Too Much Tournament Golf Played in the Middle East

Scotty X has been playing the great game of golf for decades. When he is not missing putts he is writing stuff about why he is missing putts. Scotty changes putters more often than he changes his sheets. Rain, hail, or shine you will find him on the links lining up a shot. Losing by one stroke in the monthly medal is his bread and butter. Worrying about head movements, weight shifts, and shaft angles is par for the course for this gentleman. Nobody struggles with the transition like Scotty and no one suffers from golfer's elbow and a bad knee like this fella. If god existed he would be a golfer in this golf tragic's philosophy. There are far more than 10 commandments in the rules of golf.

Professional golf tours are being exploited for Sportswashing purposes in the Arabian gulf states. There is too much tournament golf played in the Middle East. These autocratic regimes are buying dates on the rota to promote their nations as golfing destinations. The local citizens of places like Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not play golf. Watching the televised coverage of these championships you do not see any indigenous locals attending the golf. There is next to no atmosphere and a feeling of falseness emanating from these tournaments. Sure, the players love the money – just ask Phil Mickelson.

Tournament Golf Tours Bought by Arabian Gulf States

Why can’t we have more tournaments in golf playing cities? Money!!! The tours want ever more money for their events. The players want ever more money for their time.

Golf is in danger of becoming an unloved elitist sport played in the rarefied air of the playgrounds of princelings.

Golf will lose its connection with ordinary working men and women. The gap between club golf and the golf tours will become a giant chasm. Golf on TV will be akin to video game golf with no relevance to real life matters. Too much tournament golf played in the Middle East is bad for the game.

European Tour Now the DP World Tour

The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, seems to be owned by gulf state interests. DP World is an Emirati logistics company based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. ‘Faceless men following the money’, this could be the mission statement behind the golf tours. The globalisation of the game of golf is a good thing on the whole, but let us beware allowing it to fall into the wrong hands. Golf is a game, which has emerged out of western civilisation and nations boasting democracies. Human rights are for all not just the wealthy and well connected.

Arabian Gulf States & Golf Sportswashing

Golf has always had an image problem, in that it is generally associated with wealthy, white, males. It has been seen traditionally as the recreational pursuit of the privileged classes. Things have changed a bit on this score with golf being played by more women, and in more countries around the world. There are Chinese and Indian golfers and tournaments flourishing. Lots more golf in Asia and parts of Africa is happening too. Tiger Woods was a breath of fresh air being a black Asian American global superstar of the game. There has been a lot of positive stuff happening in golf and it would be a pity to see it stained by too much of an association with autocratic states buying golf tournaments for Sportswashing purposes.

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