One more revolution - Cubs's first pro golf tournament since the revolution

Golf Digest, Jan, 2000 by Thomas L. Friedman

Cuba's economic decline is also due to Castro's insistence, for reasons of political control, on holding to his idiotic Communist ideology and opening Cuba to the free market only a tiny crack. Communism, as they say, may be great for making missiles and tractors, but it's terrible at breakfast, lunch and dinner--let alone par 3s, par 4s and par 5s.

So, despite Cuba's plans, it may not get much better golf than Varadero for a while. By the way, green fees at Varadero are $60, plus $10 for a caddie or $25 for a cart. The clubhouse is the beautifully restored, Spanish-style, 1930-intage Du Pont estate mansion, and at the 19th hole the waiter recommends for lunch, well, you guessed it, "The Du Pont Sandwich"--a ham, cheese and tomato combo. Somehow, I never thought I'd live long enough to see Castro's Cuba offering the Du Pont Sandwich. Imagine what they'll be offering here . . . with just one more revolution.

Thomas L. Friedman is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign-affairs columnist for The New York Times and author of The Lexus and the Olive Tree. This is his first article for Golf Digest.

RELATED ARTICLE: If you go: Travel restrictions

Travel restrictions for U.S. citizens hoping to visit Cuba were first imposed in 1963. Unless you are a journalist, academic researcher, government official or traveling with a "hardship" exception (such as visiting a family member who is ill), you are not allowed to spend money on the island. Those who violate the monetary restriction--in essence, a travel ban--are subject to up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 criminal fine and a $55,000 civil penalty.

U.S. citizens have illegally skirted the travel restrictions by traveling through a "third" country such as Mexico, Canada or the Bahamas. (The travelers book tickets to the third country and then get separate tickets to Cuba.)

Cuba does not stamp U.S. passports. Instead, a separate visa is issued, which the travelers throw away before entering the U.S. On the return to the U.S. through Customs, the travelers say they have been in the third country but do not mention Cuba.