Golf Inc - March/April 2009 - (Page 21) future of golf — it’s got to start from the bottom. Nothing starts from the top. Q Given today’s economy, what does the future hold for golf course development? A As far as golf course construction and golf course development, I say to my owners, “Look, who knows?” I don’t profess to know when the world economy’s going to start coming around again. With a man like President Obama, who I have confidence in at the moment, he could change things around. He’s got a massive task on his hands, but he could start to get the ball rolling. It could come in a year, could come in two years, could come in three years. My guess, two to three years. Now, if you’re a developer, now is the time, and here’s a perfect example. People who had money during the Depression ended up making large sums of money because they could afford to buy houses that were going for low prices. Cash is king. I say [to clients], “You know, you’re very wise — you’re starting this develop- ment now, while prices are low.” When you do a development, you’ve got to do it by gut feeling. If you’re a smart developer in these times, you don’t do everything — you do 70 percent of your development. You do your golf course and you save a bit of landscaping. Instead of doing 500 lots, you do 50. You do it on a smaller scope, preparing yourself, having the foundation to fulfill all your dreams, but starting with a first step. Q You are well-known for your interest in preserving and conserving the environment. How does that impact your design work? A One of the things I try to insist upon, and many times it’s absolutely impossible today, is to build a golf course with effluent water. Effluent water around the world, sewage water, is being pumped into the sea, millions and millions of gallons. If it goes into a golf course, it goes through a filter system basically and whether it goes into an underground water system or into the ground, it’s becoming regenerated water. The biggest problem, and I think it’s awfully bad, is the world will be short by 20 percent of water it needs by 2025. I don’t know why schools are not talking about this. We’re brainwashing the young people — taking showers for 20 minutes, leaving taps dripping, really not being concerned about water. We can live without oil, but we cannot live without water. When we design a golf course, we’re creating jobs, a lot of jobs, particularly with hotels and such. That’s particularly important today, when a lot of people are being laid off. On my ranch in South Africa, we have all these wild animals on the golf course — 140-some species of birds. I’m an environmentalist freak — my brother [Ian] is one of the world’s leading environmentalists and he started brainwashing me as a young boy. I know that there are certain places that On the road with Gary Player Think your schedule is tough? Here’s a look at a recent 11-day stretch of Gary Player’s busy schedule: Monday: Arrive in Mexico on a red-eye flight from Hawaii and then travel to La Paz for a design site visit. Tuesday: Visit La Paz design site. Wednesday: Complete site visit in the morning and fly to San Diego for media interviews. Dinner in the evening with the president and chief executive officer of AST, the company developing the UgMO irrigation water sensor. Thursday: Drive to La Canada Golf Club near Los Angeles for filming on behalf of the UgMO product. Conduct another media interview in the evening. Friday: Play nine holes of golf and lunch with three R&D technicians from Callaway Golf. Dinner in the evening with the CEO of AMO in Laguna Beach, Calif. Saturday: Lunch with the former and current owners of Steele Canyon Golf Club in San Diego and then nine holes of golf with the new owner, general manager and head golf professional Sunday: Day off Monday: Act as host for the Entertainment Industry and Callaway Golf foundations celebrity golf outing at Riviera Country Club for the benefit of women’s cancer initiatives. Tuesday: Tests and filming of new equipment at the Callaway Performance Center in Carlsbad, Calif. Deliver afternoon keynote address to the entire Callaway staff for their quarterly staff meeting. Dinner in the evening with George Fellows and Nick Raffaele of Callaway Wednesday: Interview and photo shoot for Business Jet magazine. Wednesday evening cocktail reception and kick off for UgMo at the Golf Industry Show in New Orleans Thursday: Attend kickoff event for UgMO on the GIS convention floor. Return to Florida in the evening. March/April 2009 www.GolfIncMagazine.com 21 http://www.GolfIncMagazine.com
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