Golf in China
Encyclopedia
Golf in China is a growing industry, with numerous golf
courses
being established, especially in the province of Hainan
. It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 people in China
who play the game. That figure is projected to grow to about 20 million by 2020. For the general public, golf is considered to be prohibitively expensive. However, it is seen as the top recreational sport for businesspeople and officials.
Despite a ban that limits the number of golf courses in China due to environmental impact concerns, the number has more than tripled since 2004. At that time, only 170 courses existed. By 2009 there were almost 600. The current growth rate of the golf industry is 25 to 30 percent per year.
The sport attracts both foreign investment and overseas golfers, who come from such countries as South Korea, Australia, and Japan for the relatively inexpensive fees.
China holds such tournaments as the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai
, TCL Classic
on Hainan
Island, the Volvo China Open
and the BMW Asian Open
.
Among the country's most successful golfers are Zhang Lian-wei
and Liang Wen-Chong
.
At the 2007 National People's Congress
, acknowledging that the construction of new golf courses is not only a waste of public money, but also an illegal use of space, Premier Wen Jiabao
said to the Congress that contracts in building new golf courses should be highly discouraged. The government currently imposes a 24 percent tax on golf clubs.
Chuiwan
, a stick and ball game with some similarities to golf was played in China as early as 1000 AD, with evidence existing from the Song Dynasty
.
The sport was banned up until the middle of the 1980s by the communist party as being too bourgeois.
The first golf course constructed in China opened in in 1984. It was the Chung Shan Hot Springs in Zhongshan
, based on a design by Arnold Palmer
.
The first international tournament held in China was the 1995 World Cup at Mission Hills in Guangdong.
China's first regularly scheduled tournament was the 2004 BMW Asian Open. In 2005, the Volvo China Open was held in China, followed by the HSBC Champions in 2006.
is played, the initiation fee is $230,000.
near Shenzhen has 12 courses, making it the world's largest golfing complex.
is exempt from the nationwide ban on the creation of new golf courses. In the province, the leader in course construction is Mission Hills, having created 10 courses.
is a multi-billion-dollar project. This 80 km² complex (1.5 times the size of Manhattan), opened in 2011, will contain 22 golf courses and luxury hotels when fully built out. It will be one of the largest golf complexes in the world. The resort will become the host of the World Cup starting in 2011.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
being established, especially in the province of Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
. It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 people in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
who play the game. That figure is projected to grow to about 20 million by 2020. For the general public, golf is considered to be prohibitively expensive. However, it is seen as the top recreational sport for businesspeople and officials.
Despite a ban that limits the number of golf courses in China due to environmental impact concerns, the number has more than tripled since 2004. At that time, only 170 courses existed. By 2009 there were almost 600. The current growth rate of the golf industry is 25 to 30 percent per year.
The sport attracts both foreign investment and overseas golfers, who come from such countries as South Korea, Australia, and Japan for the relatively inexpensive fees.
China holds such tournaments as the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, TCL Classic
TCL Classic
The TCL Classic was a men's professional golf tournament which was played on a course designed by American Robert Trent Jones, Jr. at Yalong Bay Golf Club in Sanya on Hainan Island, People's Republic of China four times between 2002 and 2007....
on Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
Island, the Volvo China Open
Volvo China Open
The Volvo China Open is a men's golf tournament that has been held annually in China since 1995. The event is organised by the China Golf Association and has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour since 2003....
and the BMW Asian Open
BMW Asian Open
The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular....
.
Among the country's most successful golfers are Zhang Lian-wei
Zhang Lian-Wei
Zhang Lian-wei is a Chinese professional golfer.Zhang was the first golfer from the People's Republic of China to achieve substantial success on the international professional circuit...
and Liang Wen-Chong
Liang Wen-Chong
Liang Wen-Chong is a Chinese professional golfer. He is the highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China and the only Chinese golfer in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has succeeded his mentor Zhang Lian-wei as the top Chinese player.Liang plays on the Asian Tour, ...
.
At the 2007 National People's Congress
2007 National People's Congress
The 5th Plenary Session of the 10th National People's Congress held its annual meeting from March 5 to March 15, 2007 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, in conjunction with the 2007 CPPCC. Many items were listed on the agenda for the two-week-long session of the National People's...
, acknowledging that the construction of new golf courses is not only a waste of public money, but also an illegal use of space, Premier Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
said to the Congress that contracts in building new golf courses should be highly discouraged. The government currently imposes a 24 percent tax on golf clubs.
