To golf or not to golf, that is the question

When I wrote about the golf course saga (January 23) I was expecting a lot of follow up, which was predictably forthcoming.

I was flabbergasted, however, when I saw an article against the proposed golf course from an organisation called, I believe, and stand to be corrected, the Front Against a New Golf Course! This front included about 15 to 20 organisations, all of which were strongly against a new golf course in Malta. Wow!

What I wish to know is why was there not such a front against other controversial sites, such as the beautiful valley from San Pawl tat-Targa to Salina. This valley is full, and I mean full, of crushing plants, brick works, dumps and contractors' offices and depots. Where was this front when this lot was being put up and is still being put up?

Where was this front when the lovely Birzebbuga bay was destroyed by a power station and then, to add insult to injury, a massive transhipment container depot?

Where was this front when Fort St Elmo was vandalised and destroyed? When the Maghtab dump was first instigated? When the quarries were being operated, blasted and drilled, literally feet away from our most valuable prehistoric temples? When the contractors of the new breakwaters at Cirkewwa were throwing tonnes of rubble and dust into the crystal clear waters and thus ruining forever the most precious dive site we have in the Maltese islands?

Where was this front when shantytowns were built around most of our attractive beaches and bays? I could go on and on.

This front, however, appears very strongly against a project that will guarantee that an area the size of Sliema will never be built on, or turned into dumps, or building depots, or brick factories. An area the size of Sliema that will be a haven for all the wild life and birds to rest and stay in safety. I know that if I were a bird, I would much rather risk my feathers being hit by a golf ball than a hail of lead pellets! Come on; let us be practical and sensible.

I am quoting a part of one of the hundreds of letters I received in support of my article which shows quite dramatically what actually does happen to the environments of a golf course: "One of the courses we played on was the San Lorenzo, which in itself is a bird nature reserve on the Atlantic coast. I don't have to tell you just how beautiful it was walking down fairways surrounded by ducks, swans, geese and scores of the most beautiful birds. We also saw many bird watchers quietly nestled in among the trees and shrubs, cameras and binoculars in hand, happily snapping away at the abundant bird population".

Nobody, including myself, has ever said that a second golf course in Malta and another in Gozo would by themselves bring many more tourists to Malta and solve our tourist problem, but they will, grouped with other upmarket improvements that also need to be done in our islands, give us at least an even chance of bringing these big spending tourists to Malta rather than lose them completely to our competitors.

I would like to say that I probably sympathise with most of the organisations listed in this front against the golf course and their ideals, but we must be practical.

It is better to have a golf course than more of the abominations that have sprung up in the past and the present use of the lands suggested for golf course sites is not bringing the country any substantial income and workers any jobs.

We all wish that Malta was left alone and remained as it was 100 years ago. But Malta 100 years ago only had a few thousand people living on its surface. Today there are 400,000 who need to be fed and employed. It is our obligation to find these people work causing the least disruption to our islands.

The present and the foreseeable future of Malta's wealth and health are in the leisure, service and hospitality industry. Of this there is no doubt. I will repeat. Of this there is no doubt!

Let us be practical and give this island a chance to compete in a very difficult tourist industry, especially as such a proposed golf course development will give us a guarantee that an area of our islands the size of Sliema will remain unbuilt and a badly needed lung created amid the congestion, damage and mess we have allowed to be built in the past.