Last November, Bubba Watson dug his heels into the greenside sand bunker on No. 18 at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club. He tilted back a sand wedge and flopped a pitch shot onto the green, the ball speeding into the hole for an eagle, the stunning shot forcing an overtime playoff against South African golfer Tim Clark that Watson would ultimately win. It was one of the signature moments of golf last year, Watson roaring in celebration before collecting his $1.4 million winner’s check at the China-hosted tournament sanctioned by the PGA and other major golf associations.

Despite the big payday at the HSBC Champions, one of the important World Golf Championship events, and a growing presence of the game in China, the country has had a long, complicated relationship with golf. In the year since Watson’s triumphant moment in China, officials there have cracked down on the game. Last week, members of the Communist Party were forbidden from playing what has long been viewed as a hobby of the über wealthy, the unofficial boardroom for corrupt dealings and unnecessary extravagance. With an economic slowdown in play, what was once a place of great hope for the sport now faces a new reality as the PGA Tour and golf brands try to expand into a country where many officials continue to actively work against the game.

via Amid Chinese Crackdown On Golf, Communist Ban Leaves Future Of Sport In China Uncertain.