History
Chuiwan
Chuiwan was a game in ancient China. Its rules resemble modern golf.The book Dongxuan lu , written by Wei Tai of the Song Dynasty, describes how a southern Tang official teaches his daughter how to dig goals in the ground and drive a ball into them...
, a stick and ball game with some similarities to golf was played in China as early as 1000 AD, with evidence existing from the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.
The sport was banned up until the middle of the 1980s by the communist party as being too bourgeois.
The first golf course constructed in China opened in in 1984. It was the Chung Shan Hot Springs in Zhongshan
Zhongshan
Zhongshan , also spelled Chungshan and historically known as Xiangshan or Siangshan, is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province in southern China. Zhongshan, one of the few cities in China with an eponymous name, is named after Dr. Sun Yat-sen who was...
, based on a design by Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
.
The first international tournament held in China was the 1995 World Cup at Mission Hills in Guangdong.
China's first regularly scheduled tournament was the 2004 BMW Asian Open. In 2005, the Volvo China Open was held in China, followed by the HSBC Champions in 2006.
Customer costs
Green fees and memberships in China are often expensive relative to developed nations. Average green fees for non-members are usually at least $100 USD, and often far more expensive. For example, at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, home to the BMW Asian Open on the European Tour, the initiation fee $170,000 with $1,800 a year dues. Condos sell for $22 million. The green fee for guest golfers is $125 plus caddie on weekdays, and $180 plus caddie on weekends. At that particular club, however, out of the 700 members, 300 are from overseas. At Shanghai's Sheshan International Golf Club where such tournaments as the HSBC ChampionsHSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,...
is played, the initiation fee is $230,000.
Clubs and courses
There are currently about 500 golf courses in the country, the first of which was constructed in 1984. Mission Hills is one of the leading firms, owning courses around the country. Its Mission Hills Golf ClubMission Hills Golf Club
Mission Hills Shenzhen is a twelve course 18-hole course golf resort, located in the town of Guanlan in Shenzhen, between the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan. It is accredited as the world's largest golf facility by the Guinness World Records in 2004, surpassing the Pinehurst Resort in the United...
near Shenzhen has 12 courses, making it the world's largest golfing complex.
| Club or Course name | Province | Year opened | Holes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Golf Club | Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
1889 | 63 | |
| Mission Hills Shenzhen Mission Hills Golf Club Mission Hills Shenzhen is a twelve course 18-hole course golf resort, located in the town of Guanlan in Shenzhen, between the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan. It is accredited as the world's largest golf facility by the Guinness World Records in 2004, surpassing the Pinehurst Resort in the United... |
Shenzhen Shenzhen Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones... |
1992 | 216 | With twelve courses, it was the world's largest golf facility in 2004 |
| Mission Hills Haikou Mission Hills Haikou Mission Hills Haikou is a golf complex currently under construction in Hainan, China. At 80sq km and containing 22 golf courses and luxury hotels, it will be the second largest golf complex in the world... |
Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... |
180 | When fully built out, the resort will have 22 courses (396 holes). | |
| Sheshan Golf Club Sheshan Golf Club Sheshan Golf Club is a golf course located west of Shanghai, China.The course was designed by Nelson & Haworth Design, it plays to a par of 72 and measures 7,143 yards .... |
Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... |
|||
| Yalong Bay Golf Club | Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... |
|||
| Caesars Macau Caesars Macau Caesars Golf Macau is a golf course in Macau, China owned by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Formerly known as the Orient Golf Club, Harrah's purchased the property during the casino boom in 1997. Harrah's later renamed it Caesars Golf..... |
Macau Macau Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China... |
Owned by Caesars Entertainment Corporation |
Competitions and tournaments
| Tournament | Established | Final year | Prize fund | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega Mission Hills World Cup | 1953 | US$7,500,000 | First held in China in 1995; China became the regular host in 2007 2007 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup The 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 22 to November 25 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 53rd World Cup. 28 countries competed and each country sent two players. The team purse is $5,000,000 with $1,600,000 going to the winner. The individual purse... . |
|
