golf in the bahamas
Bahama Islands News, Articles and Information
Venezuela oil deal lost in "uncharted waters"
One year after 13 Caribbean countries signed a deal with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to buy oil under preferential terms, more than half of them have not received a single drop of fuel, while those that have are still paying high prices at the pump.Cash-strapped Caribbean countries have welcomed the pact known as Petrocaribe as a way to counter soaring oil prices, but eight nations say they haven't gotten fuel shipments yet, largely because they're figuring out how to handle them.
The program has bogged down because many governments don't have state-owned docking or storage facilities, or the know-how of running an oil business - a task they previously left to private companies.
While Chavez's critics say he is using "oil diplomacy" to build anti-U.S. political alliances, many Caribbean leaders say they believe the program will be genuinely helpful and are determined to take advantage of it.
The good and the bad
There are some very happy residents of South Abaco today, the more than 120 people who work in various capacities at the Baker's Bay development on Guana Cay. The Court of Appeal's dismissal of the Save Guana Cay Reef Association's application means that work will resume on the $500 million development, which should substantially make available more employment opportunities for all the people of Abaco.And then there are some not so happy South Abaconians, the residents of Guana Cay and members of the Association, who say the development, with its attendant golf course and marina, will destroy their way of life as it will kill the lush coral reef offshore and therefore the breeding grounds for future generations of fish and other marine animals.
The Save Guana Cay Reef Association is also upset with the central government for leasing more than 100 acres of crown land and treasury land, without the approval of the local government, to help the Discovery Land Company build Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club.
Golfers looking to tee off at national champs
Local golfers are fine-tuning their games for this year's Bahamas Golf Federation Prime Minister's Cup Cham-pionships & National Ama-teur Championships.The two-in-one tournament will also serve as qualifiers for the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in August at the Caymanas Golf Course in Kingston, Jamaica. According to BGF President Agatha Delancey, although the national team has already been picked the BGF is still looking to fill a few open spots.
The BGF Nationals, which is a four-day event, is scheduled for July 7-10, at the Our Lucaya Golf Course & the Our Lucaya 'Reef' Golf Cou-rse in Freeport, Grand Baha-ma. "The winners from each category will automatically make the team that's traveling to Jamaica for the CAGC," Delancy informed.
The Prime Minister's Amat-eur Cup will be held over two days, July 9-10.