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Score column: Time for the government to get out of golf

My latest Score Golf column, arguing that governments should not own golf courses, was posted today. It can be found here.

Here’s a taste:

Government and golf go together just about as well as cut worms and greens. Or oil and water. Either way, you get the picture.

Sure politicians are comfortable playing golf, but considering this liking, they certainly dont have much of a handle on running golf. Even so, it still came as a surprise to many when the P.E.I. Conservative government under Premier Pat Binns announced last week that it was considering getting out of the golf business.

Apparently, according to the opposition Liberals, the foray into golf had cost P.E.I. upwards of $1 million annually in losses.

That places the distinct possibility that four courses of varying merits “ the exceptional Dundarave and Crowbush Cove, and the less excellent Brundenell and Mill River “ could go on the block.

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Robert Thompson

A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in Golf Magazine, the Globe and Mail, T&L Golf and many other media outlets. Currently Robert is a columnist with Global Golf Post, golf analyst for Global News and Shaw Communications, and Senior Writer to ScoreGolf. The Going for the Green blog was launched in 2004.

2 CommentsLeave a comment

  • RT…I have to agree with you. Government should stick to core responsibilities (education, health, roads and transportation, etc). Golf is not a core function of government. When government loses its focus, that when the problems start.

  • As I asked on Score – does this include munis? You would be upsetting a lot of golfers if cities sold off all of the munis around the country, and if cities own and operate arenas and ballparks then why shouldn’t they also own golf courses.

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