Golf in Cuba

[Tim_Cronin]

With today's announcement, this is timely, I think. There isn't much. Easier to find a 1957 Studebaker.

http://www.cubalinda.com/english/activities/golf/golfclubes.asp

[Tom_Doak]

My wife and I were talking about Cuba last week ... there are regular flights to Havana from Nassau.  [And Toronto.]

I know Lou Duran will be here shortly to protest any relations with the Castro regime.  When he comes, I hope he'll answer how the embargo has done anything to improve the plight of the people of Cuba, now that it's had 50+ years to show results.

[Sean_A]

I know Lou Duran will be here shortly to protest any relations with the Castro regime.  When he comes, I hope he'll answer how the embargo has done anything to improve the plight of the people of Cuba, now that it's had 50+ years to show results.

...with a very friendly giant of a neighbour who is willing to help out at every opportunity 

Ciao

[K Rafkin]

This is starting to look like an exciting election issue, but with Florida as a swing state I can't see US travel to Cuba getting easier any time soon.  Had this whole embargo thing not been going on I'm sure Cuba would already have a few world beaters.  I dk much about the soil they have, but Cuba is one heck of a beautiful country, and it deserves a few quality courses. 

[Mike_Young]

I went there a couple of years ago from San Jose Costa rica with no problem except that you cannot use an US credit card.  The little I have researched there tends to make me believe we may be a little late to the party.  Hotels such as Melia etc already have inroads and we may have shot ourselves in the foot there.....Germany, Canada are ahead of us by a few years.  But it will be a great spot...

[Lou_Duran]

Well, Tom Doak, I don't want to disappoint you but I am still waiting on the Koch brothers and the Miami branch of the  Cuban Mafia to send me my talking points.

Perhaps my thought leaders would not object to me saying that generally, relations are good; more so when they are bilateral.  As to the Cuban people who don't even possess the most basic of hygienic products, it is not the U.S. embargo that has created this tragedy.  Some 190+ countries trade freely with the Castros.  I doubt that Cubans have any trouble getting anything they want at prevailing market prices if only they had the money to afford it.

Besides, American companies can sell "humanitarian" supplies such as food, drugs, and medical supplies to Cuba.  As far as I know, the only restrictions are in the terms, C.O.D., hardly a harsh imposition on a government which summarily expropriated many billions of dollars from American companies and Cuban expatriates and is today a dead-beat debtor.  Should you decide to build a course on the island, you may be well advised to get your money up front, and I don't mean in pesos.  I think that our Canadian and Spanish friends in the hospitality and construction businesses might be able to provide some direction.

I do like the suggestion that for the embargo Cuba would have a "few world beaters".  Apparently, only American architects and construction companies are capable of producing these things.  The Castros' propaganda has worn thin on the island for a couple of decades.  Apparently not so much in the ROW.

With Russia and Venezuela now on the ropes and a left wing American president, it makes great strategic sense for Raul to release a hostage in exchange for normalized relations and the prospects of huge amounts of American tourist dollars flowing into the island.  For American firms which hadn't already formed partnerships with foreign companies to do business on the island, they may be disappointed to find that there is not much of consumer market in Cuba.  Simply, the Cuban people today produce little and have no money.

BTW, the primary attraction of Cuba is that it is forbidden fruit, a land that time has forgotten.  In terms of natural beauty, there are many, many places its equal without all the sad history.  I do hear that the music is good, the booze cheap, and the girls for hire world-class.  Some are even well educated- doctors, lawyers, teachers- and probably great conversationalists, in Spanish.

[abmack]

Mike,

In November of 2013, I played the back 9 at Varadero Golf Club located in the tourist resort town of the same name which is approximately two hours outside Havana. The resorts, where locals are neither allowed to stay or visit, cater mostly to Canadian and British tourists.





The course was built on land that the communists nationalized (stole) from Irenee DuPont. His beautiful house named Xanadu which is now the club house was built in 1927. I believe that this is the only golf course which was permitted to remain open after the Revolution,

Here is the description of the course's history which I translated from a picture in the golf shop:
Though Herbert Strong designed the original 18-hole golf course, only 9 were eventually built following a design by Sim Cuthrie. The first four holes were built on natural soil, while the others required filling. The golf course was started in December 1931, and shortly after completion, in September 1933, was hit by a hurricane that swept away with greens and fairways from holes 5 to 9. From April to December 1934, over US$ 10,000 worth of soil had to be dumped on the land and the golf course was fully operational again in 1936.

