Golf and the Environment

For the many of you who wrote or posted comments about John Barton's "How Green is Golf?" package in the Golf Digest May issue, check out Geoff Shackelford's post yesterday in which he covers Golfdom's follow-up, including an interview of Barton by Geoff.

Meanwhile, Vietnam of all places is getting tougher on golf course construction, for environmental reasons. According to China View:

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Vietnam will freeze new golf course licensing unless investors meet local land-use criteria and environmental protection requirements, according to local newspaper Vietnam Investment Review on Monday.

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Local governments should cease issuing new golf licenses if the projects are built on land which is currently used to cultivate two rice crops each year, the country's Ministry of Planning and Investment said in a report submitted to the government.

According to the report, the country has 78 golf projects which will cost 13 billion U.S. dollars.

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"The density of golf courses in some localities is unbelievable. For example, northern Bac Giang province's Yen Dung district has three approved golf courses, Hanoi capital's Long Bien district has two, and southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province's Chau Duc district has three," the report said. >

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The concept, I understand, is "a country club for a day."

--Bob Carney