We don’t want a golf course- Anegada resident
The resident shared his thoughts in a recent exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online while on the island. He opined that the governments of the Virgin Islands focus on tourists more than they do to their own people. “It is not only this NDP government all the others of the past did the same and its time they stop this nonsense because without us locals this place is nothing,” said Ras.
Giving a graphic explanation to support his statement, Ras said a proposal for a multi-purpose recreational facility was submitted to Government years ago but was left on as shelf somewhere to gather dust. “What was submitted to the Government, It was [Hon. Ralph T.] O’Neal who was premier at the time, was a perfect and workable proposal. Even if they hadn’t enough time to look at it this government should rather than tell us about bringing golf course here.”
According to Ras, the proposal catered for a multi-purpose facility which would include a horse race track on the border, a multipurpose tennis court, soccer field and soft ball field. He said that the vision for the facility was for it to be self sufficient with funds raised being used to maintain it.
“This is what will happen, we’ll have tourist coming to patronise, the locals will definitely support because right now they have absolutely nothing, not even a play ground and everybody glad for some place to go here. Our children have nothing to do here but go to school, walk from one end of the street to another, or stay home on those electronic devices.” He further added that periodically the play facilities of Coney Island could be brought to the island.
Ras contended that children on the sister island have never been exposed to any form of sports activities unlike those on other sister islands. “You got children on Tortola going off to the [United] States to run tracks, they playing basketball…They doing all these things for their kids but they not doing anything for our kids,” He added, “But you want to bring some outside entity that does not involve our families, that does not involve us to come and make money off of us and tell us about that going to be good practice for us, what good practice you talking about?”
He further contended that facilities that would be of benefit to residents should be foremost of interest to Government as their priority should be on making locals first, comfortable, and money generated would stay in the Virgin Islands rather than be outsourced. “So when they going come to us with some …proposal for some golf course, how is it going to make money for Anegada? What about our children? How are they going to take part in a sport? We can take part in sport and make money for ourselves at the same time,” said Ras.
At the time of discussing the issue, Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool and a team of Government officials were in Anegada and Virgin Islands News Online put forward the concern to the Minister. “I don’t know if its opposed to a golf course but I know he is right in any community you have to provide recreation and the more organised it is it is better for citizens and so I’ll be chatting with the Minister for Education and Culture. I know he has some ideas for the sister islands, he working on recreational facilities at Virgin Gorda and I know Anegada will be one of his key areas he would want to look at,” Hon Vanterpool replied.
The Minister also noted that he did spend some time looking at the recreational ground during his tour of the island and subsequently speaking to Ras. “He said that he [Ras] had put forward some ideas in the past, obviously if someone get some ideas we would want to review them so I am sure the Minister of Education and Culture will want to take a close look at that because it’s a community, though its small, it has the same needs as any other community, so as a government it is our responsibility to provide those needs.”
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28 Responses to “We don’t want a golf course- Anegada resident”
The brother makes lots of sense in his arguments - give the Anegadians something that they (want and) can control to determine their own destiny, socially, economically and recreationally.
Once you do that for them, then you start to look at things like golf courses.
Take a tea break boss...
1. The island is subject to a LOT of wind. Golfing in high winds is not a greatly desired feature by most golfer's standards. The course would have to be "perfectly" designed to be of any interest to serious golfers. That means BIG BUCKS and the best golf course designers available.
2. Anegada is basically flat and the entire island is subject to major sea blast. The only grass that stands a chance of surviving the harsh conditions on Anegada is paspalum. Paspalum grows naturally along salt water coastlines and has been used successfully at several golf courses such as Winding Bay, Abaco and King's Crossing in Texas. The putting greens are a whole other story and MUCH more difficult to maintain.
3. Where are all these golfers going to stay on Anegada? Surely the minister doesn't think they will be interested in Anegada Reef Resort or other (similar) places! Is the minister talking about building another massive resort ... with few (desirable) transportation options to get there?
4. A very costly (and reliable) irrigation system would be required to keep the grasses alive, not to mention a highly trained greenskeeper and maintenance staff would also be required. Do we have such persons in the BVI or will we have to import them? My guess is the latter. Our people aren't even qualified to be caddies. Good caddies take years and years to train! How many (real) jobs for BV Islanders would such a place provide once the construction is done? What benefits would Anegadians reap from such a resort and Golf Club?
5. This government is always trying to reach for the stars, and there is nothing wrong with that provided the goals are attainable and make sense. Anegada is a fabulous island offering a lot of water sports based opportunities. Why isn't the government trying to grow that side of our tourism sector? Anegada "could" become "THE" international spot for kite surfing ... if it were promoted as such! A resort designed to cater to that particular crowd would be a major hit. Kite surfers are young, active people and many other things could spin off from catering to that crowd. But no, our government wants a golf course instead! WHY?
WHY can't we work with what we have? Build something that is feasible, makes sense and makes use of our natural bounty? At this time, a golf course (anywhere in the BVI) should be way down the list of priorities. Perhaps in 20 to 30 years, but not NOW!
Stop trying to be something we are not! Market our resources properly and build to suit the people our natural gifts attract! With the dollar being as precious as it is right now, it is foolish to do otherwise. MAKE USE OF WHAT WE HAVE BE GIVEN BY GOD!
Who is the owner that wants this golf course? Betcha it's foreigned owned and who knows, Kingdom-er owned.
It's sad that the need for extra tourists far exceeds the need for the full constitutional and genetical potential of the Anegadian-Virgin Islander(B)- people.
Sad indeed!
"Betcha it's foreigned owned and who knows, Kingdom-er owned." So ausar, you see a local owning a golf course? LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course locals can be involved but no golf course or hotel will happen here with out some level of foreign investment and that's simple common sense. This faux nationalism bull will send you all back to eating cane and coconut and chasing it with seawater!