Remember the old TV program “Eight Is Enough”? Well, when it comes to golf in China today, eight isn't nearly enough. Any Chinese developer itching to make a statement these days needs to build at least 10 courses.
Yes, Mission Hills' bigger-is-better concept is spreading. It started in Shenzhen, then went to Hainan Island. And now it's headed to Yunnan Province, at a spread called Sky Oasis Golf Club. The club will be the centerpiece of a 10,000-acre community roughly an hour's drive from Kunming, and it's been master-planned to have 10 golf courses.
“It's all a matter of status and perception,” says the head of the company that's designing the community's third and fourth courses. “They all know the Mission Hills story.”
A report on Sky Oasis is among the featured stories in October's World Edition of the Golf Course Report.
This month, we also provide an answer to a question that isn't asked nearly enough -- Can a country music festival and a golf community make beautiful music together? -- and we reveal the identity of the golf course architect who, upon winning a commission in Northern Ireland, told his client, If I can't get your course into the top 50 of the world, you should shoot me.
Speaking of “must-play” courses, elsewhere in the current issue you'll find a report on the next prospective “world-class” track that's planned in Tasmania, along with notices about other new courses in Australia, Estonia, the Philippines, and Grand Cayman Island.
We also give some ink to Jack Nicklaus, who's been tapped to design both a “signature” course in Brazil and a Nicklaus Legacy course in Argentina, and to Tony Jacklin, who's writing his “signature” on a forthcoming layout in Cuba.
If you're wondering, we do indeed know that China, once the world's hottest golf market, is now all but frozen stiff. But that didn't stop us from writing about the 36-hole complex that Caesars Entertainment wants to build on Hainan Island, or about Retief Goosen's 27-hole complex in Sichuan Province.
Finally, we offer a little tough love to India, which KPMG's Golf Advisory Practice believes could build as many as 100 new courses over the next decade. It isn't that we think India doesn't need more golf courses. We just think Indian developers are going to build the wrong kind of courses.
To get your copy of October's World Edition, give me a call at 301/680-9460 or send an e-mail to me at WorldEdition@aol.com.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
china Partners in Crime
Moratoriums be damned: A Singapore-based construction company has secured government approval to build an upscale “eco-tourism” resort in central China.
The resort’s name, at least for now, is a long, dull mouthful: CCM Group International Eco-Tourism Holiday & Leisure Resort.
CCM Group plans to build it on 1,750 acres in Dianjiang County, outside the city of Chongqing (former transliteration: Chungking). The first phase of the project will consist of an 18-hole golf course and a clubhouse. Later, CCM Group plans to add hotels, meeting space, a polo club, and a theme park.
CCM Group, a publicly traded firm, is a holding company whose subsidiaries are mostly involved in commercial and residential projects. It’s led by Joseph Liew (a.k.a. Sen Keong Liew), who’s earned engineering degrees from two English-speaking colleges in Australia.
The company plans to build its resort in four phases over the next three to five years. Golf construction may currently be outlawed in the People’s Republic, but the company has found a willing co-conspirator in Dianjiang County, which has agreed to install the resort’s infrastructure.
The resort’s name, at least for now, is a long, dull mouthful: CCM Group International Eco-Tourism Holiday & Leisure Resort.
CCM Group plans to build it on 1,750 acres in Dianjiang County, outside the city of Chongqing (former transliteration: Chungking). The first phase of the project will consist of an 18-hole golf course and a clubhouse. Later, CCM Group plans to add hotels, meeting space, a polo club, and a theme park.
CCM Group, a publicly traded firm, is a holding company whose subsidiaries are mostly involved in commercial and residential projects. It’s led by Joseph Liew (a.k.a. Sen Keong Liew), who’s earned engineering degrees from two English-speaking colleges in Australia.
The company plans to build its resort in four phases over the next three to five years. Golf construction may currently be outlawed in the People’s Republic, but the company has found a willing co-conspirator in Dianjiang County, which has agreed to install the resort’s infrastructure.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Week That Was, october 9, 2011
hungary Everybody's Got a Hungary Heart
The world-wide economic collapse has claimed another victim, and this time it's an entire nation's golf development industry.
I'm talking about golf development in Hungary, which is, according to a Hungarian business newspaper, currently showing no signs of life. “The economic crisis,” Napi Gazdasag reports, “has brought Hungary's developing golf industry to a halt.”
