Vast expanses of farmland

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Golf，invented in Scotland in the 15th century，is now a $60 billion industry worldwide.There are over 30，000 golf courses in 119 countries with nearly 57 million active players.

Walking the Green-Golf in Liaoning

Golf, invented in Scotland in the 1 5th century, is now a $60 billion industry worldwide.

There are over 30,000 golf courses in 119 countries with nearly 57 million active players.

The value of international trade in golf related products is approximately $2 billion per year with Japan, the largest market in Asia, importing close to $328 million in goods. China, which only opened its first golf course in 1984, currently has over 500 courses with estimates from 300,000 to 3 million players. With just a quick look at these numbers it is safe to say that golf is an activity that is in high, growing demand and offers many opportunities for provinces like Liaoning.

There are more than a dozen private golf clubs in Liaoning and the number is grow-ing very much hand in hand with the development of hot springs resorts. There are several factors for this. The game of golf attracts a higher value and more affluent clientele. With over 50 hot springs towns in the works, the land is being developed around these areas and golf courses serve as both functional and beautiful landscaping,a perfect combination when looking to add green spaces to a view. Lastly, as far as location, Liaoning is essentially in the middle of Asia’s largest luxury market with Beijing and Shanghai a few hours to the west and Japan and Korea a few hours to the southeast. These three factors are the driving force behind the development of courses in the province.

Golf as a game offers a unique mix of physical exertion and mental skill. Unlike the team sports basketball or football, the main attraction for golf players is that it is based on singular achievement, how good you do on that day. You are not playing against anyone but yourself and your previous outing on the links. While many golfers play in groups, your outcome is only seen as a success by how well you did this time around.

This is perhaps what makes the game so attractive to those who play it and pick up the game as a pastime. Although it is a sport, you do not have to be a prime specimen of athletic prowess, but it helps for sure. The upper body and arm strength to drive a small white ball 200-300 yards in one stroke takes development. The physicality of walking an 18-hole course is taxing, this is why on professional tours and competitions the golf carts are strictly taboo.

The game takes patience, concentration and the ability to focus your ability beyond everything else. Hitting that small white ball with a club high enough in the air with enough power to drive it takes total control of your body movements. Any amount of bad form willsend the ball flying off course into a pond,a sand trap or somewhere in the trees, addingnegative strokes, deducting points from your game. Mentally blocking out the sun, the wind, the birds chirping around you, other players and the daily trials and tribulations of the day to achieve good form is key to excelling in the game. Many professional athletes of other sportsand high powered CEOs are avid golfers as it is a good workout for both their body and mind.

With that simple breakdown it is important to interject one more thing.I do not play golf.I have played golf, and when out with a few friends when the subject comes up I can easily be persuaded to play if pushed enough. It is not that I do not like the game,I don’t have the leisure time or funds to play regularly. However, once out there, under the sun, enjoyingthe camaraderie of my peers and trying to prove something to them and myself I understand the lure of the game and here is why.

First off golf is an expensive pastime, both in the US and China, well anywhere you play in fact. For many that can be a major turn off, but the game requires a bit more financial investment and it goes directly to the quality of the experience.A round of golf at a private club, nearly all the clubs in China are private, can run about $60.A yearly golf membership to the premier private clubs in China can be as high as any of the premiere clubs in the US. In the US $75,000 is not an unheard of sum.A set of clubs can range in price as well, from around $800 to several thousand.

First，let’s look at the course itself.A full round of golf covers an 18-hole course.Each hole can have a distance range from tee to cup，start to finish，of 300-600 yards in a straight line.Multiply that by 2-3 times that in width，times 18，then times by 2 as most golf resorts have two full courses and you calculate that the amount of land needed is enough to rival the space needed for a small airport.This land also has to be free of industrial development，meaning buildings and businesses that generate revenue.Golf courses require tremendous upkeep，the water usage alone to keep the course green is a large investment.Staff ranging from a team to cut and maintain the grass to service personnel to golf trainers，a golf course is a full time，around the clock investment.