Beijing has taken a swing at golf in the capital by freezing land allocations for new course developments under a land release plan issued this week by the city's Bureau of Land and Natural Resources.
It is believed to be the first time the city government has stopped land supply for golf courses.
In 2003, growing concerns about the city's increasingly scarce land resources prompted the authorities to bring a halt to further high-end townhouse and villa projects.
At least 20 golf clubs in Beijing manage nearly 40 courses, many built on arable land within the fourth ring road.
Yang Dongping , a vice-director of the environmental group Friends of Nature, said the sunshine, green expanses and clean air associated with courses came at the expense of land resources and the environment.
He said there was an international consensus to limit the number of golf courses for the sake of the environment.