Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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I read a fascinating article in Fortune magazine recently about growing golf in China. Golf has 24 million players in the USA – almost 8% of the entire USA population play golf and in China, although there are 1 million golfers already, that is only 0,1% of the population. As you can imagine, all the businesses are eyeing the potential growth in China because just to get to the same numbers as in America they would be able to increase their business 80 times. It could be the next big winner for golf and so they are trying everything they can in terms of tournaments in promoting the sport. The problem is that golf is very expensive, particularly in China, and costs way more to play than the average person in China earns.
You are not really going to grow a sport if it is only played by the elite and the other problem is that many crooked deals had become associated with golf courses, in that memberships of golf courses have been given to officials as bribes and many golf courses in China used to allow people to register under fake names. In other words, you could register your golf membership and turn up and play, but you did not have to use your actual real name which made it easy for people, instead of giving bribes, to give people golf memberships. The Chinese government obviously has not looked kindly on that and has to a certain extent clamped down on golf closing hundreds of courses. If you were a member of a course that was closed, well that is just too bad for you and in one case the members have paid $130,000 just to become members and were then told that their club had been closed down by the government!
Obviously, that corruption has nothing to do with the sport itself, and basically they are hoping for a Tiger Woods type athlete to emerge from China because that will certainly assist the game in growing. I guess like everything though, you have to realise that the promotion of a sport or an event is all about business and everybody in golf stands to win in a big way if more people in China will take up the game. By comparison, there are an estimated, depending on who you listen to, 50,000 to 150,000 golfers in South Africa. If you take the higher number of 150,000 people, and compare it to a population of approximately 50 million, you will realise that a far smaller proportion of our population plays golf than even the Chinese do and yet we have produced so many world-class players over the years.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Monday 13-Mar-17
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Comments
tersia said:
on Monday 03-Apr-17 04:21 PM
I have noticed that the Chinese are very good at their sports, and looking at everything else are also very good at building businesses and expending to other countries so I would imagine that it will not be difficult for them to grow golf in China. I am sure they will be able to achieve they're goal.
Lucretia said:
on Monday 03-Apr-17 03:08 PM
I would love to know the reason behind why it has taken China so long to get into the "
swing of things" excuse the pun. For a nation that is so competitive, what has held them back for so long......that would be an interesting article to read.
Cornelie said:
on Monday 03-Apr-17 02:56 PM
Seems as if Golf is taking over in so many places. Every sport has its ups and downs such as crooked deals.
Prishani said:
on Thursday 23-Mar-17 05:06 PM
This is an interesting article, I think that like anything else it needs time to develop. The country as a whole will need to take an interest in the sport. Maybe they could start with the younger generation who are more willing and keen to start something new. Yes it is expensive, but why not get larger companies sponsor schools in order to find talent.
Alexis said:
on Thursday 23-Mar-17 08:25 AM
I agree with Brumilde on this one, China does and excels in what they do . I am not surprised that they have gotten into same. Never been much of a golf fan I must say, but whatever floats ones boat
brumilde said:
on Wednesday 22-Mar-17 01:31 PM
Im sure China will want to be the best they can and start winning tournaments, they are a very dedicated nations with discipline and focus.
Liesl said:
on Wednesday 22-Mar-17 11:25 AM
It has often been said in sport circles that there is no sport under the sun that doesn't have sport politics or under the table deals going on. The Chinese nation is very competitive and although I know very little about golf I'm sure because of their nature they will make sure they excel in it.
Jadine said:
on Monday 20-Mar-17 10:04 AM
If China wants to grow their number of golfers then it seems like a step in the wrong direction to close so many of the clubs. There were surely less drastic means by which the government could have curbed corruption. In as far as the expenses go the government should foot the bill to a certain extent to encourage growth or maybe they could introduce it into their schools to promote a culture of golf...
South Africans tend to do something well and thoroughly when they do actually do something. So yes we may not have the quantity but we do have the quality.
Tamaryn said:
on Friday 17-Mar-17 02:19 PM
I would imagine that golf is like any other business. Determine the target market and pitch the game to them! Advertise, promote, get some famous faces to endorse golf in China and the numbers should rise. But I have doubts of golf becoming popular in China, golf is a game of many hours and in China their working hours are long and often over weekends as well- will there be time? Perhaps they're pitching to the wrong crowd.
