Green Opium Addiction
Michael Ma couldn't believe what he was seeing. The investment consultant, who became a passionate golfer while studying in the U.S., watched in horror as his new golfing companions hurled their clubs, abused their caddies and cheated.
"When a friend missed a shot, he flung his club into the water -- and made his caddie fish it out," says Mr. Ma , 31 years old, recalling the shock of his first few games back on his Beijing home turf in 2001. "Because caddies retrieve so many balls, and players place them wherever they like, I've even heard people say that 'All golfers in China are blind.' And if someone is in a high position .. playing on the company's money, you have to put up with their way of playing. I saw one of them hit a ball into the rough, then swing several times and move the ball without counting any of his strokes. But what could I say?"
Mr. Ma concludes: "Golf in China may be for the rich, but it is not a noble sport."
Golf in the People's Republic is booming.
A decade ago, the country had only four clubs. Now there are nearly 200, including what will soon become the world's largest -- the 180-hole Mission Hills complex at Shenzhen in Guangdong Province. But golf in China seems to be evolving into a very different game from that which is practiced elsewhere, where personal demeanor matters as much as the score. If, as the common joke goes, "golf is a good walk spoiled," then many would argue that in China, it is a good walk often spoiled by excessive gambling, cheating, drinking, noise, obstruction, favoritism and caddie abuse. Deng Xiaoping once described the Chinese system as "socialism with Chinese characteristics." Now, the serious player who takes to Chinese links must be prepared for "golf with Chinese characteristics."
According to Aylwin Tai, the former general manager of Guangdong's Chung Shan Hot Springs course, some Chinese beginners appear so unaware of the basic manners of the game that they don't even wait for fellow players to take their swings, sometimes launching shots at the same time. "On Hainan Island, I once saw eight balls in flight at once," Mr. Tai says.
"We say this is an elegant sport. But a common answer from our members is, 'I don't care. I have money. I don't have to play the ball where it lies'," admits Cui Zhiqiang, chairman of the China Golf Association. "With such a short tradition, etiquette is our number one problem."
Indeed, China's golf boom has happened so quickly that new players have barely had time to learn to swing and putt, let alone learn golfing etiquette. China's first course -- the Chung Shan Hot Springs course -- only opened in 1984. A rulebook translated into Chinese only became available in the early 1990s. And, until recently, high government officials were largely banned from buying club memberships or playing in public, especially on working days, because of the potential for corruption.
But now, new courses are opening even before there are leaves on trees or the Bermuda grass has sprouted. The capitalist sport has expanded its territory to within sight of Beijing's Communist heartland; in little more than three years, the number of courses within the city limits has gone from three to 30. In about the same period, the Japanese-run equipment store Takeda Golf has expanded the number of its Chinese outlets from one to 10, with stores now in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Membership of the China Golf Association has climbed 25% a year. Meanwhile in Beijing, up to five golf training schools have opened in the past year and a half, with one of the first, Beijing's Elite Training Club, stressing "commercial golf" -- golf for business connections.
Experts estimate that there are now one million Chinese players, and an increasing influx of club-wielding foreign tourists and businesspeople. Says Ma Fusheng, secretary of the exclusive Beijing Eagles golf-playing society and a former journalist: "First it was karaoke, now it's golf."
It's not surprising that newly affluent Chinese would take to the countries' fairways and greens in such numbers and with such enthusiasm. The game --dubbed the "green opium" -- offers instant status and business connections while also providing low-impact, contemplative exercise much like traditional tai ch'i.
"Golf is the most healthy sport for human beings," declares Ma Fusheng. "Golf can change a person's temperament for the good. It's a sport with a strong resemblance to real life -- a never-ending challenge that teaches an unyielding spirit and a forgiving heart."
