the proposals are made public -- and when they go to the polls. . . . [read more]

. . . cyprus Cyprus may be laying plans to build more golf courses, but will anyone buy the houses that are supposed to accompany them? “If there was a prize for the worst overseas property market in Europe,” a real estate analyst recently concluded, “Cyprus would be the hands-down winner.” As if comments like that don't pour enough cold water on the island republic's crumbling real estate business, a Scottish official says, “I think people should steer clear of the place.” The government's response? It's encouraging the construction of yacht-related residential projects in Limassol, Lanarca, Paphos, and Ayia Napa. . . . [read more]