The President's Daily Brief PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 26th, 2025: Inside Xi Jinping’s Bizarre War on Golf
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Dec 26, 2025 Explore the bizarre political battleground of Xi Jinping's war on golf, where the sport became a symbol of corruption and elite privilege in China. From Mao's early condemnation to the emergence of a hidden golf boom, the podcast dives into golf's complicated relationship with the Communist Party. Discover how Xi’s anti-corruption campaign painted golf as a politically sensitive issue, leading to a ban on members attending clubs. The conversation also highlights why golf diplomacy with Xi is utterly impossible due to strict control over optics.
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Golf Became Politically Toxic Under Mao
- Golf was condemned after 1949 as a symbol of wealth, privilege, and Western decadence in Mao's China.
- Many courses were closed, plowed under, or repurposed, making golf politically toxic for decades.
The Hidden Golf Boom During Reform
- After economic reforms golf quietly re-emerged with courses opening from 1984 onward despite an official 2004 moratorium.
- Local officials often disguised courses as parks or scenic zones and continued building them anyway.
Golf Signaled Elite Networks And Risk
- Golf became a visible marker of an elite class separate from average Chinese citizens and a private space for networking.
- The CCP viewed those private networks as a political threat tied to corruption and privilege.