Golfing across the border is, like shopping and dining, a paradise for Hong Kong residents. There are more than 50 golf courses across the delta region, some ranking with the best in Asia and most charging membership fees just a fraction of those in Hong Kong.
It is no wonder the number of Hong Kong people spending weekends playing golf over the border is growing. About 80 per cent of the golfers in Shenzhen's 10-plus courses come from outside the mainland, with Hong Kong leading Taiwan and Japan as the most likely origin of visiting players.
Shenzhen's courses are the most frequently used and have the highest density on per square metre basis. Its clubs are also the most profitable, according to Wang Yaokuan, a coach at Shenzhen Noble Merchant Golf Club.
The most famous and largest one is Mission Hills Golf Club. The five 18-hole courses was the site of the 1995 World Cup. It sparked golf mania last November when the world's top golfer, Tiger Woods, played two exhibition tournaments. The American master attracted a group of executives and the rich and famous to pay up to HK$623,000 each to play one hole with the golfing marvel.
Xili Golf Club is reputedly the most exclusive in the region. Only players referred by members can be admitted. It is one of few courses in the region that guarantee a tee time whenever a member arrives.
It is also one of the more expensive clubs in the delta on a per hole basis. It has 27 holes, and membership fees of HK$600,000. On average, Shenzhen club memberships cost between HK$250,000 and HK$350,000 for regular full membership and HK$10,000 to HK$150,000 for weekend membership.