I am an Australian/American relocating to Shanghai/Beijing. I am a
good golfer and excellent teacher. What is the prospect of starting
golf schools in PRC (a newly emerging sport)I would (beside myself)
employ teaching professionals. So far I find only one school (Garry
Player in HK) listed any information on potential/market size/current
schools/preferred area etc will be appreciated.

Welcome to China, Jetdiagnostic,

It is impossible to collect solid market information. I have called
some market researchers and they all say it would be a good idea to do
some research here. What I can see is a staggering growth of the golf
industry. A recent report mentions about 130 golf clubs in China at
this stage. Tomorrow that might be many more. Interest is picking up,
not only among the foreigners, but also among the wealthy Chinese.

In the links you will find a website with the 13 most important golf
courses in Shanghai; for Beijing I could only locate four.

Traditionally the golf courses catered for the seasoned expat managers
around the larger cities. In a province like Shandong Japanese would
fly in for a weekend. Most golf courses are located in southern
Guangdong province, close to Hong Kong, because most of the money is
still there, and people from Hong Kong would visit the province to
play golf.

But the sport is getting local very fast. I have looked into the car
boot of half a dozen of Chinese bankers and other financial
specialists in the past six months here in Shanghai, and they all have
their golf equipment ready to use. Most of the new-rich Chinese
understand now that the golf course is the place to do business; they
have often not yet a clue on how to use their golf sticks. There is
really market potential.

The bad news for you is that very few golf schools have entered China.
I could trace one listed at a global website, in Shenzhen, just over
the border with Hong Kong. None are listed in Shanghai and Beijing. I
have called a few golf players here in Shanghai, and they had never
heard of a golf school here. They thought it was a good idea "to teach
those Chinese how to bloody play golf".

While it is very hard for any company to make money on the Chinese
market, education is doing very well. And since golf is at this stage
a game for the wealthy here in China, there should be some money.

Much depends on your ambitions. As you are a golfer and a teacher, you
might not necessary like to be a business man who is going to set up
his/her own golf school, but it would be a good idea. In case you do
not want to start your own school, you might join some of the new golf
clubs where there is an ongoing need for coaches. You skills are very
much needed here.

Enjoy your time in China,

Regards,

Fons

Relevant links:

The only listed golf school in China
 http://www.worldgolf.com/golfschools/china.html

Mixed news about golf in China China
http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/s427879.htm

An assessment of the golf market in China
http://www.travel-to-china.net/tour_golf.htm

13 Golf clubs in Shanghai
http://www.metropolis-sh.com/metropolis022.htm

4 Golf clubs in Beijing
http://www.chinanow.com/english/beijing/city/cityinfo/recfacilities.html#golf

Seach strategy: 
Google: golf in China
	Golf schools in China
	Golf clubs in Shanghai/Beijing

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Request for Answer Clarification by jetdiagnostic-ga on 22 Nov 2002 10:58 PST

I am currently in business (some 30 years in manufacture) I have
visited China many times - married to a Chinese (MBA,MSc). Your report
is encouraging. Can you expand on the possibility of finding venture
capital in PRC for such an oportunity or suggest where I should begin
looking?
Thanks,
Peter

---

Clarification of Answer by fons-ga on 23 Nov 2002 01:01 PST

Hi Peter,
According to my observations, the market for venture capital in China
is down. I would not bet on it, unless you have already solid contacts
yourself. I have attached one article about that subject.
I would first have a good look around and then look for a suitable
local or foreign partners. VC-firm operate here on a low burner.

Regards,

Fons

On VC's in China
http://www.chinabiz.org/articles/show.asp?id=1652

Here is a bit of information on market size:
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news00/china.html

And you can probably get some information from:
The Asian Golf Teachers Federation 
http://www.asiangtf.com/