Varadero Golf Course was even the scene of a famous golf game between Ernesto Che Guevara and Mr Castro in 1959. Today the course stands at 6,856 yards (par 72) and is beautifully maintained. Stylistically think beachfront links along a gorgeous coastline mixed with tropical parkland and Florida lakes. Re-designed by Canadian Les Furber the two loops of nine-holes are challenging yet fair with greens that reward good play.

A photograph of the match is framed prominently behind the restaurant's bar.





The course is unremarkable with the exception of the two closing holes. Here are my pictures.



The long par 3 17th which plays towards the ocean



The view from the tee of the long par 4 18th hole with Xanadu in the background



The view back down the 18th fairway and towards the ocean


I hope you find this interesting.

[Joe Sponcia]

As to the Cuban people who don't even possess the most basic of hygienic products, it is not the U.S. embargo that has created this tragedy.  Some 190+ countries trade freely with the Castros.  I doubt that Cubans have any trouble getting anything they want at prevailing market prices if only they had the money to afford it.

Besides, American companies can sell "humanitarian" supplies such as food, drugs, and medical supplies to Cuba.  As far as I know, the only restrictions are in the terms, C.O.D., hardly a harsh imposition on a government which summarily expropriated many billions of dollars from American companies and Cuban expatriates and is today a dead-beat debtor.  

With Russia and Venezuela now on the ropes and a left wing American president, it makes great strategic sense for Raul to release a hostage in exchange for normalized relations and the prospects of huge amounts of American tourist dollars flowing into the island.  For American firms which hadn't already formed partnerships with foreign companies to do business on the island, they may be disappointed to find that there is not much of consumer market in Cuba.  Simply, the Cuban people today produce little and have no money.

BTW, the primary attraction of Cuba is that it is forbidden fruit, a land that time has forgotten.  In terms of natural beauty, there are many, many places its equal without all the sad history.  I do hear that the music is good, the booze cheap, and the girls for hire world-class.  Some are even well educated- doctors, lawyers, teachers- and probably great conversationalists, in Spanish.

Great points Lou.  So if we become the 191st country, logic would tell us their 'economy' could be revived?  I guess we could add them to the list of countries that hate our guts yet get our dollars. 

Thanks for the pictures and the description Andrew.

[Greg Gilson]

My wife and I spent a week in Cuba earlier this year - we visited Varadero GC for the day. Cubas a unique cultural experience and , for Australians, its an intriguing bucket list type destination. We put together a 2 week tour incorporating Dom Rep (TOTD), Cuba and Cabo (heres a shout out to Greg Tallman). My wife is leading the tour which we sold out in a matter of weeks ....18 months before departure. You could not justify a trip to Cuba (from Australia) just for the golf. It took lots of juggling but I think we got the golf:non golf balance right.

[RJ_Daley]

An interesting Lou, and I am sure accurate assessment of the circumstances and reasons why it has not been attractive or viable for other non-US enterprises related to golf have not taken hold or succeeded.

I can't imagine any real enterprise taking hold unless the current regime and Castro associates are thrown out, or are sent packing by whatever means.

But honestly Lou, the embargo and 50 years of our one dimensional approach has not gotten the bums thrown out.  Isn't it time to change our unsuccessful approach, and  see if a different  approach won' t work?

[Tom_Doak]

Lou:  Thanks for your thoughts.  You are right that the American embargo isn't the source of poverty in Cuba ... the local government there did a fine job of that without our help.  However one would think that the denial of American tourist dollars, when America is Cuba's closest and richest neighbor, has discouraged investment in things like luxury hotels and good golf.

Andrew:  Thanks for the pics of Varadero.  What is going on with the structure to the left off the 18th tee?  It looks like something I could hit.

[Mark Hissey]

I'm not so sure that it will produce great courses. But there is a long, long coastline and maybe there are some wonderful spots to capitalize on.

I do think it is more promising than my other speculation from a few years back. Remember that Tom?

Libya. Yes, really.

[Connor Dougherty]

Lou:  Thanks for your thoughts.  You are right that the American embargo isn't the source of poverty in Cuba ... the local government there did a fine job of that without our help.  However one would think that the denial of American tourist dollars, when America is Cuba's closest and richest neighbor, has discouraged investment in things like luxury hotels and good golf.

Andrew:  Thanks for the pics of Varadero.  What is going on with the structure to the left off the 18th tee?  It looks like something I could hit.

+1 on all counts.

