Took a run out to La Reunion today with the two abuelos.  It’s a golf resort.  Look it up.  Very beautiful.

Located at the base of several volcanoes, it is about 25 kms from Antigua on a nicely paved road (after a few miles of filling-remover track to get to it.  I swear: if you have loose follicles when you arrive in Antigua, you’ll be bald by the time you leave!).  Of course there are the usual stretches of rubble-strewn, dirt-and-mud sections but, for the most part, it is an easy drive.  Well, the last kilometer is a smidge ‘uncomfortable’  as it is a winding, cobble-stone, picturesque lane that is steep and  curvy as it wends its way up the base of one of the volcanoes to the clubhouse and hotel.  Again with the bobble-head.

La Reunion is gorgeous.  Absolutely what a foreign ‘dream’ golf resort should be except, maybe, for the country it is in.  The temperature is perfect.  The views are perfect.  And even the golf course – a Pete Dye design – is absolutely stunning.  It is also empty.  Reasons……….?  Well they are myriad but, for starters, it is too far from anything else.

La Reunion is one of those ‘destination resorts’ that is not really destination enough.  Plus it comes with a huge price tag.  Golf is $150.00 a round.  Rooms $350/night.   We sat on the terrace taking in the view while a golf widow knitted on the lounge next to us.  Boredom writ large all over her too-rich-to-move face.

I asked the sales rep (yes, I am a glutton for punishment), “So, how is it going?  Lots of sales?  Seems a bit quiet right now. Lovely, tho, really.  But not a lot of cashflow, I am sure.  How much does it cost to buy a unit?  And how many people live here right now?” 

“Yes, signor, it is quiet.  Economy very bad.  We have ten residents right now but the plan is to have hundreds of units filled.  Someday.  Maybe.  I hope.”

Ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.

La Reunion must have over 150 employees just to ‘operate’.  What it took to build is anyone’s guess………a bazillion?  It covers ten times the area a normal golf resort covers……….I am guessing 2000 acres.

There are lot of these ‘five star’ jewels around the world and not enough 5 star wallets to support them.  I wonder what will happen?  What now, Dubai?

I was gonna offer to be a marketing consultant but I don’t wanna do it, can’t likely do a good job, nor do I think they would like my plan…………

“Signor, this is what you have to do.  First get China Air to fly direct from Beijng into Guat City.  By way of Tokyo and Seoul.  Jam the planes full of Asian golfers and bring ’em in by the 747 load.  These cultures do ‘resort tour packages’ in a big way.  ‘ Specially golf.  Plus they have the money.  Let the gringos dribble in.  There might be some.  Someday. In the meantime, follow the money.  It’s in China.” 

Yeah, I know what you are thinking……...”Geez, Dave, did you once earn a living with ideas like that?”