Like many among China's affluent, Ma Fusheng has become so addicted to the sport that he uses his mobile phone to keeps Eagles' business ticking along while averaging a round and a half every day. But unlike some players who think the hefty price-tag of club membership entitles them to play as slowly and loudly as they wish, the dapper, softly spoken secretary says: "I had a Japanese coach, and his first lessons were golf history, manners and dress code. Golf culture is number one and playing the ball comes second."
The venerable, 250-year-old Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, the governing authority for the rules of the game in more than 100 affiliated nations, including China, next month will issue revised world-wide rules of play that, for the first time, include specifics on etiquette and ball placement. "The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and abide by the rules," the additions state. "All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times .. "
But Chinese golfers may take some time to hear about, or pay attention to, any such admonitions. "The rush to learn the rules isn't matched by a rush to learn the ethics," says Macau-based professional Keith Lawson, who has 11 years' experience managing golf courses in China, and is now the director of Academex, Ltd., an employment and training agency for the golf club industry.
Mr. Lawson jokes about the "rules" of golf in China: "Golf carts are to be crashed at all costs .. My phone call is more important than anyone else's shot, time or concentration .. The number on the holes is so I know roughly where I am whilst I jump around amongst them .. Physical violence is encouraged .. My scorecard is more of a wish list than reality .. I don't care about the brand and number, this ball's mine and I'm playing it!"
Mr. Lawson says he has had to break up many disputes between players. "In one fight," he says, "a guy from Taiwan had karate-chopped a mainland Chinese in the throat. He was lucky not to have broken his windpipe!"
Victor Ma , a manager with Hong Kong's Sincere Insurance Company and an avid golfer who plays in China regularly, believes the main problem is that new Chinese golfers "don't know anything about raking the bunkers or repairing the damage done to the greens." He believes it's "new money" people who won't speed up or let others play through, lest they lose face.
Beyond the issue of common courtesy, other observers report that cheating is endemic. Australian Russell Probert, the head of the social Beijing Golfers Club and a longtime Beijing resident as the proprietor of Frank's Place, a Sanlitun District bar/restaurant and golfers' hang out, recounts his experiences at a social tournament he ran five years ago. A Chinese participant who only that day had purchased his first golf club, turned in a scorecard of 72, including an amazing two-shot "albatross" (a score of three under the designated par for a hole) on a 549-meter, par-five hole. Mr. Lawson recalls witnessing "a prominent businessman drop a ball from his pocket during a competition."
Of course, tales of escapades on the greens can be exaggerated and other nations have gone through similarly awkward adjustment periods in their golf culture development. And, throughout Asia, as in the U.S., there's hardly a foursome that doesn't spice up a round with a wager of some description.
Still, says Mr. Lawson: "Golf courses are there primarily for gambling purposes." Ma Fusheng notes that there's a custom of betting "a hole for a dish: one hole for shrimp, one for lobster, one for abalone." But to most, he says, "A couple of thousand yuan (US$250) isn't really gambling -- a million is gambling."
It's little wonder then, that Ling Yi, one of the country's leading female players and instructor of the country's first golf-management course which started at Beijing's Sports University last year, says "every swing means a bet and the winners can get very noisy." Ms. Ling, 31 years old, says her goal at the university is to create "teachers who will stress morals along with ball hitting."
But she and the teachers she trains may face an uphill battle inculcating players with morals -- and not just because of the problems of etiquette and gambling. A player's status still speaks loudly on China's courses. As Ma Fusheng explains: "If someone older than you or in a higher social position hits one into the sand trap, you've got to hit yours in there too."
Mr. Lawson says this type of problem is common. "One man playing with his boss on a regular basis complained 'He knows I must lose to him every time, but he keeps putting the bets up." " According to Mr. Probert of the Beijing Golfers Club, while playing in a foursome near the Beijing airport, one official got to take his shot over again each time he was distracted by a plane passing overhead -- and the others of lower rank dared not challenge him. "But generally," he adds, "golf is catching on because it's a ladder-up for the lesser guys, a way for them to spend a few undisturbed hours with those who have influence."
