Ah, the inscrutable Oriental!

The New York Times today reports on an effort by a Chinese billionaire, formerly a highly-placed Communist government official, to develop a luxury golf resort on what is now a sheep farm in Grimsstadir, Iceland.  The speculation by Icelanders is that the investment is designed to give the Chinese a strategic foothold in Iceland, which will lie near the northern passage over the Arctic Circle once the Chinese and U.S. economies get finished melting the polar cap by burning fossil fuels at ever increasing rates.  Making lemonade out of lemons.

Here is where Grimsstadir is located:

Grimsstadir holds the distinction of having the lowest recorded temperature in Iceland's history -37.9 degrees C, -36.22 degrees F. 

On the other hand, from mid-April to August you have enough daylight to get in four or five rounds per day if you are driven.


I guess it makes sense that once the northern passage opens up, Canadian tar sands oil can be loaded onto super-tankers and go directly to Chinese refineries!

Anyway, golf in Grimsstadir in the summer seems to make about as much sense as soccer in Denver in mid-March, where yesterday the U.S. and Costa Rica played a World Cup qualifier in a blizzard.  The U.S. won 1-0 on a Clint Dempsey goal in the 16th minute.