Opinion | Why golf suddenly looks to be in favour in China once again – and how Asian Tour can cash in

It seems unlikely that China’s president, Xi Jinping, will play golf with Donald Trump at next month’s rumoured meeting at his US counterpart’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

In January this year 111 illegally constructed courses were shut down in what seemed another blow. But the Chinese Golf Association has announced a new-look China Tour for this year that will feature a minimum of 12 events each with minimum prize money of US$200,000. It has published a draft five-year plan to develop the game that hits every buzzword in China’s drive to make sport and healthy living key parts of the economy and people’s lives. The plan is contrite about previous excesses in course-building, etc, and pledges to make the game for the people rather than elites, by taking it into schools and so on.