Four years of regulatory actions have cut China's nationwide number of golf courses from its peak of 689 to 449 thus far, with 34.8 percent shut down, according to reports from 11 ministries, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources, on May 15.

The regulation of the golf course industry has been hailed by the vast majority of the public, but still some argue that the shutdown might jeopardize the industry's overall development. This is a groundless worry, as China does not intend to ban the sport, but just to standardize its growth.

Golf gained popularity in China in the late 1970s. So far, more than 30,000 adolescents have signed up for various golf clubs across the country.

However, two factors make it increasingly necessary for regulators to resolve the issues with the green mats.

First, the sprawling complexes of golf courses tend to occupy too much water and land resources. China's per-capita natural resources are scarce, and consequently the Chinese Government has created stringent approval procedures regarding the construction of golf courses. Meanwhile, such a luxury sports event is not something that ordinary people have access to; therefore golf courses are unlikely to serve the vast majority of society.

However, in the early 2000s, amid an investment craze, local governments were willing to greenlight such all-consuming projects, believing golf courses would help improve the image of its hosts. By 2010, the number of golf courses had become 10 times that of the total figure in 2000.

Nevertheless, a lot of golf courses misappropriate farmland and water resources. Furthermore, several property projects come into being under the guise of golf courses. For example, in Kunming, provincial capital of Yunnan, one golf course was constructed by occupying 30.6 hectares, or 64.9 percent of its area, in the first-grade conservation area of the Dianchi Lake Basin. In Shenzhen and Huizhou of Guangdong Province, golf courses make inroads into a large quantity of farmland and forests, and have villas built up within them, equivalent to real estate programs.

Second, golf courses have increasingly become graft hotbeds. Almost 70 percent of golf courses are involved in property programs, with Yunnan and Hainan provinces hitting 90 percent and 83.3 percent, respectively. In Beijing and Shanghai, this number stands at 70 percent and 73.7 percent, respectively.

Approval powers of lands of or above a golf course size lie in the hands of the Central Government, and thus to circumvent stringent approval procedures, golf courses usually apply for land in the name of sports parks, ecological parks, etc., for which local governments have the power to issue permits.

Besides, the land for golf courses and villas located inside these golf resorts are usually obtained at low prices, as they even manage to masquerade as agricultural programs. 

The public abhors such phenomena and the misappropriation of farmland borderline handicaps the legitimate rights and interests of farmers. What's more, the construction and operation of such venues take up a large amount of public resources. All in all, local residents usually hold negative views about golf courses.

In 2004, in response to the golf course construction mania making waves across the country, the State Council issued a document suspending the construction of golf courses, yet resistance on the part of local governments still allowed for their creation.

China has stepped up the rule of law in recent years and its regulation of the golf course industry strongly links to anti-corruption efforts. The uncontrolled construction of golf courses today has been halted after four years of joint efforts by 11 ministries. Many officials and organizations have been disciplined for their involvement in illegal golf course projects.

The sport of golf will not get imperiled by the clean-up. The total number of 449 golf courses is not a small sum compared with the rest of the world. This number suffices to meet the public's demand for the sport as well as hosting tournaments or relevant training programs.

(Print Edition Title: Fore the Cause of Healthier Golf Courses) 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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