To save farmland and water resources, the State Council issued a notice in 2004 that suspended construction of new golf courses in China. Since then, a number of regulations to restrict golf courses have been made by governments of various levels.
But the number of golf holes in China rose from about 3,060 in 2004 to 8,814 in 2010 and 9,769 in 2011. That is to say, in the past eight years, the speed of golf-course construction has not been slowed by related regulations.
The real estate developers call the course projects "ecological sports lands" to persuade local authorities to approve their projects. In fact, some local governments regard golf courses as symbols of the prosperity of a local economy, and thus hope to attract more investment and business with them.
With the tacit consent of some authorities, real estate companies are becoming more audacious in new golf-course construction. Some companies even say their projects support the State policy of constructing new countryside.
Even though some projects are investigated, most probes end with symbolic fines.
The absence of an accountability system for relevant authorities in this regard also make officials fearless while pretending to be blind to the new golf courses.
Translated from China Business News
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