About 400 students at an elementary school in Shanghai began the spring semester by swinging golf clubs.
The Experimental School of Foreign Languages Affiliated with East China Normal University is the first public elementary school in China to introduce golf as one of its compulsory courses.
华东师范大学附属外国语实验学校是国内首个将高尔夫纳入必修课程的公立小学。It said on its website that since the semester began on Feb 18 all first- and second-grade students must practice golf once a week. Extra tuition fees will not be charged for students who take the course.
该校的官网上写着，自本学期2月18日开学起，所有一、二年级学生必须每周上一节高尔夫课。且该高尔夫课程是免费的。
Xia Haiping, the school principal, told Chinese media outlet The Paper: "Golf is not a high-class sport exclusive to the rich. It can be a popular game accessible to all."
该校校长夏海萍对澎湃新闻表示：“高尔夫并不是一项有钱人专享的贵族运动。它是普通大众都可以参与的一种全民健身活动。”Xia Haiping, the school principal, said the school added the course to its syllabus not only to improve conditions for students, but also to help them with etiquette.
夏海萍校长表示，学校增设高尔夫课程，不只是为了增强学生体质，还旨在帮助学生掌握礼仪。It is estimated that there are more than 30 schools in China - private and public, elementary and secondary - that include golf as part of their physical education lessons.
据估计，全国有超过30所民办和公立中小学的体育课开设了高尔夫课程。The sport has become hugely popular among businesspeople in China. Many parents now hope that it can give their children an edge when applying for overseas university places.
该运动在中国非常受商务人士的欢迎。许多家长希望在申请出国留学时，高尔夫能成为孩子的一个优势。In 1997, Shenzhen University in Guangdong province was the first educational institution in Asia to establish a golf college dedicated to training professional talent in playing and managing the game.
1997年，广东省深圳大学设立了高尔夫学院，这在亚洲教育机构中当属首例，它致力于培养打高尔夫和管理这项运动的专业人才。According to the sports management company Forward Management Group, there were about 32,000 junior golfers in China by 2013, and the number is rising.
据沃德管理集团体育管理公司数据显示，2013年，中国大约有3.2万的青少年高尔夫球手，这个人数仍呈上升趋势。