Golf course architect, Howard Swan, has returned from two visits to the People’s Republic of China – to Beijing and the north, and to Shenzhen and the south – making presentations to invited audiences on golf course design and development and inspecting potential development sites.
The visits, with Elmwood College, are part of an education initiative being undertaken by the college and supported by the R&A and the China Golf Association.
On the most recent visit, which took in Hong Kong also, Duncan Weir, R&A Golf Development Secretary was an important part of the delegation and gave two papers on the administration, rules and regulations of the game and the work of the R&A throughout the world.
At the same time Swan’s practice, Swan Golf Designs signed a co-operation agreement with one of the country’s largest and most experienced golf course companies, Pan China Sports, to collaborate on future projects in China. Swan Golf Designs will provide architectural and design management to new projects in which Pan China are involved, working from their headquarters in Beijing. At nearby Langfang, some 40 kms east of the capital, Swan is proposing to design a 36 hole golf and housing project, which is scheduled to commence construction in November.
Swan works in China with St Andrews International Golf Developments, based in Shenzhen near Hong Kong, and has projects under way at Hefei, Qinghai and Kunming.
Swan Golf Designs www.swangolfdesigns.com