Many on the business side of golf are convinced that China is the next big place for expansion of the game. A steady stream of American golf course operators, architects and contractors pouring into the world’s most populous country are testimony to the ongoing Chinese golf boom. Jack Nicklaus’ design company alone reportedly has more than 20 courses in development there.
It was just 25 years ago when the country’s first modern golf course opened in Guangdong province. Now there are about 500 golf clubs and the number is growing at a rate of about 30 percent a year. A recent study commissioned by the Mission Hills Group, which operates the 12-course Mission Hills complex on the mainland near Hong Kong, cited a Chinese Golf Association estimate that as many as 5 million people play golf in China. By way of comparison, there are about 18,000 golf courses and 26 million players in the U.S.
But the course-building has gone on despite, not because of, a decided coolness from the ruling Communist government. And no matter how much time, money and effort savvy Chinese golf supporters such as Mission Hills developer Dr. David Chu put into promoting golf, the game will never take off until they can get the kind of backing that other sports receive from the ruling powers.
The recent decision to include golf as an Olympic sport starting in 2016 is expected to boost the sport’s profile, but the key element in fueling a true Chinese boom will be the emergence of affordable, public courses. Right now, almost all courses are privately owned clubs that are expensive (average initiation fees are about $53,000 and greens fees average more than $160 per round).
What sort of an impact do you think the developing Chinese market will have on the golf industry worldwide? Do you think a golf boom in that country will be healthy for U.S.-based product and service providers? How can a golf boom in China benefit the industry here in the U.S.? We would like to know how you view the growth of golf in China and other emerging markets. Let us know what you think.