Macau’s golf courses host big swingers who seal deals on fairways and greens

For many, the golf course is an extension of the boardroom, but it isn’t to everyone’s taste. Famed humorist Mark Twain called it a good walk spoiled, and Scotland’s King James II banned the game in 1457 because it was an unwelcome distraction from learning archery, but for all its detractors, golf is big business.

Golf is not a sport for the masses. It is a sport that is, practically speaking, impossible to play without certain financial means. Club memberships, a set of clubs, as well as all kinds of paraphernalia – including the natty clothes that golfers love to wear – do not come anywhere close to cheap, but for many it is an investment thanks to the long-held connection between golf and the world of business.

While the United States leads the way when it comes to the number of players and courses, Asia is home to the most new golf projects, with the majority of the growth coming in China which has almost 500 courses. Hong Kong and Macau have just seven and two, respectively.

Macau’s two courses take up a paltry 44.5 square kilometres, but thatrepresents a full 1 per cent of the country’s land mass. If China had 1 per cent of its land mass as golf courses the area would be bigger than Hong Kong. The world’s largest golf resort is just 80km away in Shenzhen and its 12 courses and 216 holes take up an area equivalent to almost 20 per cent of Macau’s land mass.

The story of golf in Macau is not dissimilar to the story of Macau itself. While the Orient Golf (Macau) Club was established in the late 1970s, it became a target of American gaming interests in the late 1990s. Caesars Entertainment Corporation bought the 71-hectare, 18-hole, par-72 course and rebranded it as Caesars Golf Macau in 1997. Today, it is a popular choice for visitors and expatriates, but it has not been as popular as the purchasers had hoped.

The other course in the former Portuguese enclave is the Macau Golf and Country Club (MGCC). Opened in 1993, it is one of the oldest clubs in southern China, but if there was a battle of the courses, the MGCC won in 1998 when it was chosen to host the Macau Open. Since then, the 18-hole championship course has attracted the biggest names in golf, including Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke, John Daly, Padraig Harrington, Miguel-Angel Jimenez, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie. Chinese golfers Liang Wenchong and Zhang Lianwei, who has won the event twice, have also become fixtures over the years. The event was first broadcast live in 2011 to more than 200 countries reaching 850 million viewers.

Rebranded the Venetian Macao Open in 2012, the tournament is one of the most prestigious golf events in the region. It continues to attract the biggest names in the sport thanks to World Golf Ranking points on offer, prestige, and a purse that is now more than US$1 million.

Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China, says sponsoring the tournament last year was a shrewd move from the Venetian, as it capitalised on its growing prestige. “This prestigious event is the perfect platform to showcase Macau to the world as a top golfing and travel destination.”