It??s a long way from St Andrews to Simapo Island in China ?? about 5,897 miles to be precise ?? but the golfing reputation, influence and expertise that abounds in the Auld Grey Toon will be felt in the far east after the St Andrews Links Trust announced plans to license its first ever overseas Golf Academy.

It??s a long way from St Andrews to Simapo Island in China ?? about 5,897 miles to be precise ?? but the golfing reputation, influence and expertise that abounds in the Auld Grey Toon will be felt in the far east after the St Andrews Links Trust announced plans to license its first ever overseas Golf Academy.

The Chinese market is a booming industry and the Links Trust, which has always been highly protective of the St Andrews brand, is eager to tap into the potential for growth. Based at a newly developed complex on Simapo Island in Hainan, the academy, which is set to open in April 2015, will provide all the latest innovative equipment and will be carefully monitored by a series of qualified PGA instructors.

??St Andrews has a longstanding reputation of introducing others to its values and expertise, those fundamental to the game of golf itself, around the world,?? said Euan Loudon, the chief executive of the St Andrews Links Trust, after unveiling the deal in partnership with White Horse Holdings. ??In the 19th and 20th century competition, caddies, golf equipment manufacturing, green-keeping techniques, which were all born and evolved over hundreds of years in St Andrews, were shared with the wider world and the popularity of the game grew and grew, culminating in it becoming the global sport we see today.??

While the game in China is often prohibitively expensive for the general public, figures suggest that by 2020 some 20 million people will be playing the game there. Banned under Communist rule, it wasn??t until 1984 that the first course opened. A decade ago, there were around 170 courses. By 2008, that number had rocketed to almost 600. With major sponsors shelling out big bucks to attract some of the game??s biggest names to China, the tournament scene in this neck of the woods continues to go from strength to strength.

Those at the Links Trust are keen to play a part in this rapid expansion. ??Our Golf Academy (in St Andrews) has welcomed some of the best young talent in Scotland,?? added Loudon. ??This and the continued success of the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association, which strives to introduce every child in St Andrews to the game and encourage knowledge and understanding, has helped us to understand what we could do and how we could deliver a project of this nature overseas.??