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RFA: Number of Golf Courses Growing Despite Prohibition

Radio Free China (RFA) recently reported, based on a number of Chinese media sources, that more and more golf courses are being built across China. In 2004, the Chinese State Council issued an order to stop building all gulf courses. However, the number of golf courses grew from 170 in the year 2004 to over 600 today. Although the central government organized an investigation and clean-up in 2011, the golf courses are still functioning well. Local governments give strong support to many of these establishments because they rely on high-end businesses to bring in local revenue. Some of these golf projects were approved under different names, such as “sports parks,” where other real estate, such as luxury homes, could also be developed. According to China Youth Daily, of all of these 600 plus golf courses, only one is open to the public. The rest are all luxury clubs which only offer expensive membership to the wealthy. 
Source: Radio Free China, August 31, 2012
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/yl-08312012154633.html