Some interesting thoughts about China

Here are some fascinating highlights from McKinsey entitled, “Preparing for China’s Urban Billion.”

- By 2025, China will have 221 cities with more than one million
inhabitants – compared with 35 in Europe today.

- China’ urban population will expand from 572 million in 2005 to 926
million in 2025. Over 350 million people will move from rural areas
to the cities – more than the population of the United States.

- By 2025, China could have 15 super-cities with average populations
of 25 million people. 41 percent of China’s higher income middle
class will live in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan, Chongqing,
Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

- China will build almost 40 billion square meters of floor space
over the next 20 years, requiring construction of 50,000 new
skyscrapers – the equivalent of ten New York Cities.

- Up to 170 cities could meet planning criteria for mass-transit
systems by 2025, more than twice the current number in Europe. This
could promise to be the greatest boom in mass-transit construction in
history.

- China’s urban economy will generate 90 percent of its GDP by 2025.
Urban China will become a dominant global market with its aggregate
consumption almost twice, and disposable income over two times, those
of Germany.

China Golf Show 2008

The 2008 Beijing China Golf Show wrapped up over the past weekend. The show continues to grow each year as the golf industry continues to grow at a fast past on the Mainland. The majority of exhibitors are American, Australian, and local golf companies. Golf giants like Titleist, Taylormade, Mizuno all have a presence along with services and large equipment manufacturers like Toro and John Deere.

For the most part the show is like the show in the United States where it is a networking event for golf industry professionals in China. Some of the newer offerings this year were an expanded presence of golf travel as the RMB has appreciated nicely the Chinese have more in their pocket as they travel overseas. In addition, this year a nice driving range at the back of the show was added as a nice amenity for locals to try different clubs. Many manufacturers pushed fitting clubs rather than simply buying clubs off the rack as many Chinese are custom to doing.

Here is the show website for more details: http://www.chinagolfshow.com/en/gz_show2007.asp

2008 Omega China Tour Kicks Off

In its fourth year, the Omega China Tour was kicked off last week. This year the tour is comprised of ten events. The main sponsor is Omega along with several large global companies. Each event consists of roughly 130 players. Ten foreign professional have exempt status and some other foreign invitations are given out. To learn more about the tour, you can go to the tour website at: www.omegachinatour.com.

In 2008, three Chinese professionals qualified to play in the Asian Tour. As China golf continues to develop more and more players will venture out to the Asian Tour and US / European Tours. This year, Liang Wen Chong, China's number one player will play in The Masters. Jia You! (Good Luck, Play well)

One Asia Tour closer to reality by Colin Wilson

A new professional *OneAsia Tour*, basically covering the whole western side of the Pacific, could tee up by 2009 after Japan's decision to back the plan. The OneAsia Tour has been on the drawing board for more than two years.

The initial goal is to play 20 tournaments with a minimum prize purse of $US1.5 million, although some tournaments would be worth twice that amount. Australia would look to have four or five tournaments as part of the new Tour.

"It absolutely makes sense that all the bodies in the region act together to try to create something bigger than the disparate parts," said Ben Sellenger of the Australasian PGA Tour. "This is the way forward."

The Japanese Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia have signed a memorandum of understanding to create the OneAsia Tour and are now talking with the Asian Tour and golf officials in China, South Korea, Thailand and India about signing up to the new circuit.

"Internationalisation for our players is critical as we need to have international stars from Japan," said Andy Yamanaka, chief secretary of the Japan Tour. "By working together, it is going to be a huge benefit for sponsors too as the exposure will be worldwide."

The biggest hurdle now will be formulating how the Tour would be structured, what representation each country has and how players qualify for it.

"It absolutely makes sense that all the bodies in the region act together to try to create something bigger than the disparate parts, said Sellenger. "It's a huge step for Japan to make that decision to support it."

PGA Professional's life in China

Click on the web page below to see the article:

PGA of Australia agrees to develop regimen for Chinese golf trainers

An interesting article on how the the PGA of Australia is developing a training program for Chinese coaches.

http://www.pga.com/2008/news/other/02/12/auschina021208.ap/index.html

China Golf at the PGA Show

During the middle of January, the PGA Show was held in Orlando, FL. This was the first year an official delegation from China attended the show. There were twelve golf industry professionals who attended the PGA Show including Zhang Xiao Ning who is head of the Small Ball Sports for China (includes things like Tennis, Ping Pong, and Golf)

Sports in China are a little different from other countries. I will add a blog entry about sports in China at a later date. For a simple explanation: athletes are typically chosen at an early age and trained full-time in the sport officials feel they will excel. Sport and Sports Management is changing quite a bit in China with the Olympics being held this year.

During the PGA Show, there was a one hour spotlight on “Golf in China”. There were three speakers for this event: Zhang Xiao Ning, Director of Small Ball Sports; The General Manager for Spring City Golf Club (The top club in China), and Vice President for Octagon Sports. They each
had their own spin regarding golf in China but all had the same outcome: THE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT FOR GOLF IN CHINA.

During the session, it was stated that there are over 400 courses in the country at present. Golf Course construction is being controlled as it strains water and land resources in a country of 1.3 billion people. The China Golf Association official stated that they are working three strategies to make golf more of a game for the masses: 1 – returning the land to the original state by constructing golf courses, 2 – Serving the public, 3 – Serving youth. While course construction is controlled, a China Golf Association official stated that courses are increasing at 30% per year.

