Hugo Chavez's Righteous Attack on Golf

At first I was shocked to read today in the New York Times of the puzzling new political attack by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela against the seemingly harmless target of golf. Apparently pro-Chávez officials have moved in recent weeks to shut down two of the country's best-known golf courses.

"Let's leave this clear," Mr. Chávez said during a live broadcast of his Sunday television program. "Golf is a bourgeois sport," he said, repeating the word "bourgeois" as if he were swallowing castor oil. Then he went on, mocking the use of golf carts as a practice illustrating the sport's laziness. "Mr. Chávez, for his part, said he had no plans to outlaw golf. "I respect all sports," he said. "But there are sports and there are sports. Do you mean to tell me this is a people's sport?"He then answered the question: "It is not."

I am not a golfer. Or much of a sports fan per se. I do not even really understand why Chavez used the phrase "Let's leave this clear". But I do have to concede that Hugo Chavez's accusation that golf is not a people's sport is one that can be easily backed up by a little research. And not just because golf is the only sport that often involves a chauffeur and a butler.

Consider the area of contemporary sports crime. There is not a single list of "Top ten sports crimes" I could find (and I'll admit I only went to page three of my Google search) that has even one contribution from the world of golf. A typical list contains the expected three each from baseball and basketball, with football bringing up the rear with two -- both for murders. There are usually two good solid contributions from skating (Tonya Harding and Olympic bribery) Yet time and again, golf continues to let its fans down.

In one recent year alone, the world watched in awe as:

"Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson being suspended by the NFL for character issues related to shootings and unlawful possession of firearms... Ron Artest and Steven Jackson being suspended by the NBA for domestic violence and gun charges respectively. There is an endless parade of athletes on steroids and HGH in MLB and NFL, including Barry Bonds, and Giambi being caught up in this whole Mitchell investigation. Floyd Landis is still trying to appeal testing positive for doping at the Tour de France last year. Oklahoma has been ordered to vacate 2005 victories and is losing scholarships for failing to monitor its student-athletes taking kickbacks. Michael Vick is caught up in this whole dog fighting scandal and has now been indicted and urged to take a leave of absence from football. The NBA is now the subject of an FBI investigation over referee Tim Donaghy betting on games he officiated and shaving points to pay off debts with mob bosses. And last but certainly not least we are still reeling from WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's double murder-suicide, and now with testosterone showing up in the toxicology reports the family of Nancy Benoit is filing a wrongful death lawsuit that will probably name Dr. Astin and the WWE as defendants."

In case you're keeping score, that's two more for football, two more for basketball and three more for baseball. Not to mention spying in Formula 1, and endless incidents of violence in hockey, as well as eye gouging and rioting in soccer. Even bicycling has risen to the occasion. But for golf? Only this:

"Offender (1) Sergio Garcia.
Crime: Spitting in a hole. Punishment: Fine of $20,000.
What happened: The 27-year-old "El Niño" of golf blew up a storm in March after spitting into the bottom of the cup at the 13th green after bogeying the hole during the WCC-CA Championship in Miami. "I just missed that putt and wasn't too happy," he said. "But the spit did go in the middle of the hole and wasn't going to affect anyone else. If it did, I would have wiped it off." Fines in golf are common for misdemeanours including bad language and ungentlemanly behaviour towards stewards but governing bodies keep the amounts secret. "

How embarrassing is it for golf that Mr. Garcia was careful enough, in committing his offense, to aim his spit so it didn't inconvenience anyone? Any sport that can do no better than charges of "ungentlemanly behavior" can never claim to be a sport of the people.

I guess what I am saying is that the PGA should think long and hard about this problem before they select the golfers who will compete in to their next tournament.

Meanwhile, Its an outrage that the best the fans of this sport can do is wait for representatives of other sports like Craig Bellamy, a Welsh international footballer, to hit a team mate with a golf club. Or septuagenarian actor Jack Nicholson, who did much the same thing to a car window (though it was in a moment of well publicized road rage, which is not even a legitimate sport. At least, not yet.) But how sad is it that in neither of these two note worthy cases even took place anywhere near a golf course.

 

Comments

[altohone]

Whoa thar Merrill!

In contemporary sports crime, golf is by far the leader.


The ratings agencies weren't co-opted in a boardroom.
Oil prices didn't triple because of supply or demand.
Bush, Enron, Goldman... you name it, they all conducted "business" on the links.

I think you mean "prosecuted sports crime".

[Wozzeck]

http://www.militarygolfcourseguide.com/ has a world-wide listing of golf courses for which US taxpayers pay .

[SonnyBono]

If you really want to oppose golf - just look at the emerald green fairways and greens in the western United States - places like Nevada and Arizona - these are deserts folks and the use and abuse of water resources in a desert should be prevented - not only do these golf courses, public and private help deplete a limited resource - many of the courses get the same price for water that farmers get. In other words, they are getting a discount on the actual price of water in addition to abusing the environment by over watering and using too much fertilizers that leach into the water system.

For those of you not familiar with the American west - large parts of it are classified as desert and yet golf courses thrive because private courses where most can not play are subsidized by everyone.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a sometime golfer who has always had trouble with the windmill.

[Butterfly8]

Today, the International Olympic Committee decided to add Golf and Rugby to next Olympic Games. Maybe this was to counterattack Chavez ridiculous comments about the sport. And anyone that says differently and approves of Chavez's attitude is as embarrassing as Mr. Chavez, to say the least!

[LuxSF]

As a Venezuelan from Caracas, I must say that your article fails to address the real issue behind Chavez's comments against that particular golf course. The NYT article wanted to address the abuse of power currently taking place in MY country. Trying to distract us from what is really happening in Venezuela does not help. I would expect more from someone who calls herself Ambassador of Goodwill.

[JScott]

Guess Hugo was never able to hit the ball thru the windmill at the minigolf place eh.

[Wozzeck]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/1916 has the facts on the imminent domain seizure of the golf courses for public housing proposed by the Mayor of Caracas.

As far as golf courses and public housing, Chavez must have been a George Carlin fan :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSRCjG-VLk

[LuxSF]

We don't need more public housing in Caracas! The city has collapsed! But of course you will not talk about how incompetent Chavez is because you are bias and part of his propaganda machine!!

[Wozzeck]

" 'WE' don't need more public housing in Caracas"? You aren't a citizen of Caracas.
For whom are you speaking? Californians who like to play golf?

[LMPE]

My interest in golf extends only as far as "Caddyshack".

[JohnFromCensornati]

"How embarrassing is it for golf that Mr. Garcia was careful enough, in committing his offense, to aim his spit so it didn't inconvenience anyone?"

Pretty embarrassing. I guess that's why the fines are secret.
Great post as always.