Whilst there are claims that the game was invented by the Chinese in the tenth century, during the Cultural Revolution, Golf was banned in China for being associated to British colonialism and decadent bourgeoisie. After 1984, however, several courses have popped up around the country. Nowadays there are about 180 golf clubs in China.

Generally, handicap cards are not required to play on courses in mainland China, however they are required within Macau and Hong Kong. As the courses are fairly busy, the main requirement is to keep up the speed of play. Don’t be surprised to be tailed by a marshal if you don’t.

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Planning a first trip to Asia is a daunting task. “Asia” can include anything from the snowy north of Japan to the deserts of western India. With so many possibilities, it’s hard to imagine where to start. Here are a few itineraries for the first time visitor to Asia. If your trip is going to be one month or less, it’s best to just pick one area or country to focus on. If you have several months, mix and match from the list. Itineraries usually start from a city with a major airport so moving from one area to another shouldn’t be too difficult.

One month in Southeast Asia
This is an iterinary for a month-long whirlwind tour of the highlights of Southeast Asia. Most major international airlines fly into Bangkok, but there are dozens of daily connections to surrounding countries.
- Spend 2-4 days in Bangkok.
- Fly (45 mins) south to the Ko Phi Phi Ko Lanta or Ko Pha Ngan islands for one week.
- Fly from Phuket to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam (2 hours). Spend 1 week visiting the surrounding area.
- From Ho Chi Minh City travel through the Mekong Delta to Cambodia. Spend 3-4 days in Phnom Penh and 3-4 days in Siem Reap visiting Angkor Wat.
- OR From Hanoi in the north or Da Nang in central Vietnam cross the border into Laos by bus (8-12 hours). Spend a week visiting ruins and the Mekong river area.
- Fly (1 hour) or take a bus (8-14 hours) from Siem Reap, Cambodia, or Vientiane, Laos, back to Bangkok.

One month at Southeast Asian beaches
- From Bangkok, take bus to Ko Samet(about 3 hours plus 1-1.5 hours for boat) or Ko Chang (4-6 hours). Spend 4-5 days.
- Return to Bangkok and fly to Phuket (45 mins), bus (8-10 hours), or train (6-8 hours).
- Ferry to Ko Phi Phi (1 hour). 2 days.
- Ferry from Ko Phi Phi to Ko Lanta (1-2 hours). 4-5 days.
- Ferry back to Krabi. Bus to Ferry to Ko Pha Ngan (8 hours). 4-5 days, day trip to National Park of Ko Tao.
- Ferry to Ko Samui and flight back to Bangkok.

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