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Golf
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Golf, China Swings - and misses
Asia Times On-line - The golf bug has bitten China in a big
way, but despite its popularity, exorbitant green fees exclude lower-income
players from taking to the fairways. That hasn't stopped rampant construction of
new courses, however, and with more than it needs, and many more than it can
financially support, the dollars China hoped to rake in from its courses have,
instead, been buried in an increasing number of financial sand traps. Golf in
China just isn't up to par.
Norman One Back in China
TheGolfChannel.com, USA - Simon
Dyson carded a 6-under-par 66 Thursday to take the lead after the
first round of the BMW Asian Open. The tournament marks the European
Tour's first-ever tournament in China. Korean K.J. Choi and The Shark,
Greg Norman, are among four players tied for second place at
5-under-par 67. They are joined there by American Gregory Hanrahan and
Prayad Marksaeng from Thailand...
China's Golfing Expansion Attracts European PGA Tour,
Carmakers Bloombery.com,
USA (Bloomberg) -- Before Shanghai joins the Formula One circuit
in September, the city is hosting another sporting debut: the first
European Tour golf event in mainland China.
China Golf Trip
Different from golf-links in the warm
southern China, golf courses in northern China are just awaking in early
April. Golf in Beijing is a seasonable outdoors sport. Late April means
the beginning of the sport, which has been only available for the rich.
Beijing golf destinations
All the golf clubs in suburban Beijing
open in late April when the courses become green. Among the 20
golf-links opened so far in Beijing, most of them have suffered
financial problems that they had to lower the price to attract more
players.
Generally, a one-day golf play in any of these golf-courses costs no
more than 300 yuan (US$36), far cheaper than the 800 yuan (US$96)
several years ago. Usually the entrance fee ranges from 15 yuan (US$1.8)
to 20 yuan (US$2.5) per person.
Renting Golf clubs are 20 yuan (US$2.5) each. Golf balls are 30 yuan
(US$3.6) for 30 balls. And golf-course ranges are from 30 yuan (US$3.6)
per hour to 40 yuan (US$4.8) per hour.
For people with club membership cards, it is relatively cheap. The
annual membership card costs 7,000 yuan (US$843) to 10,000 yuan
(US$1,205) without time limit. Here are some good golf destinations in
Beijing.
Huatang International Golf Club
It was opened in late 1997. It
is a new course but with lots of trees. The friendly course is open to
public not only for people with a membership. It is a 40-minute drive
from the city centre
Address: Beijing East Yanjiao Economic Development Zone, Tongzhou
District.
Tel: 010-6159 8888
Beijing Golf Club
The club is just 30 minutes from
the Beijing International Airport. This championship course was designed
by Poellot and Benz of the US.
Address: East bank of Chaobaihe in Shunyi District.
Tel: 69441005
Beijing International Golf Club
The course runs alongside Ming's
Tomb (Shisanling) Reservoir. In an area of water shortage the golfer has
13 holes where water is the main hazard. This mature course offers large
greens with plenty of out-of-bounds markers.
Address: North Side, Ming Tomb Reservoir, Changping District.
Tel: 60762288
Shanghai golf destinations
Shanghai is not the ideal place to
develop golf courses because of the plain terrain.Therefore, Shanghai
has only a few golf-links. Among these courses, only two or three of
them can be considered professional. Generally, the service offered by
Shanghai-based golf-links is more expensive than that in Beijing. The
green fees here range between 700 yuan (US$84) to 850 yuan (US$102).
Shanghai Tianma Golf and Country Club
It is located 30 minutes from the
Hongqiao Airport in the Sheshan National Tourism Park. Sheshan is known
for its natural beauty and for having the only mountain in Shanghai.
With 200 exquisite Villas designed by American Designers, the golf
course boasts 27 holes. Luxury villas, lakes and streams surround it.
Address: 1 Tianmashan Village, Songjiang District.
Tel:021-57661666
Shanghai International Golf Country
Club
About 40 kilometers from the city, the
18-hole Dianshan Lake course features open vistas and gentle
undulations.
Address: Zhujiajiao, Qingpu District, Shanghai.
Tel: 021-5972 8111
Guangodng golf destinations
The South China's Guangdong Province
boasts 60 different sizes of golf-links. It is almost twice the size of
Beijing and Shanghai combined.
Mission Hills Golf Club, the
world's largest golf destination, which boasts 180 holes, is located in
Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
Founded in 1994 and located just 30
minutes from Hong Kong, Mission Hills is the World's No 1 Golf Club as
accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004. It is an
exclusive gated residential community housing a five-star hotel, resort
and country club with the largest tennis facilities in Asia.
Mission Hills is also the world's largest
golf destination with 10-signature golf courses and the exclusive home
to China's David Lead Golf Academy. Mission Hills has also been named as
one of the top 10 sights in Shenzhen and is nationally recognized as a
4A-rated tourism resort.
Mission Hills is located at the heart of
the region's expansive transportation system. It is 30 minutes from the
centre of Shenzhen and 20 minutes from Shenzhen's Huanggang or Hong Kong
Border, with direct freeway access to all major cities and international
airports via national highways.
Shenzhen Baoan International Airport is a
40-minute ride by cab to the golf club.
Apart from being a five star resort it
offers all-year-green golf links, 228 luxurious rooms, 50 tennis courts
with three different types of surfaces. This fantastic resort attracts
visitors from around the world. With an area of 20 square kilometers, it
would take two days to circle this 180-hole destination. Now a new
modern area is under construction in Dongguan, just a 20-minute drive
from Guanlan.
Free shuttle buses are offered by Mission
Hills connecting Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Kowloon. It is
available every 30 minutes.
Cost for golf play here ranges from 400
yuan (US$48) a day to 600 yuan (US$72) a day.
Accommodation: 300 yuan (US$36) to 450 yuan (US$54) for a room with two
beds.
Address: Shenzhen Guanlanhu Avenue.
Tel: 0755-28020888
(Source: China Daily)
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