More Chinese get into swing of golf
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="spring">spring</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="arrive">arrive</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="chilly">chilly</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="enthusiasts">enthusiasts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="eager">eager</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="turns">turns</span> <span word="green">green</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="capital">capital</span>'<span word="s">s</span> 100-<span word="plus">plus</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="courses">courses</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="March">March</span> 1, <span word="attracting">attracting</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="stuck">stuck</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="indoor">indoor</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="simulators">simulators</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="winter">winter</span>.</p><p><span word="Despite">Despite</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nationwide">nationwide</span> <span word="ban">ban</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="courses">courses</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2004, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="once">once</span>-<span word="exclusive">exclusive</span> <span word="sport">sport</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="booming">booming</span>, <span word="largely">largely</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expanding">expanding</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="class">class</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="courses">courses</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="tripled">tripled</span> <span word="since">since</span> 2004, <span word="from">from</span> 170 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> 600, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="Forestry">Forestry</span> <span word="University">University</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="education">education</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="center">center</span>.</p><p><span word="Industry">Industry</span> <span word="insiders">insiders</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="popularity">popularity</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="draw">draw</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sport">sport</span>, <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="represents">represents</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="people">people</span>.</p><p><span word="Dan">Dan</span> <span word="Washburn">Washburn</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="blog">blog</span>: <span word="Golf">Golf</span> “<span word="hits">hits</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="buttons">buttons</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="elitist">elitist</span> - <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> - <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="emblematic">emblematic</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="challenges">challenges</span>: <span word="Government">Government</span> <span word="corruption">corruption</span>, <span word="environmental">environmental</span> <span word="concerns">concerns</span>, <span word="land">land</span>-<span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="issues">issues</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gap">gap</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="rich">rich</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>."</p><p><span word="Zheng">Zheng</span> <span word="Yaxin">Yaxin</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tennis">tennis</span> <span word="coach">coach</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sport">sport</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blame">blame</span>: "<span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="healthy">healthy</span> <span word="sport">sport</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="affordable">affordable</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="general">general</span> <span word="public">public</span>."</p><p><span word="Chang">Chang</span> <span word="Zhihui">Zhihui</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="researcher">researcher</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="education">education</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="center">center</span>, <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="that">that</span> 600,000 <span word="people">people</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="mainland">mainland</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="club">club</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="by">by</span> 20 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="annually">annually</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p>
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