As for the idea that the island could produce great courses: It's a bit ridiculous to speculate whether it could or not, but cheap real estate and an influx of American currency as a result of it could produce some new layouts, and the benefit the island has now is that these courses would be built during the second Golden Age. I've always been intrigued by a photo I saw in Golf Has Never Failed Me, a Ross course in Havana, which is no longer in existence. It appears from the DR Society's website that he did two on the island, so that has to count for something, right?

Any chance at reclaiming those? 

[RJ_Daley]

I reckon someday there will be a regime change...probably sooner than later now.  But, isn't that when all the real problems will start, making these sort of pipe dream developments of tourism industry, hotels, golf resorts, gambling and the like, total chaos when big money moves in, and so many of the cuban refugees here and other locales try to move back to reclaim family land taken or somehow lost after the revolution.  It seems to me that some ugly stuff is going to fill that vacuum for a while. 

[Martin Toal]

Obama left wing! Really? That is great news. When did that happen? Was there a coup?

Up until now he has been disappointingly conservative.

[Carl Rogers]

A new thread needs to be started that can try to discuss the relationship, however tenuous & non-linear, between the political, social, economic versus the creative.

The US government finally found out the cold war is over.  Maybe the Cuban regime will eventually learn of the news also.

This is bad news for the Mexican tourist trade.  (Cancun, Acupulco)

[Steve Wilson]

Okay, I really need to quit opening these threads that I know will piss me off, and then I need to resist the urge/temptation/compulsion to post.

But the flesh is weak...so some random reflections.

One good thing is that this will reduce airfares for NAMBLA members and other sexual tourists in the near future.

Does the rejuvenation of moral vanity require/allow the baiting of Cuban refugees or we encouraged/mandated to mock others?
   
 I do wonder how much more civility would reign on this board if Lou had somehow not managed to escape from Cuba.  Think what an enviable, virtuous life he could have led in that island paradise.  Just think how small his carbon footprint would have been.  Just think how much more smug so many posters here could be if they didn't have standing up for those left behind.  Just think how many divots he wouldn't have taken, how many balls he wouldn't have lost, what a crackerjack 1950s Chevrolet mechanic he would be.  It makes me realize what a poor trade I made in acquiring Lou for a friend when I could have had him working on my 1957 Chevy if I could find a way to smuggle him out of Cuba.  Now he's just a right wing nut job with declining golf skills.

And finally for Martin Toal, just how left wing would you like Obama to be?  He has been somewhat constrained by the fact that his lurches to the left deprived him of both houses of congress which remain at least incidental to the governing process.  He hasn't managed to go Kim Jong Un on us here, but there are two years remaining.  What venerable left wing institutions would you like to see, a Cultural Revolution resulting in the deaths of millions, particularly those who wear glasses, have college educations, own golf clubs, etc?  Or perhaps a Holodomor.  Or would you settle for the nationalization of golf courses, particularly the top 100 that are currently private.

Just keep in mind that if your brave new world comes about that while I can virtually guarantee you will be in the re-education camps you probably won't be there as an instructor.  We might be bunk mates, but we should keep the conversations about double plateaus, sedans, reverse cambers, etc to ourselves.

R. J.  I suspect you are right that regime change isn't too far away but that has more to do with the expected shelf life of the Castros than anything this will accomplish.  If they were interested in improving the lots of their subjects it would have happened a long time ago. 

And whose notion is that if not for the embargo there would be great golf courses on the island.  Are there no architects or construction firms other than here in the United States.  I swear I met a few non-American architects in some of the GCA outings I attended.  Probably all from the USA and just pretending to be Canadian or British. 

And it's really not about left/right.  It's about centralization and concentration of power.  I understand the authoritarian impulse among those who are seeking wield it in elected or, in the case of the Castos, unelected office, but for those who will have to live under the increasingly constricting tentacles of it and call for more, please.  Perhaps I need to go back and read The Unbearable Lightness of Being again, but most of all I need to stay away from these threads.
 

[Craig Sweet]

Nothing like a fresh batch of low wage workers to exploit with nickel and dime tourist $$$.

[Eric Smith]

What is going on with the structure to the left off the 18th tee?  It looks like something I could hit.

That is a statue called the God of Life:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AEBmHFEhQQ

[Joe Sponcia]

"I know Lou Duran will be here shortly to protest any relations with the Castro regime.  When he comes, I hope he'll answer how the embargo has done anything to improve the plight of the people of Cuba, now that it's had 50+ years to show results".


"You are right that the American embargo isn't the source of poverty in Cuba ... the local government there did a fine job of that without our help".