Last but not least in the litany of misdemeanors is caddie abuse. The player-caddie relationship is traditionally a respectful one. In China however, the bag toters are mostly poor peasant women enlisted from the countryside, lured by the prospect of tips that can amount to US$400 a month. In exchange they must endure verbal taunts and occasional slaps if, for example, their player slices a shot with a club size they have suggested. "Though it's not so common, a caddie was attacked by a player and struck so hard with a driver that the shaft broke," Mr. Lawson, the Academex director recounts. "The caddie's crime was to pick up an old ball that the player believed was his."
But many are optimistic that the negative characteristics that make China the "wild East" of golf will fade as players become more sophisticated. There's hope in initiatives such as Ms. Ling's Beijing Sports University two-year course, for which 23 eager students have paid $625 in annual tuition fees to learn everything from terminology and the differences between clubfaces, to "not moving a ball with their feet or making a lot of noise bragging."
Mr. Probert, of the Beijing Golfers Club, argues that "the whole thing has turned around so quickly -- with golf developing faster than China itself. At the better courses, that means the local players are going to be more serious, and quicker, than the foreigners."
Better behavior -- and the gentlemanly quality that many claim golf breeds -- is just a matter of time, says Mr. Lawson. "As their own history and tradition develop," he predicts, "sense of pride and peer pressure become the natural guiding forces."
"绿色鸦片"吸引中国新贵
Michael Ma简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。在看到新高尔夫球伙伴猛挥球棒，辱骂球童并采取作弊手段时，这位在美国学习时迷上高尔夫球的投资顾问感到憎恶不已。
