Figured this was coming

[BCowan]

Congrats Paul.  Up until now I thought "Ken M" was the greatest troll on the internet.  He's been replaced.

I was going to nominate the "FDR on Mount Rushmore" poster for the same award, but I guess Ken M. is only pretending to be an idiot.

David,

   The difference between me and you is I have humility.  You are if not the most arrogant poster on GCA.  At least I don't have a outhouse named after me...

[Carl Rogers]

Geoff Shackelford's Blog has an opinion poll concerning if golf's governing bodies should continue to conduct events on his courses. 

I have to say that I am torn by the question................

Is the game at a point that it needs all the media attention it can get from wherever?!  ... or is this a separate thread?!

[DMoriarty]

   The difference between me and you is I have humility.  You are if not the most arrogant poster on GCA.  At least I don't have a outhouse named after me...

The more differences between you and me, the better.

[Joe Hancock]

Geoff Shackelford's Blog has an opinion poll concerning if golf's governing bodies should continue to conduct events on his courses. 

I have to say that I am torn by the question................

Is the game at a point that it needs all the media attention it can get from wherever?!  ... or is this a separate thread?!

It's a separate website.

[Phil McDade]

I'm just hating to see  Turnberry removed from the rota , what with Watson almost winning and all the history.

Archie:


Watson did win there -- the Duel in the Sun 1977. Maybe the two best days of championship golf in the game's history.

[Bill_McBride]

I thought he suggested a hiatus on Muslim immigration until we find a way to better vet...not a permanent ban.

Not a fan of his, but he's taken the conversation to an important place.

That's how he tried to walk it back after starting a firestorm.   And not how he started the conversation.  If you look back, he also demanded the deportation of 11 million undocumented residents.  His racist xenophobia does appeal to a large voting bloc. 

[archie_struthers]

 




Of course I remembered the  "duel in the sun " . A great memory . That's why I don't give a flaming xyz who owns the joint .  We've been here before . If a bunch of jerk offs ran Pine Valley or Shinnecock I might not want to hang out there but sure as hell I would enjoy playing there with my friends.


It's all about the golf

[Paul Gray]

Somethings are a LOT bigger than where men hit a ball with a stick.
 
Fortunately, I live in a country where the American Constitution does not apply, where we are free to recognise that freedom comes with responsibility and the repression of other people's freedoms is a repression of all of our freedoms. The haters will always throw 'political correctness gone mad' at every situation but nothing can be more politically correct than an outdated constitution which prevents modern laws which could, in turn, prevent the incitement and execution of racial violence from white terrorists.

Congrats Paul.  Up until now I thought "Ken M" was the greatest troll on the internet.  He's been replaced.


https://www.reddit.com/r/KenM/

Then you obviously have no idea what the term even means, let alone have a broad enough knowledge of the internet for that comment to have any weight behind it.

But all that is irrelevant. What is relevant here is that the R&A have decided that the American far right won't be hosting an Open Championship on these shores.

My only hope beyond that is that the comedy character from Back to the Future suffers the predicted pasting from the American people and your Democrat Party. Trump could just open the door for a female president. God knows that would be a sweet irony.

I notice even Mucci hasn't mustered up any support for his old mate. The Republican Party must now truly be a minor political entity, home only to people living in a bygone age.

[archie_struthers]

 


Paul the real problem is that both parties are awful , awful , awful . They are almost universally corrupt and just concerned with making sure all the power and money stays in their control . Bush was big money government , Obama is big money government . Hillary's big money government .


The rest of us are just pawns in the dance. If you don't have a buddy in office , forget about doing anything in the construction or open a business. The government is now the mob , with better weapons .


For that reason alone Trump is getting traction.

[John McCarthy]

Sven:  I had never heard if Ken M until your post.  I have been looking at his archives ever since.

"Burning through the helium supplies" made me laugh out load, seriously. 

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ben, ignoring the fact that Mt. Rushmore's construction began six years before FDR went into office, can you please explain what Franklin Roosevelt did that trumps


Trump's lobbying to completely circumvent the first amendment and effectively banish an entire religious group from the United States?


Jason,

The First Amendment does NOT apply to foreign nationals. 

The protections afforded by the Constitution apply to U.S. citizens.


That's quite a statement and I would love to hear you justify it. To my untrained ear, Trump's rhetoric sounds much more similar to another politician whose reign coincided with FDR's.


Please edify me.


See above and consider yourself edified.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Archie,


It's a shame that a wonderful golf course will be removed from the rota.


Agree about ownership.


I have friends who are ultra liberal and I have friends who are ultra conservative and we all get along when playing golf together.


I think the RNC must be a bunch of idiots for letting liberal moderators frame the debate and foment cat fights

[Bill Shamleffer]

Ben, ignoring the fact that Mt. Rushmore's construction began six years before FDR went into office, can you please explain what Franklin Roosevelt did that trumps


Trump's lobbying to completely circumvent the first amendment and effectively banish an entire religious group from the United States?


Jason,

The First Amendment does NOT apply to foreign nationals. 

The protections afforded by the Constitution apply to U.S. citizens.


That's quite a statement and I would love to hear you justify it. To my untrained ear, Trump's rhetoric sounds much more similar to another politician whose reign coincided with FDR's.


Please edify me.


See above and consider yourself edified.

I am unsure if you were joking (I have difficulty identifying sarcasm in Internet postings), but just to be clear to the other readers, foreign nationals do have Constitutional rights, including those of the First Amendment.  Now they do not have FULL Constitutional rights, but they do have some rights granted to them under the U.S. Constitution.

