Golf's future may be in China: Norman
Greg Norman knows what its like to be a trailblazer for golf in his native Australia and the No. 1 player in the world.
What he doesn't know is who China's Greg Norman will be, but the superstar also known as the Great White Shark says that golfer is either already out there or soon will be.
"I truly believe that the East will overtake the West in 20 to 25 years, both from the number of (elite) players and the quality of players," Norman said Thursday following a speech at the annual PGA Merchandise Show.
Partly its a matter of numbers, Norman suggested, referring to a Chinese government minister's comment that the country was looking to build 5,000 courses and to develop 30 million golfers.
Norman and noted U.S. instructor Hank Haney, who joined the Australian on stage for a panel discussion, said golf's return to the Olympics for 2016 and 2020 would spur development of the sport in China and other parts of Asia and the rest of the world.
"Think about the opportunity for the game of golf," said Norman, whose company has established an office in Beijing. "It's tremendous."
Developing China's Greg Norman or Annika Sorenstam, though, will take more than finding someone who can master the mechanics of the golf swing. It's also about improving the level of instruction and coaching, said Norman and Haney, who lauded young Chinese athletes for their focus, concentration and a single-minded drive to get better.
It's good for golf to grow, said Haney, who, like Norman, is trying to get ahead of the China trend by opening one of his golf academies on Hainan Island.
Obviously each part of the world is going to have to sustain itself.
(Growth in China and elsewhere in Asia) may not boost golf in the United States, but golf is getting to be, more and more, a global game.
Norman also described himself as more optimistic and passionate about the future of the golf industry than ever before, referring to the recent growth in countries as far-flung as Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Jordan and Russia, plus a resurgence in Australia.
However, he said, every region must take steps to ensure that its growth in golf is sustainable, unlike real-estate-driven portions of the U.S. industry that have struggled because of oversupply and a bad economy. Chinese golf can build its own model by capitalizing on its population base, Norman said.
"The rising tide floats all boats," Norman said. "The United States (industry) will get sucked into this vortex and come out it a lot faster because of what all the emerging markets are doing in the world of golf."
Source: www.ottawacitizen.com (January 28, 2011)
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