DEQING, ZHEJIANG, China — Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) General Manager Nick Shan highlighted the necessity for golf to expand into schools and communities across China and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking during a keynote session at the 9th GCMC (Golf Club Management Conference) Members’ Annual General Meeting at Longshan Lake International Golf Club, Shan addressed 250 golf industry professionals regarding the sport's development strategy.
“It’s crucial for golf to expand into schools and communities. Growing the pool of golfers of different age groups across Asia-Pacific is key to growing the size of market that will enjoy the sport,” Shan said.
He further noted the economic and operational benefits of this grassroots expansion: “This will also help to provide a continuous depth of golfers that would like to work and support the golf eco-system. This increases the total addressable market for the whole industry which is healthy to continuously improve best practice and standards of excellence.”
The keynote session, titled ‘Pathways for Regional Co-Ordination,’ also featured presentations from GCMC Director Aylwin Tai and Rae-Vadee T. Suwan, Secretary-General of the Thai Golf Foundation and Founder of the Queen Sirikit Cup.
Suwan outlined the Thai Golf Foundation’s core operational pillars, which include junior golf promotion, equipment support, tournament hosting, and public welfare programs. She also discussed organizational challenges, specifically focusing on volunteer recruitment and retention.
“Golf is an investment in people, communities, and the nation’s future,” Suwan stated.
Concluding the session, Tai presented promotional invitation videos from Forest City Golf Resort in Malaysia and Hoiana Shores Golf Club in Vietnam to highlight upcoming learning opportunities for conference members and industry partners.
Prominent industry figures in attendance at the three-day forum included GCMC Deputy Director Zhao Guoxiong, GCMC Secretary-General Liao Liwen, Zhejiang Golf Association Deputy Secretary-General Hu Xiaojie, and Wen Baijin, Chairman of the host venue.
The conference opened with a retrospective film documenting GCMC’s 10-year history. The opening program featured pre-recorded congratulatory addresses from Dominic Wall, R&A Asia-Pacific Regional Director, and Jason Koenigsfeld, Chief Education Officer at the Club Management Association of America (CMAA).
Wall summarized the R&A's ongoing initiatives within the Asia-Pacific territory, pointing to the advancement of women and junior programs, sustainable golf course construction, and specialized industry education as key components for global golf development.
Koenigsfeld introduced CMAA’s BMI professional training courses tailored for Asia-Pacific club managers. He also extended an official invitation for GCMC members to attend the upcoming CMAA Centennial Conference scheduled for next February in Chicago.
Sean Quinn, Senior Designer at Nicklaus Design, utilized dozens of global case studies to present professional strategies aimed at upgrading existing golf properties. Quinn stated that successful renovations rely heavily on streamlining landscaping elements to restore the original design strengths of a golf course. He detailed five primary considerations for renovation projects:
Quinn also projected that compact nine-hole short courses would grow as a prominent industry trend, describing the format as an internationally replicable model for revitalizing established golf courses throughout China.
Aylwin Tai, Rae-Vadee T. Suwan and Nick Shan (centre, front row) with conference attendees.