[Duncan Cheslett]

 Trump could just open the door for a female president. God knows that would be a sweet irony.

Or even sweeter, a socialist one!   

[Tony_Muldoon]

But all that is irrelevant. What is relevant here is that the R&A have decided that

...they wont attract sponsors to their event if it comes with controversy.


That's also why the women rule was changed. Money talks. End of.

[Ed Tilley]

Now if Trump bought The Old Course Hotel and banned muslims from staying that would cause the R&A a serious problem!

Ed

Why ?

Niall

I'm well aware that the R&A don't own the hotel - isn't it Kohler? However, the Old Course and the Old Course Hotel are inextricably linked - "Hit it over the O of the Old Course Hotel". Do you not imagine it would cause the R&A serious embarrassment, not to mention logistical issues:

"Where are you staying Jordan, Rory, etc..", "At TOC Hotel?. Do you support Mr Trump's views? Do you not believe it would be better to send out a statement etc, etc......"

This would be an issue every year at the Dunhill, and every 5 at The Open. The media would be all over it. There would be petitions to not hold the Open at St.Andrews. Sponsors would be wary. The R&A could legitimately say that it is nothing to do with them but the public perception would be that it is.

[Thomas Dai]

It's not just the R&A, it's the various pro-tours and sponsors etc as well.


The European Tour holds several events in the Middle East. The Euro ladies tour does as well plus the Challenge Tour and more recently events have been held in such countries as Turkey and Kazakhstan over the last few years. 


And there's sponsorship and product sales to consider, name branding and all the other direct and indirect spin-offs from pro (and amateur) golf.


There's a very large of amount of £$€Dh involved and as Tony says "Money Talks".


Atb

[archie_struthers]

 


Thomas I don't know if you were going there with the Middle East but are we talking  women's rights?


The lords of golf have made plenty of money playing tournaments in venues that that might not fit our sensibilities as far as human rights, but they took the money . That's why I'm so sick of everything being so politicized . Either set your position on what's acceptable (R & A) and stick to it or focus on the golf . So let's just call a spade a spade and admit the enforcement is selective . Trump is an easy target, so they pile on . But they tell us to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain in other lucrative venues.


I'd rather talk about the golf than the owners politics or sexual preferences. That's for the tabloids.

[Tom_Doak]

It's not just the R&A, it's the various pro-tours and sponsors etc as well.


The European Tour holds several events in the Middle East. The Euro ladies tour does as well plus the Challenge Tour and more recently events have been held in such countries as Turkey and Kazakhstan over the last few years. 


And there's sponsorship and product sales to consider, name branding and all the other direct and indirect spin-offs from pro (and amateur) golf.


There's a very large of amount of £$€Dh involved and as Tony says "Money Talks".


Atb

It's most certainly about the money.  Mr. Trump has interests in properties in the Middle East, and even has a web site in Arabic soliciting customers for his hotel empire.  Maybe he will have a special visa waiver program for people depending on where they are going to stay during their visit to America.

[Niall C]

It's a shame that a wonderful golf course will be removed from the rota.

Patrick


It's still on the rota, it's just that it's now unlikely they will play the Open there in Trumps lifetime or as long as he owns it.


Niall

[Thomas Dai]

Archie, no I wasn't going 'there'. An awful lot of £$€Dh's are potentially on the line though and who, if anyone, is going to cut the financial umbilical cord?
Atb

[Patrick_Mucci]

I am unsure if you were joking (I have difficulty identifying sarcasm in Internet postings), but just to be clear to the other readers, foreign nationals do have Constitutional rights, including those of the First Amendment.  Now they do not have FULL Constitutional rights, but they do have some rights granted to them under the U.S. Constitution.
 
Foreign Nationals, citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran, etc., etc., have no constitutional rights.  There are no protections directly afforded to them under the Constitution, including the First Amendment.

[Anton]

Getting back to the golf aspect..... Turnberry will host another Open Championship.  It is too good of a venue not to host again and the R&A knows that.    It may be in 10 yrs because the R&A is looking to branch out to new venues and expand it's Open portfolio. 
And who knows who will even own it at that point.  It may be called the  'Zuckerburg Facebook Turnberry Resort & Internet Cafe' at that point.  Ownerships change and I think that this is a knee jerk reaction that will smooth over.  Just may take time.   

[Kalen Braley]

I am unsure if you were joking (I have difficulty identifying sarcasm in Internet postings), but just to be clear to the other readers, foreign nationals do have Constitutional rights, including those of the First Amendment.  Now they do not have FULL Constitutional rights, but they do have some rights granted to them under the U.S. Constitution.
 
Foreign Nationals, citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran, etc., etc., have no constitutional rights.  There are no protections directly afforded to them under the Constitution, including the First Amendment.

Pat,

I know you'll do a song and a dance to dismiss it, but you're wrong on this one buddy.

https://www.quora.com/Which-rights-does-the-US-Constitution-protect-for-people-who-are-not-US-citizens

[George Pazin]

Paul the real problem is that both parties are awful , awful , awful . They are almost universally corrupt and just concerned with making sure all the power and money stays in their control . Bush was big money government , Obama is big money government . Hillary's big money government .


The rest of us are just pawns in the dance. If you don't have a buddy in office , forget about doing anything in the construction or open a business. The government is now the mob , with better weapons .


For that reason alone Trump is getting traction.

Nice post, Archie.