Officials said to play at illegally built golf club near airport
Print Edition
AN illegally built golf club near Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport has members who include government and state-owned enterprise officials, it was claimed yesterday.
Dongzhuang Beach golf club, which charges 1.46 million yuan (US$262,200) for membership, was built in 2009 despite a State Council ban on new golf courses across the country issued in 2004, Xinhuanet said.
The 1.8 square kilometer club was described as a “sports park” when the project was approved by the city’s urban planning authority, said the website of Xihua news agency.
Some senior officials with state-owned enterprises and government officials were invited to play at the club, a general manager surnamed Wang told Xinhuanet.
“My boss will give some discounts to these officials on the membership fee,” Wang said.
The membership fee only granted entry to the club, members needed to pay extra for other services, he said.
Most of the members were owners of private companies‚ who would pick up friends at the airport and head directly to the club, Wang told Xinhuanet, and the club would protect the privacy of guests by only registering surnames.
The club has two 18-hole championship courses and has held many international competitions, according to the club’s official website.
Just this weekend, 20 players were seen playing on the courses with many luxury vehicles parked along Yingbin Boulevard in front of the club because the club’s parking areas were full, Xinhuanet said.
The courses incorporate three artificial lakes and caddies, coaches and electric vehicle drivers are on hand to offer their services.
The club is operated by the Dongzhuang Beach Sports Development Co, a company with registered capital of 85 million yuan, according to the industry and commerce administration.
However, its registered businesses cover only sports events planning and management as well as greenery projects and there is no mention of golf.
Robbie Luo, the club chairman and its legal representative, is said to have been involved in the construction of two illegal golf courses in Beijing, according to Xinhuanet.
The land belongs to the Shanghai Airport Authority who rent it to the golf club, it said.
An official with the Pudong New Area’s land and planning authority declined to show the planning approval document to Xinhuanet but said the golf courses should be “renovated,” according to the State Council order.
The order to suspend construction of all golf courses across China in 2004 was a bid to protect limited forestry and farmland resources. The State Council, along with 11 ministries, issued another order in July last year to close all illegally operated golf courses.
However, the Dongzhuang Beach golf club remained in operation with its membership fee increased from 1.3 million yuan in 2014 to the current 1.46 million yuan.
The club has a sports park to the north of the courses which is separate from the main club and closed to the public. Camel, deer and sheep are raised in the park for both sightseeing and eating for the boss and his guests, a breeder at the park told Xinhuanet.
The park was built not only to gain planning approval but also to allow expansion in the future, Xinhuanet said, adding that a hotel is under construction in the park.
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