In January 2022—close to the peak of the NFT frenzy—LinksDAO sold $10.4 million worth of digital tokens with the stated mission of purchasing a golf course. Just over a year later, amid a very different crypto climate, the project is closing in on that promise.
But the milestone isn’t exactly a validation of blockchain’s unique power. The story is more complicated.
Last week, Links Golf Club (we’ll get to the reason behind the naming distinction shortly) announced that it had entered into an exclusivity agreement to purchase Spey Bay Golf Club along Scotland’s northern coast for roughly $1 million.
The club isn’t done shopping. Executives are evaluating more than two dozen U.S. courses as they eye future buys, hoping to scoop up 10 tracks by 2030.
Links is also planning to expand its membership for the first time since launching, notably doing so without NFTs this time around—hence the new Links Golf Club brand.
“Not everyone is into Web3,” Links CEO Jim Daily said in an interview. “To really have our vision of being…