ALL | ASIAN TOUR | ONEASIA | ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR | MERCEDES-BENZ TOUR | OTHERS

The growth of the annual Spring City Golf and Lake Resort media tournament has, for all intents and purposes, been in tandem with the growth of golf in China. Since the first one held back in 2005, the event has developed from one consisting of a handful of Chinese media, to a full-blown affair showcasing the development of golf media in the country.

Over the years, the event sponsored by Spring City Golf & Lake Resort in Kunming has been a keenly anticipated one by golf media all over Asia. Over a hundred journalists and media professionals from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore attended last year, from December 1 to 4. Customarily, the event, sponsored by Honma, kicked off with a golf forum that, this year, focused on the formation of the China Golf Writers Association.

At the forum, Calvin Koh of the Asian Tour spoke of how the newly formed journalist association can work with the tours, while Ju K. Tan, Golf Digest Singapore Editor was invited to speak about the synergiesthat can come about through the organisation. Wang Zhi Gang of Golf Magazine China as well as Wang You Yu of Sports Illustrated China were also in attendance and discussed the formation and rationale of the China Golf Writers Association.

The 2011 tournament was played over two rounds - one each at Spring City’s Jack Nicklaus-designed Mountain Course, and the renowned Lake Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Players were randomly put together to form eight different teams, enabling everyone to network with each other, forging ties and enhancing relationships. Prizes sponsored by Honma China, were given away at the grand dinner and prize presentation that culminated in a grand fireworks display that lit up the winter sky.

Spring City Golf and Lake Resort will undergo comprehensive redevelopment this year, which will consist of the building of a new clubhouse and renovations to the hotel. As such, the next media tournament planned will be in 2013 – a date everyone will be looking greatly forward to.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND TO VIEW CAPTIONS