Drive half an hour northwest from Portland, Oregon and you’ll find yourself in North Plains — a small city, home to a few thousand residents. This month, however, it’s going to be on the map for another reason. It’s where Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club is located; that, in turn, is a forthcoming stop on the controversial LIV Golf tour.
What does it mean to be the site of a sporting event that, by its very existence, is both high-profile and the subject of much debate? Writing at The Washington Post, Molly Hensley-Clancy looked at the upcoming event’s impact on the city.
The article quotes several members of Pumpkin Ridge’s board of directors who were upset at the club’s owner — Escalante Golf — for deciding to work with the tournament. One anonymous board member addressed one of the most egregious aspects of the Saudi Arabian government’s human rights record.
“To me, the [Jamal] Khashoggi thing is extremely troubling,” the board member told the Post. “On principle, I could never support it for that reason.”
Hensley-Clancy noted that over a dozen members of the club have resigned their memberships as a result of the event. The article describes a region divided over the event — some are intrigued by the prospect of being at the center of the golfing world for a time, while others are unnerved by the cost. It’s a debate that’s unlikely to subside any time soon.
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