Singapore drives into mainland golf
SHANGHAI Holdings, a Singapore development group, is making an aggressive foray into the China market with its latest development project, a US$20 million golf resort to be built in Guangzhou.
The Guangzhou International Golf Club will be developed by Orwell investments, one of the 10 subsidiary companies of the group.
The land, leased from the Chinese Government, is in the town of Xiancun, a 30-minute drive from the city.
According to Lim Seak Koon, the founder and managing director of Shanghai Holdings, the golf club will boast world-class golfing and resort facilities when it opens next year.
It will target Guangzhou's businessmen; expatriates and their families; investors from Shenzhen, Hongkong and Singapore; and frequent business investors visiting China.
''We see a potentially strong market for leisure and recreation in China in the future given the growing base of local entrepreneurs, corporate executives and expatriates, with the purchasing power, not only in Guangzhou and Shenzhen but the surroundingregion as well,'' said Mr Lim.
The company will launch a membership and marketing campaign in Singapore, Hongkong and China later this month and is confident of achieving its target of 1,200 to 1,500 members from China and overseas.
The joining fee is $20,000 for individuals and $24,000 for corporate members.
The 18-hole golf course was designed by Nelson and Wright Golf Course Architects, who have created some of the most prestigious golf courses in the United States, the Asia-Pacific region and France.
The resort also includes a club house, designed by Singapore-based RDC Architects, and will feature a swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, a gymnasium, whirlpool, sauna, a billiard and games room, as well as a bar, and a continental and Chinese Restaurant.
In Singapore, the Shanghai Holdings Group has completed projects such as La Villa and Avon, Alwyn and Begonia Parks.
