Golf courses in China nearly triple despite govt bans  

国内高尔夫球场禁令下增长2倍 北京被指重灾区

国家层面已经下达10道禁令，却仍然没能挡住高尔夫球场疯长之势，一些央企起到了推波助澜的作用。据统计，全国高尔夫球场数量已经从2004年的178家，增加到2013年的521家。[查看全文]

(ECNS) – Construction of golf courses has nearly tripled in China over the past decade, the Economic Observer reported.

According to a report by Forward Golf Group, a leading domestic golf management company, the number of golf courses in China increased from 178 in 2004 to 521 in 2013, despite several official bans in the past decade.

Th situation is particularly serious in Beijing. The city reportedly has over 200 golf courses, many of which occupy prime plots on river banks, such as the Olympic Park Golf Course along the Qinghe River and the Yuquan Hill Golf Course near the Summer Palace.

The construction spree has been spurred by corruption in government and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Giving officials or SEO bosses golf gift cards is a common practice.

Data released by the Audit Administration show that Huarun Group, a large SOE specializing in consumer goods and infrastructure, has spent 2.11 million yuan ($340,000) on golf cards.

Shenzhen's corruption watchdog revealed in May that a number of local SOEs buy golf cards as bonuses for business elites and government officials. Some SOEs had spent more than HK$1.39 million ($220,000).

The craze is also profit-driven, as property developers can raise the added value of surrounding plots by building golf courses. Local governments, anxious to boost their GDPs, rely on the construction to speed up urbanization and develop local tourism.

Beijing has issued 10 bans in the past decade, with the latest in July. But experts say the construction can't be stopped without a stringent crackdown on corruption and an overhaul of SOEs.

Golf courses occupy farmland, consume huge amounts of water and cause water and soil pollution. It's estimated that the water 60 golf courses consume every year is enough for one million people.

"An 18-hole golf course uses at least 13 tons of fertilizers, germ and insect killers each month, and most of these chemicals go into nearby rivers," said Yin Chengqing, an analyst with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.