| Beijing Open Beijing Open The Pine Valley Beijing Open was a men's professional golf tournament, played in 2007 and 2008. It was held at Pine Valley Golf Club in Beijing, China.... |
2007 | 2008 | 1,200,000 | |
| BMW Asian Open BMW Asian Open The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular.... |
2001 | 2008 | $2,300,000 | |
| Grand China Air LPGA Grand China Air LPGA The Grand China Air LPGA was a golf tournament on the American LPGA Tour and was the first LPGA event to be played in China. The event was played in Haikou, China... |
2007 | 2008 | $1,800,000 | |
| Luxehills Chengdu Open Luxehills Chengdu Open The Luxehills Chengdu Open is a professional golf tournament held in China. It was first played in 2008 at the Luxehills International Country Club in Chengdu. The tournament was originally part of the Omega China Tour schedule, before joining the OneAsia Tour for its second season in 2010.-Winners:... |
2008 | US$1,000,000 | ||
| Midea China Classic Midea China Classic The Midea China Classic is a professional golf tournament held in China. It was first played in 2007 at the Royal Orchid International Golf Club in Guangzhou. The tournament was originally part of the Asian Tour schedule, but became part of the rival OneAsia Tour for its inaugural season in... |
2007 | US$1,000,000 | ||
| Mission Hills Star Trophy Mission Hills Star Trophy The Mission Hills Star Trophy is an annual, pro-celebrity golf tournament held in Hainan, China.It has the largest individual prize purse of any golf tournament in Asia Pacific.-2010 inaugural tournament:... |
2010 | $1,200,000 | ||
| Qingdao Golf Open Qingdao Golf Open The Qingdao Golf Open was a golf tournament on the Challenge Tour, played in China. It was held in 2008 at the Qingdao Huashan Golf & Resort, in Qingdao.With a prize fund of US$500,000 it was one of the richest events on the Challenge Tour.-Winners:... |
2008 | 2008 | US$500,000 | |
| Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open The Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open is a professional golf tournament on the Ladies European Tour and Ladies Asian Golf Tour.The first Ladies European Tour event to be held in China, the tournament was founded in 2008, and is played at the Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club in Shanghai... |
2008 | €200,000 | ||
| TCL Classic TCL Classic The TCL Classic was a men's professional golf tournament which was played on a course designed by American Robert Trent Jones, Jr. at Yalong Bay Golf Club in Sanya on Hainan Island, People's Republic of China four times between 2002 and 2007.... |
2002 | 2007 | $1,000,000 | |
| Volkswagen Masters-China Volkswagen Masters-China The Volkswagen Masters-China was an event that was played on the Asian Tour from 2004 to 2006. It was played in Beijing, China. The purse was $300,000. The only multiple winner of the event was Retief Goosen, who won the event back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.... |
2004 | 2006 | $300,000 | |
| Volvo China Open Volvo China Open The Volvo China Open is a men's golf tournament that has been held annually in China since 1995. The event is organised by the China Golf Association and has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour since 2003.... |
1995 | RMB20,000,000 | ||
| WGC-HSBC Champions | 2005 | US$7,000,000 |
Players
Numerous world-class players have emerged from China, including:- Liang Wen-ChongLiang Wen-ChongLiang Wen-Chong is a Chinese professional golfer. He is the highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China and the only Chinese golfer in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has succeeded his mentor Zhang Lian-wei as the top Chinese player.Liang plays on the Asian Tour, ...
is one of the top Chinese golfers, and the first to win a top pro event. In 2010, he won the Chengdu Open. - Shanshan Feng
- Christopher TsuiChristopher TsuiChristopher Tsui is a businessman and a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse owner. Educated in Paris and London, he graduated in 2008 from Cass Business School with a Masters in Management. He is also an accomplished professional golfer who qualified to play on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour...
- Li ChaoLi Chao (golfer)Li Chao is a Chinese professional golfer.Li turned professional in 2003. He has played mainly on the Omega China Tour, winning several tournaments and the Order of Merit in 2005 and 2007. He has also played on the Asian Tour...
- Zhang Lianwei
Hainan
HainanHainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
is exempt from the nationwide ban on the creation of new golf courses. In the province, the leader in course construction is Mission Hills, having created 10 courses.
Mission Hills Haikou golf complex
Under construction since 2006, the Mission Hills HaikouMission Hills Haikou
Mission Hills Haikou is a golf complex currently under construction in Hainan, China. At 80sq km and containing 22 golf courses and luxury hotels, it will be the second largest golf complex in the world...
is a multi-billion-dollar project. This 80 km² complex (1.5 times the size of Manhattan), opened in 2011, will contain 22 golf courses and luxury hotels when fully built out. It will be one of the largest golf complexes in the world. The resort will become the host of the World Cup starting in 2011.