Does Crackdown mean the end of golf in China?
Does Crackdown mean the end of golf in China?
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In the last decade, golf in China grew in leaps and bounds. Golf course development had never been greater, and multi-course resorts were common. But the Chinese government has decided that all this wealth and growth can also lead to greed and corruption, and so has decided to stop it all. Does this mean the end of golf in China? Read on as Luke Kerr-Dineen writing for USA Today brings us the news!
Golf Creates Corruption.
The Chinese government has long depicted golf as a rather evil temptation that can lead Communist party officials astray. Current President Xi Jinping's position on golf is that it leads to corruption because it is a tool that businessmen use to hook officials.
In late March, Jinping closed down 66 golf courses, declaring that they were illegally constructed. The government declared that the courses were build in violation of a ban intended to protect China's limited supplies of water and arable land. In my opinion, this is highly doubtful, given the amount of red tape each project has to comply with before the course is allowed to be built.
It's really all about fear of corruption and bribery within the Communist party which, over time, could topple the power of the government and its leaders. People in China View golf as a Capitalist pastime and a sport for millionaires. Jinping's government has a hotline set up for reporting civil servants who bet on golf, play with people related to one's work, or hold positions on golf club boards. The government forbids party officials to golf during work hours “to prevent unclean behavior and disciplinary or illegal conduct.”
Golf Academies continue to open.
But contradictions abound with the crack-down. The game's rise is such that there are now more than 600 courses in China, built mostly in the last decade. China's future Olympic golf stars are already thrilling fans. For example: Huang Wenyi, led on the first day of the Shenzhen International, a European Tour event held in China this month.
Golf academies continue to open. With parents and coaches drilling their students to be the best, as the Chinese do with all sport endeavors. Tiger Woods is currently in China giving clinics to spark local interest in the game and to inspire athletes.
What a “muddled, contradictory policy” says Luke Kerr-Dineen for USA Today. AGREED!
Shanghai (China) - Lujiazui Golf Club
China’s relationship with golf has been a fascinatingly strange one for a while. When Mao Zedong took control in 1949 as the country’s communist leader, he immediately started denouncing it as a “sport for millionaires.” Golf continued with that reputation even after Mao was out of power. And the ban on the sport is still technically still in effect in the country.
During the Masters this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a systematic crackdown on high-ranking officials playing golf. And forcibly closed 10 percent of the country’s golf courses.
Read more at http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/why-is-tiger-woods-going-to-china-when-the-government-has-banned-golf.
Source: USA Today Luke Kerr-Dineen Mel Sole Golf School
Pictures : Andy Wong (AP) Marc van der Chijs
Thanks for reading - Does Crackdown mean the end of golf in China? I hope this is not the case. Good golfers are just starting to emerge out of China!
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