2011 Beijing Golf Show

The sign out front said it all. "Enter the world’s fastest growing golf market."
You can truly say that the Chinese have embraced the game in a big way. With some of the top up and coming stars on the LPGA, European, and PGA tours coming from this Asian market, the game is sure to continue to grow.

China has proven to be a force in the golf market with well over 650 golf courses
currently in China; this number continues to grow by leaps and bounds. By how much it will grow is yet to be seen, but the courses that are being built in China would rival the very best that you would find in the US and Europe. When talking to architects, they all say they have 6 to 10 projects on the board or underway, so I think the Magic Dragon is going to be around for some time.

This year’s China golf show in Beijing was the largest one yet. The event was held
at the China National Convention Center, the former site of the 2008 Beijing Summer
Olympic Games. One thing that sets this show apart was that it was a blend of the PGA show and the GIS show wrapped up into one. You could find your new Toro or John Deere located right next to your new Adams driver. You could find any product you wanted to find at the show along with a smiling face to assist you. If you wanted to hone your golf swing, there must have been at least 30 golf simulators throughout the show. When it came time for the seminars (classes), the guest speakers were the who's who of the golf world, from architects to superintendents from around the world.

With between 10,000 to 12,000 attendees walking through the door this year, the trade floor was a buzz -- or, should I say, a roar. The sounds of the trade show were sometimes so loud, you couldn't hear the person next to you. I Just hope that the PGA/GCSAA are taking notes of the hype for the US show in the future.