Recently, Japanese and South Korean golf enthusiasts have made up the bulk of tourists to Qingdao, Shandong province. According to a travel agency, more and more South Korean tourists have come to Qingdao for golf playing in late March, bringing about 10 tour groups every week.

The period from mid-to-late March to November every year is the busiest season for South Koreans to play golf in Qingdao. Especially after May and June, there will be about twenty tour groups every week with a peak of sixty in 2005--2007.

There are six golf clubs in Qingdao, each with its own special charms and features. The Qingdao International Golf Club is located in the Qingdao National Tourism Resort Area, with a total length of 7,007 yards, where visitors from each fairway can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the coastal zone. Tiantai Holiday Golf Club combines golfing, natural hot spring water bathing, skiing, beach-going, astronomical observation and business leisure together in one exciting resort. Qingdao Huashan International Golf Club, built in 1996, has two 18-hole international championship golf courses and is one of the most prestigious golf courses in Shandong.

Golf tourism is considered an important part of high-end tourism cities. The golf club in some coastal cities in China plays a crucial role in developing the local tourism industry. For example, Hainan province highlights golf tourism in building an international tourist city. With its unique geographical advantages and resources, Qingdao will embrace its new era to develop golf tourism.

By Yan Fei

Editor: Li Jing