Golf Tees Off in Dusty Damascus
This sounds like it could be fun. Just watch out for the exploding sand traps....
DAMASCUS, Syria (Reuters) - Like a good wine, Syria's first golf course will take a few years to mature.
But founder Othman al-Aidi is hoping that when it does, the lush 18-hole course on the outskirts of dusty Damascus will put his country on the golfers' world map -- even though most Syrians do not know how to play.
On a wet Sunday morning, the birds are chirping and the scent of lavender and roses wafts through the air at the par-72 course, built on what was once rubbish-strewn wasteland.
The course is empty, but the winter grass is growing and the 2,000-odd palm trees, imported from the desert oasis of Palmyra, are getting taller.
"This golf course is young," said Aidi in his office at the Cham Palace Hotel in Damascus. "After two years, when all the trees are grown, it will be the best."
Syria's governing Socialist Arab Baath Party remains nominally committed to the blend of Arab nationalism and socialism it has espoused for decades, but is slowly opening up the country and its economy.
The Internet and cash machines have arrived, and private banks are set to open soon. Now Syria has golf.
"Syria is like a very old baby taking its first steps. A golf club is a nice thing to have but there are much more essential things the country needs," said a Western diplomat.
With wages averaging around $200 a month most Syrians cannot afford to buy a car let alone adopt an expensive sport like golf, which is poised to be a very exclusive club for many years to come.
However, in a country that is seeking to carve a niche in the tourism industry, ventures like Aidi's golf club are welcomed by Syrians.
"Golf is a part of modern Syria, the opening of Syria, the hospitality of Syria," Aidi said.
Before long, the Al-Qaeda Country Club should be one of the hottest resort destinations in the Middle East. Hmm...Arab nationalism, socialism, and golf...well, so much for beer cart girls, eh?? I imagine that the 19th hole will be a little on the dry side....
