The Chinese Communist Party recently updated its list of party discipline rules, and, as part, banned its 88 million members from joining golf clubs. This is seen as another step in the country’s effort to crack down on corruption.
According to a BBC report, the rule bans members from “obtaining, holding or using membership cards for gyms, clubs, golf clubs or various other types of consumer cards, or entering private clubs.” The report indicates that the penalty for violation could range from a warning to being thrown out of the party.
China has had a ban on new golf course construction since 2004, and in March the country announced that 66 courses were being shut down. Earlier this year, an LPGA event slated for China was canceled without explanation just weeks before it was to be played.
The new regulations do not elaborate on why golf club memberships have been banned, but the report indicates that the clubs are perceived as places “where officials have cut shady deals.”