Struggling golf courses urged to reduce fees

Golf courses are struggling financially in a new era of frugality, yet few are attempting to make the sport more affordable or improve services that would attract tourists and overseas enthusiasts.

China's once booming golf business, a status symbol among the rich with its high membership fees, has fallen victim to the government's campaign to curb excess spending.

The courses in Hainan province need to adjust to the new reality and make the cost of play more affordable for the average person, said Sun Ying, director-general of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission.

"Now we have 74 legal golf courses. However, too many of them are focusing on high-end clients. I noticed one golf club's membership cost millions of yuan," Sun said during the province's January sessions on governance.

"There should be more golf courses open for regular tourists and white-collar workers."

Hainan was the fourth largest golf market on the Chinese mainland after Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong province, but about 70 percent of the province's courses are losing money, Zhou Ping, an official of Hainan tourism authority, was quoted as saying by Guangzhou Daily.

Another issue for legal golf courses has been the proliferation of illegally constructed courses over the past few years.

Officials said those are being investigated.

Liu Xiaoli in Haikou contributed to this story.