Tee times abroad easier for Chinese with relaxed visa policies

Beijing's Dazong Golf Club has 18 classic holes. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It seems par for the course that easier entry to several countries is handing a long-range driver to China's globetrotting golfers.

The Republic of Korea's visa exemption for Chinese visitors to Jeju Island and Thailand's visa-on-arrival policy, as well as their proximity, will likely help them attract more Chinese visitors, particularly as China's central government cracks down on illegal courses and restricts certain officials' memberships to clubs to curb corruption.

Chinese favorites include Nine Bridges and Pinx golf clubs in Jeju, and Alpine and Chiangmai Highlands golf resorts in Thailand.

Those who believe the grass is greener on the other side of the globe can head to the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland and Canada, says Fu Han, golf-operations manager of China's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip.

Canada and China reciprocally began issuing multiple-entry visas, including tourism visas valid up to 10 years in March. The United States began offering such visas last November.

Chinese tourists can normally get visas to the United States and Europe in 15-20 working days, Fu says. They can visit the UK and Ireland using a single travel visa, thanks to the British Irish Visa Scheme launched last October.

The increasing number of matches and the growing influence of the US Masters, the US Open, The Open and the PGA Championship are luring Chinese golfers overseas, Fu says.

"They want to go abroad to watch those matches and play in their host countries."

Foreign courses are generally better value-for-money. They are higher quality yet affordable, insiders say.