Glad you came around so quickly...

[Jonathan Mallard]

Harris Kupperman had a series of blog posts starting last December on the potential of investing in Cuba.

I'm not sure how prescient he realized this line would be:

" 'You need to see it now, so that you have perspective on it in a year or three when Americans can start investing there.' "

http://adventuresincapitalism.com/post/2013/12/31/Bienvenido-a-Cuba!.aspx

[Steve Okula]

An interesting Lou, and I am sure accurate assessment of the circumstances and reasons why it has not been attractive or viable for other non-US enterprises related to golf have not taken hold or succeeded.

I can't imagine any real enterprise taking hold unless the current regime and Castro associates are thrown out, or are sent packing by whatever means.

But honestly Lou, the embargo and 50 years of our one dimensional approach has not gotten the bums thrown out.  Isn't it time to change our unsuccessful approach, and  see if a different  approach won' t work?

You're right.  All it did was turn Castro into an internationally castrated, powerless cartoon character,  keep nukes out of the Western Hemisphere and help break the Soviet Union.   Since when is US Foreign policy (remember that phrase?  We used to have one...) supposed to serve the best interests of citizens of foreign countries?  Silly me -  until 2004, I always thought it was about the best interests of the US.  How naive I must be...

"Internationally castrated"? Because the U.S. is the only country in the world that won't trade with him?

"Keep nukes out of the western hemisphere"? Risible. Yes, if the only nukes you count are the 1962 land-based ones.  No one has tried to put land based nukes in Cuba since then, but it really isn't necessary when there are ICBM's, long range bombers, and submarine launched nuclear warheads, all of which, if they're not already here, could enter this hemisphere within minutes.

I can't figure how the U.S embargo of Cuba had anything to do with the collapse of the USSR. Please explain.

[Jeff Blume]

Golf in Cuba reminds me of a story Mr. von Hagge used to tell about his days with the Dick Wilson Company.  In the late 50's Wilson was creating Villa Real in Cuba.  von Hagge was working on the course as a project architect, and was in Havanna the night that the Castro rebels kidnapped Juan Fangio (famous Argentinian Formula 1 race car driver) from his hotel room.  According to Mr. von Hagge, he was just down the hall at the Lincoln Hotel.  von Hagge heard the commotion, but did not know what had happened until reading the news reports the next morning.  

Cuba must have been a wild place in the late 50's under the Batista regime.  I always pictured the scenes in the God Father 2 with Michael and Hyman Roth when von Hagge would tell that story.

[RJ_Daley]

This whole back channel process with the Pope playing a role puts me in mind of how JPII and that faction of the Vatican worked with Reagan and Lech Walesa in softening the communist regime and prep the way for a more free and democratic process in Poland. 

It is odd how it works with our right wing Fox fueled factions.  When our conservative leaders bring tea and cakes and offerings for arms for hostages, send ping pong teams and Kissenger in the night, and other back channel overtures to dictators and repressive regimes, it is brilliant diplomacy.  But Obama is a traitor...

While the abuses of the Castro and communist party have been brutal on the people of Cuba, and we have maintained a half century and more feckless embargo with them, many more people are being slaughtered by US bought guns for Narco-terrorists and abused by a corrupt and brutal so-called democratically elected series of governments in Mexico, one more corrupt than the next, and the fall out of flight of Mexicans to illegally get to the US for low paying jobs, and Mexico as a haven for our companies to build environmental disaster factories to exploit them has been infinitely worse on the US economy than the gesture of one nation out of the world community of nations has chosen to maintain a gesture of embargo on the island of Cuba. 

I worry that our first instincts are how can we make a buck on the changing winds that will inevitably come to Cuba, and not worry about the other sort of repressive and exploitative factions that will replace the communist one.  There doesn't seem to be any tradition of freedom and the entire island of people have no heritage of democracy.  The next few decades for Cuba need a hell of a lot more than a few golf fanatics dreaming of more coastal golf resorts.   Hopefully, as the tides of change shake out, they will look towards better models of governance and freedom seen in peaceful countries like the Scandis or how places like Chile have evolved, than banana republics run by corporate $$$, exploitative labor practices, and tax havens for the global wealth 1% ers. 

[Tom_Doak]

What is going on with the structure to the left off the 18th tee?  It looks like something I could hit.

That is a statue called the God of Life:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AEBmHFEhQQ

Wow.  I think it would be bad to hit the God of Life with your last tee shot ... it might really BE your last tee shot.