Subscribe via E-Mail

Get all of our news delivered fresh to your inbox every morning! Just tell us your name and where to send it using the form below.

PS – We hate spam too. We don’t sell or share our list with anyone, and we never send commercial email.




luxe
Friday, January 29th, 2016  |  USD: Buy 531.29 / Sell 543.92
20 years

Hoteliers decry bill that would ban golf courses in Costa Rica

Email this page

(Archive)

(Archive)

October 20th, 2015 (ICR News) The Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels has issued a statement decrying a bill presented recently by Rep. Suray Carrillo (FA) that would prohibit the existence of golf courses in Costa Rica.

 

The bill argues golf courses consume an excessive amount of water, endangering citizens’ equal access to the resource and therefore is a detriment to the country’s environment.

 

“Our country is dangerously polarized between rich and poor, between left and right, between yes and no, and who loses with this attitude is undoubtedly the country in general and the Legislature should not continue to grow this division that leaves absolutely no winner,” the Chamber said in a statement.

 

The Chamber said that the sport provides employment for more than 2,000 families and generates revenues of US $260 million for the country annually.

 

costa rica news

ATTENTION: If you are seeing this message,


Advertisement


Get our news delivered fresh to your inbox every morning.

Click here to subscribe to our email list. We hate spam too and never send commercial email.

Like us on Facebook and receive our news in your timeline

  • disgusted

    A well thought out plan… Can it get any more ridiculous here.

    • Yeims

      True, but you must admit that passing the law would be much, much easier and cheaper than repairing the thousands of leaks in the country’s water supply system. The only problem I see with the idea is that the land occupied by a golf course is called the “greens”, and it is my understanding that making everything green is a major positive environmental effort these days.

      • disgusted

        There many ways to make the greens economical. One only the putting area watered, two store water during rainy season and three use a method at night watering . factor in the tourist and those who depend on golfers for their livelihood. .. Look no golf courses no tourist no money..

  • richard schlinder

    THis has happened and is happening in Florida and California.Golf courses do use eight times more water than the residents around them.
    We now know water is a limited resource. Prudent is the word that comes to mind.

    • SarongGoddess

      Of course they use LOTS more water than nearby residents – BUT – IF they’re properly paying their taxes, they would be generating LOTS more $$$ FOR those municipalities!

      I DO think the AMOUNT of golf courses could be limited!

      • richard schlinder

        Thank you for your reply.I like your photo.
        With respect,there is not a community in Costa Rica that does not have water shortages at various times. We like to blame AYA because we have to blame someone but the problems runs deeper than that. To preserve is prudent at this period of time. Again,I am not here to blame anybody but it is time to realize that water is a precious and depleting commodity. A home without water is worth nothing. Con gusto. R.

    • gc

      simply charge more for water used in large quantities including agriculture and the problem will solve itself. the idea that some stupid group of political class self interested officials are going to dial in a better society through any sort of regulation is kinda funny considering what exists now.

  • prdatki

    What needs to be banned and made illegal is Graft and Corruption in the Government and Church.Plenty of room to work with!

  • SarongGoddess

    Yet ANOTHER way CR is showing they don’t want tourists? Golf vacations are a BIG draw for many tourists & these are tourists with LOTS of $$$. They’ll just gladly take their tourist $$$s elsewhere since they have LOTS of other options around the world & once again – the REAL PEOPLE of CR WILL be hurt!!

    Like mentioned below, there ARE many options to reduce water usage. Do these golf courses have their own wells? THAT should be mandatory so it’s not taking from the people!!!

    I’m NOT a fan of them because of all the extra resources they use – BUT – I’m realistic about what they DO do for the economy.

    I DO think the AMOUNT of golf courses could be limited & owners of said courses MUST be FORCED to do some things to give back to their community specifically geared towards the environment – maybe a part of their space have the windmills or solar that is GIVEN back to the municipality &/or a well near the entrance that is given back to the muni as well.

  • Ken Morris

    I always love the way businesses, especially tourism businesses, maintain that they help the economy.

    Assuming that the chamber’s numbers are right (probably an unwise assumption, since these folks invariably exaggerate to the point of lying) golf is worth $260 million annually and supports 2000 families.

    If we do the math, we therefore see that golf generates revenues to the tune of $130,000 per family it supports. While I would imagine that some members of the chamber have incomes of $130,000 annually from golf, I would be very surprised if most families supported by golf gain even $13,000 a year. This therefore tells us that for each family golf supports, golf costs around $100,000 a year for other things.

    This makes golf very capital intensive, but this then raises the question of what the heck the capital outlays are. I suppose that some of them go to importing clubs and balls and others to advertising, but it sure looks like most of the outlays are devoted to land and water.

    And this would appear to be the point of the bill banning golf–that bang for the buck, the industry is an overuser of land and water while an underuser of labor.

    Hey, the chamber’s own figures show this.

    Another figure not supplied that would be interesting to see is what amount of land and water is required to support each family living off of golf. This number could therefore be compared to other industries, say even pineapple production, to assess how economically efficient golf is compared to other industries that use a lot of land and water. My bet is that golf’s efficiency would be pretty lousy.

    Of course, the chances of a bill passing that bans golf courses are pretty slim. Most people will probably dismiss it as another nutty leftist idea, and the tourism industry will continue to purr along with its inefficiencies. Ironically, however, depending upon what a careful analysis of the numbers show, it may not be a nutty idea. It might even be a good one.

    But I will stand my ground against anyone who wants to ban billiards.

    • gc

      hahahahahahaha. thank goodness you don’t run anything.

      • Ken Morris

        Maybe you would be wise to invest in a calculator since your long division doesn’t seem up to par.

        • gc

          how much personal business and investment experience exceeding $250,00 do you have Mr. Morris? until then, and until you succeed at it, your math is pure fantasy. just like your stupid comments on McMansions which you neglect to acknowledge the math of economic activity that occur because of PRIVATE development. go run a big company and get back to us.

          • Ken Morris

            George, your habit of hoping to discredit what I write by trying to discredit me gets tiring. You don’t know me and haven’t a clue what I have or haven’t done. Neither are you entitled to decree what background is or isn’t appropriate for anyone to express an opinion.

            I get it that college was tough for you and you found making money in business easier. I therefore get it that you resent those for whom education came easier and stew in jealousy when your business experience doesn’t bring you the respect you feel entitled to. However, these are only your personal biases, and you have zero authority to demand that others abide by them.

            Here’s therefore an idea: Why don’t you try to contribute to the discussion of the issues instead of tearing me down? If your background is as valuable as you believe it is, I’m sure that it prepares you to contribute to rather than destroy the discussion.

            Please either contribute or stop trolling.

Popular Content