Among the three speakers, they stated there are currently between one and three million golfers in China. From my own sources I have heard numbers as low as three hundred thousand. Nevertheless, it was said that by 2020 China will boast more than twenty million golfers. Twenty million golfers are numbers like the United States is boasting now. If that is the case, the next sleeping giant in the golf world is definitely in Asia. As the middle class in China continues to grow, it is said that by 2020, China will boast a middle class of around 700 million. At this point, the masses will be able to enjoy golf, at least hitting balls at a driving range.

It is said that there are currently around 2,000 playing amateurs that want to turn pro and there are around 300 professional players in the country at present. In 2008, China Golf tournaments for professionals will cross a new barrier as there will be over twenty million dollars in prize money in tournaments such as the HSBC Champions, Asian Tour, and the Omega China Tour.

Some things the China Golf Association official stated was their goal to build a teaching training system and a more formalized competition system. He stated the CGA is currently starting to work with the Australian PGA in developing the coaching system for developing the
future coaches in China. Regarding competition, HSBC has signed on to be the sponsor of the “Junior Golf Development Program”. He stated that in early 2008, a more formalized competition system will be started for Professionals, Amateurs, and Youth.

The CGA official gave a request to PGA Members for help in the areas of golf management, tournament management, coaching development, and other general development areas. He stated that the CGA is interested in creating industry standards and research sharing with other countries.

This is a great start for China’s relation with the PGA of America. I hope there will be many good years of cooperation between the two organizations in the years to come.

ESPN Articles on China Golf

Good articles to read on the state of China golf...

ESPN - Washburn: Golf in China: All growing, All new, All raw

Zhou makes remarkable leap into pro golf

How they got to the China Tour

SARS... a catalyst for Golf

If you can remember back to 2003 the SARS epidemic started to spread from Hong Kong. For me, this was my first chance to come to Asia. I took advantage of the cheap airfares, knowing they would have it under control. And, now, here I am in Asia living and working.

SARS was a airborne epidemic that spread throughout many large cities in Asia. One of the cities affected was Beijing. Over the past two years living in Beijing, I have heard on numerous occasions that people starting playing golf when SARS hit. It is a really interesting phenomenon. The reason many people started playing golf is because people wanted to be outdoors. During that time, if you were indoors, you may catch the virus if someone sneezed or coughed. So, many people wanted to get outside and away from others. There you have it, a pretty large group of the Beijing golfers started playing when SARS hit.

Now, Beijing has around fifty golf clubs and over one-hundred driving ranges. The golf industry is hot here and is the second best market behind Guangdong Province in the South.

China Tour Stories

This year my parter and I have been traveling with the Omega China Tour. It is an interesting tour that is three years old. The tour is professionally run and has a look and feel like any other major tour you would visit in the world.

We have traveled to each stop coaching and helping many of the tour professionals. It has been fun building relationships with the touring professionals in China. They all have different stories of how they decided on playing golf. What you have to realize is that most of the touring professionals are the best coaches in their hometowns. Therefore, there aren't many professional coachs to help them out. With this situation, we have seen many homegrown swings.

There are also a lot of homegrown stories of how they became interested in golf. There is an American following the tour especially one player this year. He is compiling information for a book he is writing: ParForChina. The American writer is writing about golf in China and the stories of the players on the China Tour. I look forward to seeing the finished product. One of the players he is following started working as a security guard at a golf course. Later, he started practicing at night and now he is a China Tour player ranked in the top 15. I am always intrigued to find out more about each of the players stories. There are players that were ex-baseball players, weigh-lifters, kungfu artists, motorcross racers, the list goes on... It is an interesting time to work in the golf business in China.

One year until the Olympics!

This week, Beijing celebrated the one year anniversary to the Olympic Games here in 2008. I unfortunately was in Jiangsu Province at a Golf Tournament and flew in the day of the activities. From the sounds of friends, it was truly impressive. I see the change for the Olympics everyday on my way to work. It truly is incredible the change going on in this city.

For those who don't know, the Olympics will start in 2008 on August 8th at 8pm. You may ask wy so many eights? Well, in China the number eight is a good number. It is the same meaning for success. So, next year the Olympics will start 8, 08, 8008 at 8pm. Not a bad idea if your Chinese. It is going to be an amazing year leading up to the Olympics.

Picture taken from China Daily Website

China's playing the long game with new Junior Programs

China's junior golf market segment is growing just as fast as the red-hot economy. I continue to see a major increase in excitement toward golf among juniors in China. In addition, many companies are starting to sponsor and support China Junior Golf. Just recently, HSBC made a major announcement. Read the article here: "Golfing authorities play the long game with new junior program"

Golf on the North Korea Border

This past week, I was at the Yan Ji stop on the Omega China Tour. It reminded me of golf in the Northwest in the States. The course was absolutely beautiful. One of the interesting facts is that the course is within twenty minutes to the North Korean Border. The delicacy of the town the city the event was staged was dog meat. I didn't taste it this time. Maybe next!

My partner and I are traveling to each China Tour site coaching and evaluating China Tour players. Our goal is to help grow and develop the Chinese golfers and this is one way to make a contribution. In addition, we want to see the Chinese Tour players get better faster as foreign players will be entering the tour in the years to come.

The following is a picture of hole #8.


The following is a picture of three of the top players next to the NK border. NK is in the background. To see other pictures, visit: www.sina.com.cn (One of the best web portals for golf in China)

Golf Going Mainstream in China

Read the following article regarding the China Golf Association's plan to take golf in China to the masses: Golf Chief: I'll Take Sport into Mainstream