The newspaper drew its conclusion on this evidence: Construction on golf courses in Csákberény (26 holes) and Bicske (12 holes) has been stopped in midstream, and a planned third course near Lake Balaton hasn't gotten off the drawing boards.
The course in Csákberény, at Csákberény Golf Resort, was designed by a Swedish architect, Magnus Syrén of Syrén–Blomgren Golf Design. I believe the course in Bicske was to be the centerpiece of Budapest Gate Country Club, which is supposedly being developed by an Irish group collaborating with Hungarian partners. The course had been designed by Christy O'Connor, Jr.
The course near Lake Balaton, in Sávoly, was to be an amenity at Balatonring, which was being developed by a Spanish developer, Sedesa. Balatonring has been master-planned to include a Grand Prix race track, a hotel with a wellness center, and a motorcycle school.
To be sure, golf development in Hungary isn't a major economic indicator, and it's dangerous to make grand conclusions off limited evidence. Still, Napi Gazdasag's report is another unwanted piece of bad news for golf and a reflection of the tough times also being endured by other European nations.
While I'm at it, I should note a couple other bits of Hungarian golf news.
First, the Budapest Business Journal reports that the nation currently has seven 18-hole courses, three nine-hole courses, and three six-hole golf courses. Another source says the tally is nine 18-hole courses, one nine-hole course, and three six-hole courses.
Second, one of those courses -- the 18-hole track at Polus Palace Golf Club in Göd -- is for sale. The course is affiliated with a high-end luxury hotel (called Polus Palace) that couldn't attract overnight guests and has consequently gone belly up.
A Hungarian website, CPP-Luxury.com, says that occupancy rates at most of Hungary's luxury hotels fell by 30 percent during the first six months of this year. This is especially discouraging news for the nation's hoteliers, as it comes on top of a dismal 2010, when their business was down by 20 percent from 2009.
thailand Have Clubs, Will Travel
Better news has arrived from Thailand, which is experiencing a surge in golf tourism that could generate as much as $2 billion in revenues next year.
Golfers make up just a small fraction of Thailand's tourist traffic -- just 3 percent of the overall number -- but they spend freely and their numbers are clearly on the rise. More than 500,000 golf travelers were expected to visit Thailand this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the nation could attract as many as 600,000 foreign golf vacationers in 2012.
The golf traffic is significant, because each of those golf-focused vacationers is believed to spend about $3,300 during his or her time in Thailand -- three times the amount that other vacationers spend.
“It could be our best season ever,” a tour operator told Global Travel Industry News. “The political situation is calm, there have been no natural disasters to deter tourism, and Thailand's cultural capability to attract tourists remains streets ahead of other markets.”
What's more, Thailand's golf tourism business is expected to keep growing. If Thailand attracts 30 million foreign inbound tourists by 2015, as the nation's government believes it will, and if the percentage of golfers holds at 3 percent, then the nation will attract 900,000 golfers and ring up $4.5 billion in revenues from them.
A final note: Thailand, which reportedly has 260 golf courses, is said to be Asia's most popular destination for foreign golfers. The world leader is Spain, which attracts nearly 1 million golf tourists annually.
india Player Starts Small
Gary Player's first golf course in India may be shrinking.
A little more than a year ago, the South Carolina-based architect was hired to design an 18-hole course for DLF City, a big planned community in suburban New Delhi. Player's course was to be the second 18-hole track at the city, which is already home to an Arnold Palmer-designed track (at DLF Golf & Country Club) that's hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic and other professional events.
Now the Indian Express is reporting that New Delhi-based DLF, Ltd. has downsized its ambitions and is only planning to build a nine-hole course. The course is expected to open in 2013.
All is not completely lost, however, because the newspaper notes that “there is scope for expanding the course to 18 holes,” although DLF isn't saying when.
Along with Player's course, DLF had originally planned to build some houses, a hotel, a sports complex, and a golf practice center.
Some information in this post originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.
The world-wide economic collapse has claimed another victim, and this time it's an entire nation's golf development industry.
I'm talking about golf development in Hungary, which is, according to a Hungarian business newspaper, currently showing no signs of life. “The economic crisis,” Napi Gazdasag reports, “has brought Hungary's developing golf industry to a halt.”
