Never More Than 50 Minutes
A report reckons that Majorca apparently needs up to five more golf courses and that nobody on the island or indeed on all the islands of the Balearics should ever be more than 50 minutes away from a golf course. Well, two things here. Is it possible to be more than 50 minutes from anything in Majorca, let alone a golf course? If one is walking, then perhaps so, but I suspect most golfers have some sort of transport, if only one of those lunatic buggies. Slightly baffling that, I'd say. The other thing is, does Majorca need five more courses? Doubtless the Muro protagonists - the hoteliers and certain town hall representatives - would say yes, but while the endless debate as to that course rumbles on, we have learnt over the past few months that courses have been denied to Santa Margalida (on the Son Real finca), Campos and Binissalem, the enviro lobby having been just one dissenting voice.
I can think of many things that people should never be more than 50 minutes away from - a hospital, a chemists, an off-licence and a bunker against weapons of mass destruction. But a golf course? I am reminded of a report from April of last year which stated that Majorca was basically golfed out in terms of courses. Yet now we have a demand for ever more. The argument that golf brings in wealthy tourism is not without foundation but, as has been my position viz. Muro pretty much all along, I would like to know the real business case in favour of a new course, wherever it might be or however far or close it might be to anyone. But why 50 minutes and not, say, 42 or 30? There are already some 25 golf courses in Majorca, so I would very much doubt that there is anyone further than 50 minutes from one. But were there, then is he or she or they muttering angrily that they are 51 minutes away from a golf course?
In response to this report, the environmental pressure group GOB was distinctly unimpressed. What a surprise. Someone says let's build something and GOB says let's not. And so it goes round and round. Never getting anywhere.
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