Thrift to a tee

Austerity measures prompt clubs to focus on middle-class golfers

Golf-club manager Li Yong says his business has been affected by the authorities' frugality campaign. The 33-year-old, who owns a golf course in suburban Beijing's Changping district, says the number of golf players has dropped since early last year, after the Communist Party of China initiated a campaign to curb excessive spending.

In December 2012, the CPC Central Committee put forward an eight-point guideline that requires government officials to get closer to the people through cleaning up undesirable work styles, including extravagancy, formalism and bureaucracy.

Many people regard golf membership cards as status symbols. They cost up to 1 million yuan ($161,400) at some Beijing clubs.

In June last year, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top anti-graft agency, required all disciplinary officials to return all membership cards to prevent bribery.

Guo Xiaobing, a worker at Beijing Links Golf Club near the North Fourth Ring Road, also says the anti-graft push has hit his club.

The campaign has also affected other luxury entertainment sectors, such as horse breeding.

A businessman surnamed Liu, who has run Beijing Shengqishi Mayouhui (Saint Knight) club for 10 years, says horse sales have dropped.

"I heard some people bought horses at about 1 million yuan for officials as gifts," says Liu, who refused to give his full name.

"But it has been rare to hear this since last year."

Officials punished

Ministry of Transport planning department head Sun Guoqing was caught using public funds to play golf and for personal travel, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement last December.

The official received a serious reprimand, the statement says.

Golf magazine editor Fan Kai says many business people are turning to golf as a popular way to socialize with officials as they seek alternatives to extravagant banquets and nightclubs.

"A golf membership card is just like many forms of property, such as apartments and cars, which can be presented to officials as bribes," he says.

Fan adds that many of the golf clubs' clients are state-owned enterprises.

Many officials enjoy playing golf with businesspeople because the sport provides a quiet and private environment, Fan says.

Golf course employees tells Xinhua News Agency they often see government officials spending hours swinging golf clubs and chatting with business people despite never paying a dime for their games. Some believe corrupt deals are scored on the green.

In August 2010, more than 20 government officials in Wenzhou city of East China's Zhejiang province were required to quit a golf association after their involvement in the expensive sports club aroused controversy.

The city government ordered a thorough probe after an online post revealed local officials had golf association positions, including as chairperson and honorary chairperson.

While no evidence of wrongdoing was found, netizens speculated about how the officials could afford golf, a luxury for most Chinese.

Golf club membership fees run up to more than 100,000 yuan in Wenzhou. Civil servants' average salaries are far from enough to be able to afford such an extravagant pastime, according to Xinhua.

Chinese Academy of Governance public administration professor Zhu Lijia says officials who accept golf memberships violate clean-governance rules.

"If officials accept membership cards, they will be more likely to abuse their power to seek gains for the businesspeople who provide them," he says.

Middle-class preferred

Li, the club manager, says his company will focus more on middle-class players since anti-graft measures have been enhanced.

"The healthy sport of golf has been distorted by businesspeople using it to bribe officials," he says.

"It's time to restore the sport to its natural state."

Guo, the Beijing Links Golf Club worker, says the public should not be biased against golf, since more ordinary people are playing or practicing in desiring range.

"The cost depends on how many balls a player uses. A ball is less than 1 yuan, which most people can afford."

He was speaking of a course that has become popular among ordinary residents.

Some professional players prefer the course that costs about 700 yuan each time, he says.

"I heard someone say golf is a corrupted sport. I don't think so," he says.

"The corruption is officials' individual actions. We can't blame the sport."

Liu, the horse club owner, said many of his peers have shifted from selling expensive horses to providing training courses for children.

"Many families, such as those of white-collar workers and company managers, would pay about 12,000 yuan a year for a kid to learn to ride," he says.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 04/11/2014 page26)