Golf in China: A New Emerging market

Golf in China has recently become a popular new leisurely pastime. There are many Chinese golf courses currently under construction, while, according to Newsweek, the US had 107 golf courses close down in 2010 golf in China is a huge and new emerging market, and is expected to undergo enormous growth over the next ten years.

Many think that China doesn’t have a large market for golfing. However, contrary to popular belief, there is a large number of people who can afford its higher costs. Golf is becoming increasingly popular with the middle class in China. And as golf is a game played while forming business relationships China’s large number of business travelers coming in from all over the world are looking to utilize this venue as a comfortable means to encourage partnerships. Whether native Chinese or international travelers, the market for golf in China is just getting started. Construction of these Chinese golf courses is concentrated in the wealthier eastern and southern provinces, such as Beijing and Hong Kong.

Business Week expects that by the year 2020, China will have over 20 million golf players in the country. That may sound to some like an unreachable number, but that is still fewer than 2% of China’s total population, and it does not include the international travelers who may share in this popular pastime.

Cindy Reid, an expat golf pro, moved to Hong Kong to take advantage of this rising trend. Reid started the Cindy Reid Golf Academy three years ago at the Mission Hills Country Club, an exclusive venue located approximately 45 minutes outside of Hong Kong. Both her school and the Mission Hills Country Club have expanded tremendously since opening. Cindy Reid boasts over 2,000 students and those numbers are growing. Mission Hills Country Club offers more thanr twelve 18-hole golf courses, and those numbers are growing too. Members of the Mission Hills Country Club can take advantage of its multiple locations across China.   

The expansion of golf in China has also brought in other types of new business for China. According to Business Week, China now publishes more than two dozen golf magazines. The number of Chinese golf courses across the country has tripled since 2004, and does not include “country clubs” that offer private golf courses. Also, many golf pros, such as Cindy Reid, product many branded items, such as clothing, DVDs, iPhone apps, and more, making this new trend an opportunity for multiple industries to reap success.

Golf in China is expected to increase dramatically over the next few years. Whether foreign business men and women visiting China and looking to play a quick par 3, or native Chinese people looking to learn a new skill, it is apparent that the huge emerging market for golf in China is ripe for future earnings. Chinese golf courses are on the rise and are definitely worth the attention.