There’s no such thing as free golf

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There’s no such thing as free golf

Published: 21 Nov. 2024, 19:02

Kim Hyun-ki
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

President-elect Donald Trump was elated to see former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fly over to congratulate him personally within days of his surprising win in the 2016 U.S. presidential election — and even more happy about Abe’s personal gift, a $3,755 golden golf club. Trump immediately pulled the driver out of the box and took a swing.

In the elevator of Trump Tower as he saw the Japanese visitors off, Trump asked Abe what his golf handicap was. “I’m an 18 (a score of 90),” Abe answered before asking Trump his best score. “66,” he responded. “Next time, let’s definitely play together — Palm Beach, Doral [both in Miami] or even Turnberry [in Scotland].” The beginning of a “bromance” between the two leaders through golf was shared by Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who was present during Abe’s visit to Trump Tower on Nov. 17, 2016.

In another episode of “golf bonding” shared by Abe himself, he recounted, “I was more nervous during the tee shot on the first hole of my first round with Trump than at any other time. But it turned out to be the best shot of my life — 230 yards straight down the fairway. I lost to Trump with a score of 90, but it was the best round I’ve ever played. Playing one round of golf with Trump was far more effective in building a personal relationship with him than having 20 dinners.”

Abe continued, “Trump swings his driver and woods with sheer power, sending the ball to incredible distances. I teed off from the white tee and he played farther behind at a gold tee. What was more impressive was his putting skills. It was phenomenal. He would always hit the ball past the hole, saying, ‘That’s how I live my life.’ His aggressive personality and golf style were exactly the same. It helped me understand him better.”

Golf diplomacy, however, mostly came with expensive strings attached. Two weeks before their first round on Jan. 28, 2017, Trump called Abe. “The temperature in Washington has dropped below freezing points. Nobody plays golf in this weather,” Trump said. For a fleeting moment, Abe thought the idea of golfing could have come out of just formality, according to an account in “The Child of Destiny” by Yoichi Funabashi, a renowned Japanese journalist. But Trump went on to say, ”But don’t worry. I have better golf courses in the southern United States! That aside, Toyota is reportedly planning to invest $1 billion to build a factory in Mexico to produce cars for the U.S. market. Could you convince Mr. Toyota to redirect that investment to America?”

Six days later, Abe privately met the president of Toyota. Shortly afterwards, Toyota announced a $10 billion project in the United States across five years — ten times bigger than the planned investment in Mexico. A joint statement after a summit on Feb. 10 included a line that Japanese companies would “create 1 million jobs in the United States.” Playing golf with Trump had not been free. But Abe willingly paid the price. Perhaps he could have thought it was a cost Japan eventually had to shoulder, with or without golf.

Currently, the climate for Korea-U.S.-Japan relations is cloudy. First of all, Trump should be won over at the early stage to sustain an alliance of value. Leaders of Seoul and Tokyo failed to book an early date for a meeting with President-elect Trump. Unlike outgoing President Joe Biden, Trump is not someone who would nag Tokyo to improve its relations with Seoul.

Moreover, Trump is hard to predict. After negotiations on a nuclear deal collapsed in Hanoi in 2019, Trump surprisingly offered North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a flight back home on Air Force One, remembering it had taken Kim a multi-day ride through China into Hanoi. “I can get you home in two hours if you want,” Trump said. Tokyo would be feeling as nervous as Seoul in readying a tee-up for Trump 2.0. Current Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba — neither with a strong political base nor high approval rating — apparently lacks the courting skills or agility to deal with Trump. Abe’s closeness with Trump partly could have helped stop Trump from pulling U.S. troops out of South Korea. But Abe is not here. Korea is in a sadder state. Trump’s feeling of distance with Korea on top of Korea’s distrust of Trump portends major clashes.

One more word on golf diplomacy. Practicing and readiness are important. But that can be done after a date for a round is set. Abe became closer with Trump after some humiliating shots, including a pitfall into a sand bunker. Golf should be just a plus. What really matters are the trade-offs and how they happen. Korea Inc. is in desperate straits. The government must hurry to draw up an effective plan, as there’s no such thing as free golf in the real world.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.