The art of using golf courses

Personally I will never understand the obsession property developers have here with golf courses. It seems a golf course comes as standard on every single new development, no matter how big or small, low income or high income the project is.
Take Emaar's latest attempt to enter the Saudi real estate market, the King Abdullah Economic City. The press releases are peppered with the same overused words - luxurious, exclusive, etc - and there you have it, an "international-class signature 18-hole golf course".

It isn't just Emaar that loves golf courses, Nakheel shares the same fascination of building them on its developments. Well actually, I should have said they like selling homes on golf courses, then cancelling the golf course when said houses have been sold and building more houses on top, which is exactly what they did with Jumeirah Islands.

Doesn't it just render you speechless?