China adds golf to its curriculum
Not all the students China's prestigious Peking University are thrilled about the school's investment in a sport only the wealthy can afford. But some say it's an important business asset. Jocelyn Ford reports.
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SCOTT JAGOW: Here’s an idea for your next golf outing: Head on over to China. Wealthier Chinese have really taken to the sport lately. One college plans to start teaching golf, a pretty radical idea in communist China. Jocelyn Ford has more.
JOCELYN FORD: China’s prestigious Peking University says golf is an important part of modern sport, so it plans to build a driving range.
That’s got some students up in arms. They think the university should not invest in athletics most students cannot afford.
But these days in China, things like golf and tennis are as much of a business asset as a sport.
Tennis Coach Tom Wang:
TOM WANG [interpreter]: “Golf and tennis are now very important for businesspeople. They offer contact with customers or colleagues or even some friends.”
According to The Guinness Book of World Records, China is already home to the world’s biggest golf club.
Mission Hills in southern China has 10 courses and is adding two more.
In Beijing, I’m Jocelyn Ford for Marketplace.