China Golf Experience

What a wonderful way to play golf. If you ever get the chance to play golf in China, it will be the golfing experience of your life. Ten years ago or so there were about ten golf courses in China, a country with 1.3 billion people, now China is getting like Ireland, developing courses and housing at an extraordinary pace. I had the pleasure of playing Kai Kou (Xiamen) Golf course while I was on a recent business trip to Xiamen. This course , designed by Greg Norman is one of three golf complexes in Xiamen, a city with roughly the population of Ireland. There are a further ten courses being either developed or under planning in and around this city, with this scenario being mirrored in many areas around China.

From the minute you arrive at the clubhouse entrance all labourious aspects of golf disappear. The greeting party accept your clubs and place them in the cart. The cart is then brought to the courtyard , just outside the gents locker room, where two exquisitely attired ladies ride shotgun on the cart. Their knowledge of the course, club selection and advice from teebox to green is remarkable, and this scribe, if another such chance comes by, will do well to listen to the advice given around and on the greens.
A sight to behold is the repair party, approximately 17 boys/girls attending to fairway divots, pitch marks and bunkers ahead of us as we play, while our two caddies attend to the cleaning of clubs and ball , when not being in an advisory capacity.