The newspaper drew its conclusion on this evidence: Construction on golf courses in Csákberény (26 holes) and Bicske (12 holes) has been stopped in midstream, and a planned third course near Lake Balaton hasn't gotten off the drawing boards.
The course in Csákberény, at Csákberény Golf Resort, was designed by a Swedish architect, Magnus Syrén of Syrén–Blomgren Golf Design. I believe the course in Bicske was to be the centerpiece of Budapest Gate Country Club, which is supposedly being developed by an Irish group collaborating with Hungarian partners. The course had been designed by Christy O'Connor, Jr.
The course near Lake Balaton, in Sávoly, was to be an amenity at Balatonring, which was being developed by a Spanish developer, Sedesa. Balatonring has been master-planned to include a Grand Prix race track, a hotel with a wellness center, and a motorcycle school.
To be sure, golf development in Hungary isn't a major economic indicator, and it's dangerous to make grand conclusions off limited evidence. Still, Napi Gazdasag's report is another unwanted piece of bad news for golf and a reflection of the tough times also being endured by other European nations.
While I'm at it, I should note a couple other bits of Hungarian golf news.
First, the Budapest Business Journal reports that the nation currently has seven 18-hole courses, three nine-hole courses, and three six-hole golf courses. Another source says the tally is nine 18-hole courses, one nine-hole course, and three six-hole courses.
Second, one of those courses -- the 18-hole track at Polus Palace Golf Club in Göd -- is for sale. The course is affiliated with a high-end luxury hotel (called Polus Palace) that couldn't attract overnight guests and has consequently gone belly up.
A Hungarian website, CPP-Luxury.com, says that occupancy rates at most of Hungary's luxury hotels fell by 30 percent during the first six months of this year. This is especially discouraging news for the nation's hoteliers, as it comes on top of a dismal 2010, when their business was down by 20 percent from 2009.
thailand Have Clubs, Will Travel
Better news has arrived from Thailand, which is experiencing a surge in golf tourism that could generate as much as $2 billion in revenues next year.
Golfers make up just a small fraction of Thailand's tourist traffic -- just 3 percent of the overall number -- but they spend freely and their numbers are clearly on the rise. More than 500,000 golf travelers were expected to visit Thailand this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the nation could attract as many as 600,000 foreign golf vacationers in 2012.
The golf traffic is significant, because each of those golf-focused vacationers is believed to spend about $3,300 during his or her time in Thailand -- three times the amount that other vacationers spend.
“It could be our best season ever,” a tour operator told Global Travel Industry News. “The political situation is calm, there have been no natural disasters to deter tourism, and Thailand's cultural capability to attract tourists remains streets ahead of other markets.”
What's more, Thailand's golf tourism business is expected to keep growing. If Thailand attracts 30 million foreign inbound tourists by 2015, as the nation's government believes it will, and if the percentage of golfers holds at 3 percent, then the nation will attract 900,000 golfers and ring up $4.5 billion in revenues from them.
A final note: Thailand, which reportedly has 260 golf courses, is said to be Asia's most popular destination for foreign golfers. The world leader is Spain, which attracts nearly 1 million golf tourists annually.
india Player Starts Small
Gary Player's first golf course in India may be shrinking.
A little more than a year ago, the South Carolina-based architect was hired to design an 18-hole course for DLF City, a big planned community in suburban New Delhi. Player's course was to be the second 18-hole track at the city, which is already home to an Arnold Palmer-designed track (at DLF Golf & Country Club) that's hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic and other professional events.
Now the Indian Express is reporting that New Delhi-based DLF, Ltd. has downsized its ambitions and is only planning to build a nine-hole course. The course is expected to open in 2013.
All is not completely lost, however, because the newspaper notes that “there is scope for expanding the course to 18 holes,” although DLF isn't saying when.
Along with Player's course, DLF had originally planned to build some houses, a hotel, a sports complex, and a golf practice center.
Some information in this post originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.
Friday, October 7, 2011
talking points Carolina on My Mind
Last year's inaugural Symposium on Affordable Golf attracted 75 participants. Can this year's session draw 150?
That's the number Richard Mandell is shooting for, as his grass-roots effort to bring some sense to the golf business continues. The Pinehurst, North Carolina-based architect aims to make the symposium an annual get-together for those who want to have a frank, honest discussion about where the industry has been and where it's going.
