A Fair Way?

Golf is one of those things that the Majorcan tourist authorities have been pinning their hopes on of augmenting the paltry numbers of winter visitors and helping to make Majorca an all-year holiday destination. There is an element of wishful thinking here, not because there are not golf courses - there are and you can find out about them on this site - or that the courses are not any good (some of them are very good), but because Majorca is in a heavily competitive league when it comes to golf.

There is though plenty of desire to build more courses. And there is an equal amount of opposition, notably from the environmental lobby. In the north of Majorca, there are two examples of this opposition. One has been dealt with. This was the conversion of the Son Real area near Can Picafort, which has been vetoed, partly, one suspects, to the chagrin of the local town hall who would have quite liked the money it would have brought. The other is ongoing and has been ongoing for ages. It concerns the transformation of another area of natural significance, the Son Bosc finca in Muro next to the nature park of Albufera. The history of this project goes back years. In 1999, the local hotel association was calling for the golf course, and in 2008 they still are.

There is much to stop the building of this course. Son Bosc is mainly protected under law. It is of natural significance because of the presence of rare species, for instance a particular type of orchid. But all this notwithstanding, the arguments go on, with sections of the local town hall in favour, others against, the hotels saying yes and the environmentalists saying a resounding no.

Whatever the legality or the environmental arguments, there is a big question over the golf course that is almost totally ignored. Why is it needed? There are golf courses nearby in Alcudia and Pollensa, and another down the coast in Capdepera. The existing golf courses hardly bring in huge numbers of golfing tourists, what is to say that the Muro one would? Nothing, as far as I can make out. The hotels, who are all in favour, might benefit to the tune of one of them keeping open. But that would be about sufficient, and even then it might be questionable.

There's nothing wrong in trying to increase the all-year tourism, but a touch of realism is perhaps needed. There is not, as far as I am aware, a strong business case for the Muro course, but the debate goes on and gets ever more tense. For very little.

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