why not call a golf course in china

Golf courses are heavily taxed in China; as a regional leader, to have golf in your territory increases your tax base. And that is even before corruption enters the equation.

Full Answer

Can you call it a golf course in China?

Rule No. 1 when planning a golf course in China: Don't call it a golf course. Those in golf course design and construction have to play along and weather the occasional crackdown, because these days if they aren't working in China, they probably aren't working much at all.

Why don't Chinese officials play golf?

Because high-ranking Chinese officials know if they get caught on the links, it would be political suicide. China has always had a complicated relationship with golf. Mao banned the game in 1949 when the Communists took power, denouncing it as the "sport for millionaires."

Is there a lot of golf in China?

Golf in China. Golf in China is a growing industry, with numerous golf courses being established, especially in the province of Hainan. There are around 358,000 core players (aged over 18 and play more than 8 rounds a year) among Chinese population, with a growth rate of 7.5%.

When was the first golf course built in China?

The first golf course constructed in China opened 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 province.

Why is golf banned in China?

When did China ban golf?

What would happen if newspapers were to somehow publish photos of China's current president enjoying a round of golf?

Why was Zhao put on house arrest?

What did Zhao's detractors call him?

How many golfers are there in China?

Who was the leader of China in 1987?

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What do you call a golf course in China?

Reuters/David Gray. This is not a “golf course.”

Are golf courses illegal in China?

Despite a ban in 2004 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.

Do they play golf in China?

Its facilities were left to the elements and it wasn't until 1984 that the first Communist-era golf course was built. Since then, China's golfers haven't looked back. Reports in 2012 claim around one million Chinese now play the sport, and over the past few decades hundreds of new courses have been built.

Is it expensive to play golf in China?

As for green fees, they are the highest of any country with Chinese golfers paying on average US$161 to play an 18-hole weekend round, outstripping the average green fee in Dubai of US$152. The report, which surveyed 70 clubs across China, cites three main factors behind the growth in golf: 1.

Did the Chinese invent golf?

Golf originated in China, Ling asserts, and the earliest reference can be traced to the Nantang dynasty, five centuries before the parliamentary act the Scots cite.

Which country is the home of golf?

ScotlandSaint Andrews Links located in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is widely recognized as the “home of golf.” Golf was played upon the Links at St Andrews as far back as the early 15th century. The oldest course at the Saint Andrews Links is known as the Old Course.

Are there many golf courses in China?

There are more than 400 golf courses in China and about 100 are under construction. The majority of golf courses are concentrated in the wealthy or temperate eastern and southern provinces, such as Guangdong, Hainan and Yunnan. Big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen also boast many courses.

Where can you golf in China?

The four best golf courses to play in ChinaSPRING CITY RESORT MOUNTAIN. ... SHANQIN BAY GOLF CLUB. ... MISSION HILLS HAIKOU LAVA FIELDS. ... YANGTZE DUNES AT LANHAI INTERNATIONAL CC.

Are there any Chinese professional golfers?

Zhang Lianwei, China's most successful professional golfer, hit the first tee shot in PGA Tour China history.

Do Russians play golf?

The first mention of golf in Russia dates back to the reign of Nicholas II. The first 18-hole golf course appeared in the suburban area of Nakhabino located near Moscow only in 1994. Today there are 32 golf courses in Russia.

How much does it cost to golf in Shanghai?

The prices are pretty reasonable; weekdays will cost you 888rmb per person for 18 holes, while it's 1,480rmb on weekends.

Does Japan have a lot of golf courses?

As a country, Japan is home to the second most golf courses in the world. With around 2,350 golf courses across the nation, they're only outnumbered by the Golf Mecca that is the U.S.

Are there any Chinese pro golfers?

Li Haotong (Chinese: 李昊桐, born 3 August 1995) is a Chinese professional golfer.

Does Japan have a lot of golf courses?

As a country, Japan is home to the second most golf courses in the world. With around 2,350 golf courses across the nation, they're only outnumbered by the Golf Mecca that is the U.S.

What is a Mongolian Reversal?

All this reminds me of one of my favorite golf terms: the "Mongolian reversal," which, in match play, happens when you semi-miraculously win a hole that your opponent originally looked sure to win.

