...under In My Opinion.
In describing Birkdale, Sir Peter Allen once famously wrote, ‘So ends a big golf course, but to me my last visit left a tinge of disappointment , the valley fairways are just a little too green and grassy and too flat for this old Tory.’ As usual, he was spot-on but it is worth noting that the ever critical Sir Peter Allen never once said a mean or disparaging word about Ron Fream and all he has done for the game.
And with that as the lame intro
, we are free to turn our attention away from the unlinks-like fairways of Birkdale
and focus on Ron’s latest In My Opinion piece. In reading it, a few things spring to mind, one being has any architect logged more airplane miles? You may think you get a round a bit but Ron’s own estimate since 1966 places him at over 4,350,000 miles
logged, a truly mind-numbing number. Another is I wonder if the monks at the nine hole Royal Thimphu mind when RW&N is referred to as the Sacred Nine?!
More to the point, and following along some of themes from Grant Spaeth’s Feature Interview, can you sense the good that this wonderful game is doing in some of the remote spots like with the Bhutan Youth Golf Association? Ron sums up the benefits of golf nicely when he writes, ‘Hindsight and decades of experience clearly brings home the benefits that emerge from tourist golf development. Not only do golfers benefit. In emerging markets, job production is one of the most basic ways to overcome poverty and fundamentalism pursuits. Employment enhances self worth and accommodates aspirations.’
People like Ron who are bringing quality golf across Asia and Africa and places I’ve never heard of are doing the game - literally - a world of good. Thus, Ben and I take especial pleasure in posting such a piece that helps us re-focus on where some of the worth of the game really lies.
Cheers,