The communist island nation of Cuba has only one golf course but its Tourism Minister says it would like to build ten new courses around the country, largely to attract high-rollers from Canada, Europe and even the US if, as anticipated, legislators decide to end the travel ban.
Only one 18-hole course remains, the Varadero Golf Club in the beach resort 85 miles east of Havana.
Investors want the move but proposals have stalled for years, reports the AP.
Cuba is "the sand trap from hell," said John Kavulich, senior policy analyst at the US Economic Trade Council in New York.
"The conflict is imagery versus profit," said Kavulich, whose group advises US businesses on trade with Cuba. He added:
"Concerns about the image of golfers in the worker’s paradise. And, if accepted, how does Granma (the Communist Party newspaper) explain the obese US golfer with poor clothing color coordination, running about in their Caddyshack-like golf cart, betting on each hole?"
Antonio Zamora, a Miami attorney and expert on Cuban real estate, said the government has overcome old ideological concerns and sees the sport as a way to get foreigners to visit the countryside, rather than simply staying in Havana and other cities.
State-run tourism officials say they are in favor of developing golf, but Zamora said it has moved slowly because it plans to build courses in clusters of three or more, enticing players to stay in particular areas long enough to try all courses.
Cuba’s vacation industry set records for foreign visitors each of the last two years, despite the deep recession. In 2009, over 2.4 million tourists came, mostly from Europe and Canada. But many stayed fewer days than usual, and tour operators offered deep discounts to keep them coming, meaning revenues slumped nearly 12 percent.
It’s generally believed among tourist officials that golf would be a significant draw for visitors.
By David Wilkening
