According to Mao Zedong, golf is a sport that is "too bourgeois." (Photo : Getty Images)
Though golf has been regarded as "too bourgeois" since the regime of Mao Zedong, some Chinese schools have welcomed the teaching of this sport formally to their students.
The Experimental School of Foreign Languages Affiliate to East China Normal University has started teaching golf lessons this semester, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Citing a statement on the Shanghai-located schools, the move mirrors the institution's "dare-to-innovate spirit."
Quoting the words of its principal, Xia Haiping, the statement further wrote that "the purpose of establishing such curriculum is to strengthen students' physique, cultivate their sense of international etiquette and increase the elegance of their manners."
In recent years, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has intensified his call against the game, shuttering a number of golf courses in the country. This effort is in relation with the government's initiative of curbing "corruption and lavish public spending," the article said.
Deeper concerns have been shared as the fact remains that in order to maintain golf courses, large quantities of water must be sustained. China is regarded as a chronically arid nation.
Asked about this matter, the school was not available for comment, WSJ said.
Despite this situation, the sport has been gradually entering the arena of private schools in the previous years.
For instance, in Beijing Huijia Private School, nearly 2,000 elementary, middle and high-school students are required to take golf classes. This is according to the school's sports management chief, Li Yu.
Li cited numerous benefits and advantages if golf lessons become mandatory, putting emphasis on the rising trend of Chinese students going abroad to finish their academics.
"Golf is more developed in Europe and the U.S. For students, it's a skill that can be useful when they're interviewing or applying for colleges," Li stated.
The scholar also noted that knowledge in the said sport could come handy for the future careers of Chinese students, pointing out its significance in business negotiations and networking.
Nonetheless, Li acknowledged the hurdles of teaching the said sport formally in academic institutions.
"When it comes to school-to-school competitions, very few have these kinds of programs. So it can be hard to find schools to play," he said.
