Crackdown on Golf in China

[Sweep]

According to this weeks Global Golf Post, sent out electronically by howdidido, 66 "illegal" golf courses have been shut down in China, seemingly enforcing a ban that came in in 2004, which has been largely ignored.
It seems that the communist ruling party has a bit of a downer on golf and in particular it's association with wealth. Communist officials are forbidden from joining a golf club and face punishment if they engage in any of nine golf related activities, including joining a golf club.
As an avid golfer this doesn't sit well with me and I am sure many who share this forum. My initial thought is to question why the European Tour seems so keen on taking so many tournaments to China when the game is facing sanctions there. following this news I hope and trust the European Tour will be urgently reviewing its schedule.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

How does a gold course become illegal ?

There is only one reason why the ET and WGC goes to China - money - they pay a lot of money to get the comps there - despite there being no crowds watching.

 

[Sweep]

Here is a link to the article
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/china-closes-66-illegal-golf-courses-032913376--golf.html

Apparently Tiger is being paid $16.5 million to redesign a course in Beijing

 

[CMAC]

Here is a link to the article
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/china-closes-66-illegal-golf-courses-032913376--golf.html

Apparently Tiger is being paid $16.5 million to redesign a course in Beijing

with lots of space on the right :thup:

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Here is a link to the article
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/china-closes-66-illegal-golf-courses-032913376--golf.html

Apparently Tiger is being paid $16.5 million to redesign a course in Beijing

The rough will be short with wide fairways


Thats a ridiculous amount of money - has he ever designed one before ?

 

[Slab]

I'm in two minds

Even if the UK if you build something without planning permission (which appears to be the case with these) then it'll come down, so closing them should deter other unplanned courses getting built (although I don't understand why they waited 10 yrs) & even as a golf nut I realise you cant just throw up a range or course without permission

On the other hand golf does seem to be viewed as an undesirable thing to do in certain quarters and they shouldn't make the decision to close courses based on that position

 

[Ethan]

China throws a moody against aspects of Western Capitalism from time to time. This is presumably one of them. Someone must not have paid someone else enough under the table for something.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It seems perverse to want the tour to visit their shores and then shut down illegal courses. The article makes reference to officials playing as well so it seems strange that they play the game and then suddenly decide it's an illegal course. Personally I wouldn't want the tour to go there as I think there is way too much corruption (let alone their human rights record). Whether Woods build it or not remains to be seen especially in light of these closures

 

[Sweep]

I'm in two minds

Even if the UK if you build something without planning permission (which appears to be the case with these) then it'll come down, so closing them should deter other unplanned courses getting built (although I don't understand why they waited 10 yrs) & even as a golf nut I realise you cant just throw up a range or course without permission

On the other hand golf does seem to be viewed as an undesirable thing to do in certain quarters and they shouldn't make the decision to close courses based on that position

I don't think it is a case of planning permission, more a complete ban on golf course building because golf is bad.
My Chinese friends tell me that officials have started to remove their luxury watches when they appear on TV for fear of being seen as corrupt, so the ban on officials displaying wealth goes further than playing golf.
It just seems hypocritical to me that they place sanctions on the game of golf because it insinuates wealth, but they are quite happy and indeed keen for the tours to go there, because it brings so much money to the country.
A ridiculous situation when many countries around the world who embrace and love the game of golf would love to host as many tour events as China, the UK included.
Indeed, as the game of golf is so bad, I am quite sure the Chinese government won't mind in the slightest when all the golf OEM's close down their factories there.

 

[pbrown7582]

I read an article about the possible clamp down around 12 months ago. The ban has always been there but local councils ignored for a while as they were "parks" obvious the high office has had a change heart over the blind eye turning.