Hello jetdiagnostic-ga,

Here are some excerpts
"The history of golf in southern China goes back well over 100 years
after the game was introduced into Hong Kong by the British Military
in the late 1890s...
Estimates suggest that only about 20 per cent of the young people
currently buying memberships or paying green fees on the mainland are
local Chinese. "If the present demand continues that number may well
rise to at least 60 per cent within 10 years," Polson added.
Hong Kong is a good barometer of the rise in popularity of golf. An
estimated 60,000 Hong Kong citizens now play the game, whereas in 1995
that number stood at just 20,000. The surge in demand stems from the
opening of the HK$500 million Kau Sai Chau public golf course complex
and the 100-bay driving range at Tuen Mun in the eastern New
Territories. In the first 12 months the Tuen Mun range was open for
business, some 30,000 people registered to play - most of them
absolute beginners...
Golf course investment in China has come from a number of Asian
countries, but mostly from Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and
Japan. Unsurprisingly, the Taiwanese cash has gone mainly into clubs
on the eastern Chinese seaboard, in particular around Shanghai. "
"Oriental Express" By Richard Castka 2000
http://www.travelintelligence.net/wsd/articles/art_2149.html

Following the successful bid of China to host the 2008 olympic games,
all sports will become elevated in profile, as illustrated by this
excerpt
"Sports events are beginning to approach mainstream quality for their
hosting, management and commercial support. Though much remains to be
achieved in this area, the so-called "softer" aspects of sports,
recent events suggest indicators. The 2001 World University Games in
Beijing were applauded as the "best ever" and the 9th National Games
in Guangdong that year were the most successful in this event for
sponsorship, advertising and brand exposure. By the end of 2002, the
strategic direction and plans for a long haul to the 2008 Olympic
Games will have been shaped.

By association with these trends, sport-industry opportunities in
China are both varied and immense, at two levels. On the one hand,
they feed off the most established sports of football, basketball and
others such as volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, table tennis, etc.,
as they will do for emerging, more "westernized" sports. Motor racing,
tennis, golf and sailing are examples."
"China: Opportunies in the Business of Sport" By Chris Ashton Sept 02,
ChinaOnline.com
http://www.chinaonline.com/commentary_analysis/C02091636.asp

Excerpt highlighting the development of golf courses in China,
"China has been identified as a potential market and the favorable
site for new golf courses. Currently there are approximately 50 golf
courses under construction in China and with its size, population and
potential sites, is experiencing her first ever golf boom, a boom that
will continue for some time, especially after its successful bid for
the Olympics.

Whereas years ago the development of golf courses was centered in the
south, golf developers and designers are now moving extensively into
the northern parts of China i.e. Beijing, Shanghai etc as well as into
the more remote areas and other secondary cities."
"Taking a Prudent Course" Asian PFA
http://www.asianpga.com/article.php?sid=10

Excerpt showing growth and popularity of golf in China.
"Now, the Volvo China Open is in it's eighth year, there are 150 golf
courses all over China and more are coming into operation all the
time. Driving ranges are sprouting up in the cities attracting the
executive community to come and try. "The whole golf business in China
is starting to take on a momentum of it's own now," says Pyatt, "more
golfers are developing on the driving ranges and creating more demand
for golf courses and so it will go on. We're very happy the way the
game is developing now... It's a wonderful feeling to think that Volvo
played a big part kick starting the game into life in China."
"Volvo Paved Way for Golf" GolfChina.com
http://www.golfchina.com/0english/sszt/volvo/2002/open/0209094.html

Golf Course Locator for Golf Courses in China
AsiaPacificAmateurGolfers.com
http://www.asiapacificamateurgolfers.com/golfcourse-china.shtml
Golf listings at Beijingtrip.com
http://www.beijingtrip.com/entertainment/sports.htm

Golf listings for Shanghai at AutumnLeaves.com
http://www.autumnleaves.com.cn/livingshanghai/recreation/golf.htm

Some Hong Kong golf lessons listed here:
Hong Kong Golf Clubs
http://tsoup.com/golf/0601/lessons.html

Search Strategy:
golf market china leisure beijing
://www.google.com/search?q=golf+market+china+leisure+beijing&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&newwindow=1&c2coff=1
golf clubs hong kong
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=golf+clubs+hong+kong
golf clubs beijing
://www.google.com/search?q=golf+clubs+beijing&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&c2coff=1&start=40&sa=N
market size golf beijing
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&newwindow=1&c2coff=1&q=market+size+golf+beijing
"demand for golf" beijing
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&newwindow=1&c2coff=1&q=%22demand+for+golf%22+beijing

regards
lot-ga