"For the visitors who play golf in Hainan, it takes them seven hours to play a round of golf. That is a real shortage of supply."
/The WSJ's Emily Veach interviews Ken Chu of the Mission Hills Group about golf in China. And you thought play was slow in America...
WSJ: As many as 200,000 people attended the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup. Analysts have said the number of golfers in China is about 300,000, other reports are as high as 3 million. What are your estimates and how can you turn those spectators into golfers?
Mr. Chu: There are close to 3 million golfers in China already, and that is increasing. Golf is perceived as a luxurious sport only because the demand is much greater than the supply, and it is still very young in the country. Every tournament we have hosted is free for the public to come and understand the game. Centuries ago, golf in Europe and also in the United States was considered a very prestigious, very expensive sport as well. Look what it has turned into today. It's very common overseas. In China, it's not today because there's only 24 years of history. The supply of golf is under the demand that's required. It will grow, definitely.
A normal round of golf takes about four hours. For the visitors who play golf in Hainan, it takes them seven hours to play a round of golf. That is a real shortage of supply. In the coming years, maybe around 50 courses will be built (in Hainan). We are building for the demand.