在回忆2001年回到北京最初参加的几场高尔夫球赛时，31岁的Ma先生说到了令他震惊的情节："一个朋友的球没打中，竟将球棒扔到了水里，让球童下水去捞。由于球童捡回许多球，打球人就把球随意乱放。我曾听到人们说，在中国，所有打高尔夫球的人都是瞎子。有人身居高位，花公家的钱打球，对他们这种打法你就必须忍气吞声。我曾看见这样一个人，把球打到了球道边的深草区，他挥了数杆并将球移动，但一杆也没有算。我又能说什么呢？"
最后Ma先生表示："在中国，高尔夫球可能是有钱人的运动，但却不是一项高尚的运动。"
在中国，高尔夫球正在蓬勃发展。
十年前，中国仅有4个高尔夫球会，而现在已接近200个，其中包括深圳总有180洞球场的观澜湖(Mission Hills)高尔夫球会，该球会即将成为全球最大高尔夫球会。但是，高尔夫球在中国似乎演化成了一个与其他国家截然不同的游戏。在其他国家，对个人风度的重视绝不亚于对于得分。如果高尔夫球像一句玩笑所说的，"本来是一场绝佳的散步，可惜被搅乱了"，那么在中国，许多人会说，搅乱它的通常是大量赌博、作弊、喝酒、喧哗、阻挡、偏袒和对球童的虐待。邓小平曾将中国的社会制度描述为"有中国特色的社会主义"。现在，认真的参与者在中国打高尔夫球时，必须准备面对"有中国特色的高尔夫"。
据广东中山温泉高尔夫球会(Chung Shan Hot Springs)前总经理Aylwin Tai称，中国的一些新手似乎对打球的基本礼貌一无所知，在其他人挥杆时甚至不懂得等候，有时能见到几个球同时打了出去。他说："在海南，我曾见到8个球同时飞起的情景。"
中国高尔夫球协会(China Gulf Association)秘书崔志强称："我们宣传说这是一项优雅的运动。但我们会员通常的反应是：我不在乎，我有钱，我不一定要把球摆在那个位置。由于缺乏悠久传统，球场礼貌成了最首要的问题。"
的确，中国的高尔夫球热出现得太快，新球手几乎没有时间学习挥杆和轻轻击球，更不用说学习球场礼貌了。中国的第一个高尔夫球场中山温泉球场也是在1984年开放的。90年代初，中国才有了一份译成中文的打球规则手册。直到最近，为防止腐败，高级政府官员大多还被禁止购买会员身份或在公众场合打高尔夫球，特别是在工作日。
但是现在，在树叶还没长出，狗牙根草还没萌芽的时候，新的高尔夫球场就开业了。这种源自西方的运动将触角伸到了北京；在三年多一点的时间里，北京的高尔夫球场数已从3家增至30家。在同一时期，日本人开办的竹田伟业高尔夫用品商店(Takeda Golf)在中国的店铺数量已从1家扩展到10家，目前在北京，上海和天津都设有分店。中国高尔夫球协会会员每年增加25%。北京去年一年半就新开设了5家高尔夫球培训学校，其中的第一家──北京精英高尔夫训练营(Elite Training Club)著重强调"商业高尔夫"，即为建立商业联系而进行的高尔夫球活动。
据专家估计，中国的高尔夫球参与者约有100万人，会打高尔夫球的外国游客和商务人士也越来越多。目前在Beijing Eagles高尔夫球独家社团担任秘书、以前曾是记者的马福生(Ma Fusheng,音译)说："先前是卡拉OK，现在是高尔夫了。"
大量新富裕起来的中国人在高尔夫球场上投入巨大热情，这并不令人感到意外。这种称为"绿色鸦片"的运动，不仅能在顷刻间彰显身份、建立商务联系，而且还让人享受了舒缓、敛心的运动，与太极颇有些相似之处。
马福生说："对人类来说，高尔夫是一种最有益健康的运动。它能改善人的性情。这种运动与现实生活非常类似，是一种永无止境的挑战，教你坚忍不拔，心胸宽广。"
像中国很多富人一样，马福生对高尔夫球上了瘾，每天不仅忙著打手机为Eagles联系业务，而且平均每天要打一场半。有些人认为高价购买了会员身份就可以肆无忌惮地打，马福生对此不以为然。这位衣冠楚楚，说话柔声细语的秘书称："我有个日本教练，他给我上的第一课就是高尔夫球史，礼貌和著装要求。打高尔夫球文化第一，打球次之。"
座落在苏格兰圣安德鲁斯庄严的皇家古典高尔夫球俱乐部(Royal & Ancient Golf Club)拥有250年历史，管理著包括中国在内100多个成员国，是制定高尔夫球规则的权威机构。该俱乐部下月将首次对全球高尔夫球规则进行修改，包括礼节和球的放置。附加条文中写道："在该运动中要照顾到其他参与者，并遵守规则，这依靠参与者个人的品德。所有参与者应自我约束，任何时刻都要表现出礼让和运动员风范。"