“The more people who can attend with fresh ideas, the better we will all be able to transform the game we love into an affordable entity for all,” says Mandell.
So mark your calendars: This year's symposium will be held exactly a month from today, on Monday, November 7. The venue: The Elks Club Lodge in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The cost: Nothing.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to play a round of affordable golf on Tuesday, November 8 at Southern Pines Golf Club. The price: $35.
The headliners at the day-long program include Barney Adams, the founder of Adams Golf; Rob Waldron, the business development manager of Billy Casper Golf; and Mark Woodward, the former executive director of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
The other speakers and discussion leaders are golfers, golf course owners, developers, managers, and superintendents, along with golf course designers.
If you're interested, you can register and learn more at SymposiumOnAffordableGolf.com.
That's the number Richard Mandell is shooting for, as his grass-roots effort to bring some sense to the golf business continues. The Pinehurst, North Carolina-based architect aims to make the symposium an annual get-together for those who want to have a frank, honest discussion about where the industry has been and where it's going.
“The more people who can attend with fresh ideas, the better we will all be able to transform the game we love into an affordable entity for all,” says Mandell.
So mark your calendars: This year's symposium will be held exactly a month from today, on Monday, November 7. The venue: The Elks Club Lodge in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The cost: Nothing.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to play a round of affordable golf on Tuesday, November 8 at Southern Pines Golf Club. The price: $35.
The headliners at the day-long program include Barney Adams, the founder of Adams Golf; Rob Waldron, the business development manager of Billy Casper Golf; and Mark Woodward, the former executive director of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
The other speakers and discussion leaders are golfers, golf course owners, developers, managers, and superintendents, along with golf course designers.
If you're interested, you can register and learn more at SymposiumOnAffordableGolf.com.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
australia Sand Bagged
Is it possible to build a golf course on sandy coastal property in Tasmania without making comparisons to Barnbougle Dunes?
That’s the question Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford, the principals of Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies, will face as they design a new nine for Bicheno Golf Club, on the island’s east coast. Five of the new holes are likely to resemble those from the existing links at Barnbougle Dunes, as they’ll be located on similarly sandy oceanfront property. The waterfront holes will be connected to the club’s 60-year-old nine-hole track with some heathland-style holes.
The addition is being funded by the community-owned club, which is located in the town of Bicheno, and by Peter Johnstone, who aims to build 60 houses on property adjacent to the original nine.
Crafter and Mogford base their design philosophy on principles outlined by Alister MacKenzie. Either alone or together, they’ve designed Fleurieu Golf Club in Mount Compass, South Australia; Hornbill Golf & Jungle Club on the island of Borneo, in East Malaysia; Astana Golf Course in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia; and Guangzhou South China Golf Club in Zhen Longtown, Guangdong Province, China.
The Adelaide-based firm also has offices in Melbourne and Perth, along with an international presence in India and Phoenix, Arizona. The office in Phoenix is managed by Jane Crafter, Neil’s sister, a former LPGA pro who now serves as a commentator for the Golf Channel.
As far as those inevitable comparisons to Barnbougle Dunes go, my question is this: Will they be a blessing or a curse?
That’s the question Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford, the principals of Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies, will face as they design a new nine for Bicheno Golf Club, on the island’s east coast. Five of the new holes are likely to resemble those from the existing links at Barnbougle Dunes, as they’ll be located on similarly sandy oceanfront property. The waterfront holes will be connected to the club’s 60-year-old nine-hole track with some heathland-style holes.
The addition is being funded by the community-owned club, which is located in the town of Bicheno, and by Peter Johnstone, who aims to build 60 houses on property adjacent to the original nine.
Crafter and Mogford base their design philosophy on principles outlined by Alister MacKenzie. Either alone or together, they’ve designed Fleurieu Golf Club in Mount Compass, South Australia; Hornbill Golf & Jungle Club on the island of Borneo, in East Malaysia; Astana Golf Course in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia; and Guangzhou South China Golf Club in Zhen Longtown, Guangdong Province, China.
The Adelaide-based firm also has offices in Melbourne and Perth, along with an international presence in India and Phoenix, Arizona. The office in Phoenix is managed by Jane Crafter, Neil’s sister, a former LPGA pro who now serves as a commentator for the Golf Channel.
As far as those inevitable comparisons to Barnbougle Dunes go, my question is this: Will they be a blessing or a curse?
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