Henrietta said:
on Friday 17-Mar-17 12:35 PM
Wow to pay that kind of money to be a member and the government close it down would seriously sour my battery. Never knew there were bribery in golf but I suppose it can be in any sport. I am sure if they find their "Tyger Wood " in china the game will grow and it is quite interesting to see that in South Africa we have a smaller portion than China playing the game but it's a more famous game here than there.
zindy said:
on Friday 17-Mar-17 10:11 AM
You need patience to play golf, the most important shot in golf is the next one. It could be time consuming and expensive I think there could be a few surprises emerging from China.
Sarah said:
on Friday 17-Mar-17 09:01 AM
Golf id one is an expensive sport, so not everyone can afford to give it a try. I am sure golf will grow in China and USA. They probably have other sports that is popular in their countries.
Joyce said:
on Wednesday 15-Mar-17 06:09 PM
I think that in China if they want success they do anything to succeed and reach their goal. I think they will make sure that golf growing in China
Thabitha said:
on Wednesday 15-Mar-17 01:31 PM
USA can afford golf, China and SA must just grow other sports that they are good at and can afford, corruption wont help them to get to were USA golfers are.
Suzanne said:
on Wednesday 15-Mar-17 12:25 PM
Interesting! As Sinead said, the Chinese are well known for how successful they become in what they do and I am sure if the sport is promoted well and actually managed as it should, a few very successful golfers will emerge.
Brenda van den Bergh said:
on Tuesday 14-Mar-17 04:32 PM
Golf is as you say, a very expensive sport and you never know, the next "Tiger Woods" in China may be a young man, who is scraping change together to feed his family and will never in a lifetime be able to afford a golf ball never mind the other costs that are involved in this sport. The sport wants to grow, but in a financial point of view, it is very unlikely. So unless Golf becomes cheaper for those who show potential, there will not be much growth.
Sinead said:
on Tuesday 14-Mar-17 01:29 PM
It's very interesting to know that China has such a low percentage of golfers. China and Chinese people tend to do everything - and they tend to succeed at everything they do - so it is very surprising that so few play golf. I don't doubt the sport's growth though... It just takes time and patience :)
Not to generalize but I actually don't know many Chinese people that play real sports - I've noticed that their preference is music
Daniella said:
on Tuesday 14-Mar-17 10:22 AM
I Must say its quite interesting to see that the growth of Golf keeps increasing! I think once golf is big in China it would change everything. As China is an extremely populated Country this could extend the number of golfers making the sport bigger.
Mathilda said:
on Tuesday 14-Mar-17 08:05 AM
Golf is a very expensive sport and not everyone have the patience or money to play
I was also surprised to hear that so few people play golf in China as Bianca said they come across very patient and i also agree with that
Michelle said:
on Tuesday 14-Mar-17 08:04 AM
This is a very interesting blog. I agree with the others that golf is an expensive sport. And people in China will definitely find a way to also be good in this as they are in everything else. I think the Chinese people will also find a way to fit golf into their lifestyle, just as other people do as well.
Bianca said:
on Monday 13-Mar-17 04:09 PM
I have heard that golf is generally an exceptionally expensive sport and because of that, it really isn't freely available for everyone would wants to give it a shot. You have to have that initial outlay and what happens if you don't stick it out? I was quite surprised to hear that so few people play golf in China though, the Chinese always strike me as a very patient and delicate society, golf would just suit them.
Angelique Jurgens said:
on Monday 13-Mar-17 02:46 PM
If golf doesn't change from an elite sport for the wealthy then unfortunately it will be one of those dying sports. I don't want to stereotype but Chinese people are generally good at most things, so perhaps if they start playing golf more they would enter the golfing world and take over...
Angelique P said:
on Monday 13-Mar-17 02:17 PM
Golf is a very big sport. There are so many people playing it.
I really think you must be very good to be the number 1 golfer out of thousands of players.
I know golf is an expensive sport. It is just shocking to me that people who live in China must pay so much money to play golf.
Juliet said:
on Monday 13-Mar-17 10:02 AM
I think that the Chinese lifestyle may also hamper the growth of golf in that country. They work exceptionally long hours so when would they have time to play such a time consuming game? Also, the cities are such concrete jungles I would assume they will have to travel quite a distance to get to a golf course which needs a large open piece of land so that too will just add to their time investment if they want to play the sport. But for those who do choose to invest any possible spare time they may have in this sport, I am sure they will be excellent due to the general Chinese work ethic and their commitment to excel.
Jessica Apfel said:
on Monday 13-Mar-17 09:40 AM
With China being the front runner in technological advancements and the like, it is inevitable that their sport would follow suit! I tend to associate business deals and Golf (perhaps too many cliche movies) but China is the hub of business today and perhaps the growth in this recreational activity is exactly that!
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