When was golf banned in China?

The sport was banned up until the middle of the 1980s by the Communist Party of China as being too bourgeois. The first golf course constructed in China opened in 1984. It was the Chung Shan Hot Springs in Zhongshan, based on a design by Arnold Palmer.

How many golfers are there in China?

Golf in China is a growing industry, with numerous golf courses being established, especially in the province of Hainan. There are around 358,000 core players (aged over 18 and play more than 8 rounds a year) among Chinese population, with a growth rate of 7.5%. That figure was 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.

How many people will play golf in 2020?

That figure was 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.

What is the tax on golf clubs?

The government currently imposes a 24 percent tax on golf clubs. In October 2015, the Chinese Communist Party banned all its members from joining golf clubs among other displays of extravagance as part of China's anti-corruption campaign.

When was the first tournament held in China?

The first international tournament held in China was the 1995 World Cup at Mission Hills in Guangdong province. 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.

Who was the first Chinese golfer to win a pro event?

Numerous world-class players have emerged from China, including: Liang Wenchong is one of the top Chinese golfers, and the first to win a top pro event. In 2010, he won the Chengdu Open.

What is the game that the Xuande Emperor played called?

The Xuande Emperor playing a game that looks like golf, called chuiwan. 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 of China as being too bourgeois.

How many golf courses are there in China?

In 1983 there were no golf courses in China. Now there are 310, with hundreds more in the pipeline. Some predictions call for as many as a thousand new courses in the next 10 years, a pace so alarmingly rapid that the government recently imposed a moratorium on construction, in the interest of protecting the nation’s arable land. In modern China, however, where there’s a will-accompanied by sufficient cash-there’s a way, so the course boom has continued virtually unabated.

Who is the golfer who built the course in China?

The course is the work of an American named Joe Obringer, who served an apprenticeship with Jack Nicklaus before heading to the Far East on his own.

Why is Spring City named Spring City?

Spring City derives its name from the year-round spring-like conditions the area enjoys-perfect for golf. There are two courses, the Lake course by Trent Jones Jr. (although the real credit goes to Don Knott, who was then his chief designer and is now on his own) and the Mountain course by Nicklaus (again, with credit to his then associate Lee Schmidt). I suspect the only reason they aren’t ranked among the top 50 or so courses in the world is that not enough raters have been to China.

What is Spring City Hotel?

By evening I was ready for a tour of the Spring City hotel, a contemporary Asian design that takes full advantage of the lake views. Three restaurants serve the full range of local and international cuisine, everything from pickled duck’s feet to pizza, and if you overdo the golf or eating there’s not only a fitness center but also an enormous massage area.

Where is Lijiang in China?

The ancient city of Lijiang is in the Yunnan Province of southwestern China, on the border of Tibet. Sitting at 10,000 feet in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain course (pictured left) is breathtaking, both scenically and literally.

Who designed the golf course in Hong Kong?

Designed in 1985 by Isao Aoki and revamped in 2000 by the Canadian team of Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth, this is the closest course to Hong Kong (just a 10-minute cab ride) and sits in the heart of dynamic Shenzhen with the city skyline in constant, somewhat surreal, view from its rolling fairways.

Is China a communist country?

As the People’s Republic continues its remarkable transition from communism to capitalism, personal wealth is rising just as dramatically as the skylines. The average Chinese citizen enjoys 10 times the purchasing power of a quarter century ago, and the nation will soon have more than a million millionaires. The Chinese are the third largest consumers of luxury brands-from Rolls-Royce to Dom Perignon to Cartier-just behind the U.S. and Japan, but within five years they will be first.

What is the name of the golf course in China?

Pine valley golf club is the first by-invitation-only golf club in China, featuring world class course design, private club space and international standard management team. It offers stunning views of Badaling Great Wall and the surrounding mountains. Pine Valley was the venue for the inaugural Volkswagen Masters and Johnnie Walker Classic.

How many holes are there in the golf course in China?

The golf course is situated at 3100 meters above sea level, and was designed with 18 holes; with par 72 spreading 8,548 yards in length - a new world record.

What is Sheshan International Golf Club?