然而，中国的高尔夫球参与者对这样的告诫仅仅是花些时间听听，或者说关心一下而已。在中国从事了11年高尔夫球场管理的澳门专业人士肯斯?劳臣(Keith Lawson)说："人们纷纷加入学习球场规则的队伍，而道德准则的学习却被人忽略。"劳臣先生现任高尔夫球会就业和培训机构Academex Ltd.的主任。
劳臣先生开玩笑的说起中国的高尔夫球"规则"："高尔夫车可以不惜一切代价地碰撞；我的一个电话比任何人击球、时间和专心都更重要；暴力行为受到鼓励；我的得分卡可以随心所欲的填写；我才不管这是什么球，这球是我的，我随便打！"
劳臣先生说，他不得不去调解打球时的许多争端。"有一次，一个台湾人把手架在一个大陆人的脖子上。他没切开对方的气管就算万幸！"
香港先施保险公司(Sincere Insurance Company)经理Victor Ma是个高尔夫球迷，常常到大陆打球。他认为主要问题在于，大陆的高尔夫球参与者对耙平沙坑和绿地修复一无所知。他认为，是那些"新贵"不愿意自己加快速度或让他人先打，否则他们会觉得丢面子。
除一般的礼节外，其他观察家称作弊也是普遍存在的问题。澳大利亚的罗素?普鲁伯特(Russell Probert)长期在北京居住，是北京高尔夫球俱乐部(Beijing Golfers Club)负责人，同时还是三里屯餐吧Frank's Place的所有人。他记得曾亲眼看到一个商界名人在比赛时从自己兜里掏出一个球放在地上。
当然，对球场上作弊故事的描述可能言过其实，况且其他国家在高尔夫发展史上也经历过类似的尴尬期。且在整个亚洲，就像在美国一样，为使比赛更加刺激，也难得找到四人对抗赛中不加入一定赌博成份的比赛。
劳臣先生说："在这里，高尔夫球主要用于赌博。"马福生指出，按照约定俗成的做法，一洞赌一盘菜：一洞是小虾，一洞是龙虾，一洞是鲍鱼。但对大多数人来说，两千块钱（250美元）算不上真正的赌博，一百万才算。
难怪，在中国名列前茅的女高尔夫球手李玲(Ling Yi，音译)说："每一次挥杆都意味著一场赌博，获胜者都欣喜若狂。"李玲还担任北京体育大学(Beijing Sports University)去年刚开设的全国第一个高尔夫管理课程的讲师。31岁的李玲表示，她在该大学的目标是培养一批既讲授打球知识又强调道德品质的老师。
但是，摆在李玲和她所培训的教师面前的是一项向高尔夫球手灌输道德观念的艰苦任务，而原因不仅仅在于礼仪和赌博等问题的存在。在中国，一个球手的社会地位仍起著很大作用。马福生解释说："如果一个年龄比你大或社会地位比你高的人把球打到了沙坑里，你也不得不跟著把自己的球打进那里。"
劳臣先生说，这种问题是普遍存在的。"一个经常和老板一起打球的人抱怨道，他知道我每次必须输给他，但还是把赌注越下越大。"据北京高尔夫球俱乐部的普鲁伯特说，在北京机场附近打球时，一名官员每次在飞机从头顶飞过受到干扰时可以重新开始，而其他级别比他低的人不敢说什么。他补充说："但总的来看，高尔夫的风行是因为它被一些小人物视为进身之阶，为他们和那些有影响人物共同度过几小时轻松时光提供了一种途径。"
在我们历数的种种问题中最后一点（并非不重要）是对球童的虐待。球手与球童之间的关系通常应该是互相尊重的。然而在中国，球童大多是来自农村贫苦地区的妇女，被每月可能高达400美元的小费所吸引。作为代价，他们必须忍受辱骂，偶尔他们还要挨几下打，比如在打球人按照球童建议而打偏了的情况下。劳臣先生说："有一次，球童被用球棒打折了骨头，尽管这不是普遍现象。这个球童的过错是要去捡一个旧球，而打球人认为那是他的。"
但是，许多人乐观地认为，随著高尔夫球参与者的成熟，这些中国高尔夫球场上的不文明行为会逐渐消退。希望寄托在李玲女士在北京体育大学开设的两年课程等新行动上。李玲女士的班里有23名求知心切的学生，每年支付625美元学费，学习内容从专业术语到高尔夫球棒端面之间的区别，再到"不要用脚去踢球，不要大声喧哗"，无所不包。
北京高尔夫球俱乐部的普鲁伯特先生称，一切转变发生得太迅速，高尔夫球在中国的发展步伐超过了中国自身。中国的高尔夫球参与者会比外国人更认真，进步更快。
劳臣先生表示，更文明的球场行为，以及许多人声称高尔夫球培养出的绅士素质的显现只是时间问题。他预言道："随著中国高尔夫球历史和传统的发展，自尊心和同侪压力将成为自然的引导力量。"