Sheshan International Golf Club is Shanghai's first and most exclusive private golf club. The club boasts a world-class championship course and clubhouse. Since 2006 the course hosts the annual WGC-HSBC Champions, which is a World Golf Championship event. Asian Golf Monthly 2008 Awards named it the Best Maintained Course in Asia, Best Championship Course in Asia and Best Clubhouse in Asia.

What is Spring City Golf and Lake Resort?

With a stunning lake view and mountain backdrop, Spring City Golf and Lake Resort is a premier integrated golf resort consist s of luxury villas and two championship golf courses (mountain course and lake course).

What is the Scottish golf course?

The large Scottish style golf club is back-dropped by a lush rolling mountain range with trees scattered around. It is surrounded by Dragon Lake. The combination of the picturesque landscape and a golf course fully immersed with the natural environment provides a perfect escape from the city hustle and bustle while allowing you to swing to your heart's content.

What is Mission Hills China?

Designers: 12 world top golf players. Mission Hills China is China's top rated golf and leisure resort, and the world’s largest golf club according to the Guinness World Records in 2004. It is also the host, promoter and underwriter of several major golf tournaments, including the Omega Mission Hills World Cup from 2007 to 2009, ...

Why is golf banned in China?

China has always had a complicated relationship with golf. Mao banned the game in 1949 when the Communists took power, denouncing it as the "sport for millionaires." Even today, those Chinese who have heard of golf likely know it as the "rich man's game," and in China that's precisely what it is. It's a prohibitively expensive pastime (an average round will cost you more than $150) in a country where nearly a billion people live on less than $5 a day. In fact, so ingrained is golf's image as an elitist pursuit, the Chinese Communist Party has been known to send notices to cadres warning them not to play, lest they be labeled corrupt. Some Western journalists even branded golf "green opium," a dangerous import that Chinese leaders believed to be a gateway to further decadence.

When did China ban golf?

China's latest ban on golf development came in 2004, when the government, citing the "blind construction" of courses, issued a moratorium intended to protect "the collective land of the peasants" and curb an out-of-control real estate market. With more than a billion mouths to feed and limited water and arable land, the concerns were obviously valid. But after the ban, the government in effect turned its back and let things grow even more out of control. Over the past decade, no country has built more golf courses than China - not even close.

What would happen if newspapers were to somehow publish photos of China's current president enjoying a round of golf?

When asked what would happen if newspapers were to somehow publish photos of China's current president enjoying a round of golf, one course manager predicted there would be one million new golfers in China the following day. "I think the possibility of that ever happening is zero," Song Liangliang, a spokesman for the China Golf Association, told me. "Photos of Zhao Ziyang caused such public turmoil back then."

Why was Zhao put on house arrest?

Zhao was not your typical Chinese leader, and perhaps that's why he was ousted and sentenced to house arrest not long after taking a sympathetic stance toward the Tiananmen Square student protesters in 1989. Zhao eschewed traditional Mao suits in favor of Western-style jackets and ties. He agreed to appear on the American television news show Meet the Press - downing two beers while on camera during his interview with Tom Brokaw.

What did Zhao's detractors call him?

Zhao's detractors branded these as examples of the "bourgeois liberalizations" he was allowing to pass through China's once airtight seal. Back in 1987, The New York Times had called Zhao the "dapper heir" to reform-minded Deng Xiaoping. In its article, it even noted a photo distributed by the Xinhua News Agency, China's official government media mouthpiece, that "shows [Zhao] on the golf course wearing a white baseball cap and clutching what knowledgeable observers believe is a three-iron."

How many golfers are there in China?

It's difficult to pin down just how many actual golfers there are in China. Estimates range from several hundred thousand to several million, with the true figure likely lying somewhere in the middle. One thing everyone agrees on, however: The number is increasing, which is more than most other places in the world can say.

Who was the leader of China in 1987?

It's been more than a quarter century since a photo of a member of China's ruling class holding a golf club went public. Zhao Ziyang - the country's premier from 1980 to 1987 and general secretary, the Communist Party's highest-ranking official, from 1987 to 1989 - was the only top-level Party official to be relatively open about his golf habit. Zhao could regularly be found teeing it up at Beijing International Golf Club, near the famous Ming Tombs, where thirteen Chinese emperors were buried.

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