Coming together as teams

Mulan Women Golf Team was established in 2007 with about six golf lovers, has expanded to more than 40 members.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Shi Ting may not be working for a living, but she is one very busy woman.

As the captain of the Mulan Women Golf Team, the first women golf team in Beijing, Shi devotes a lot of her time and energy to the team's affairs, including recruitment of members and organizing golf games and charity events.

The team, which was established in 2007 with about six golf lovers, has expanded to more than 40 members.

To join the team, a golfer needs referral from at least one team member. A standing committee of six members in the team will examine the applicant's golf skills and personality before granting her permission to join.

The team wants new members to be honest and have strong moral principles, as well as be agreeable, so that they can be integrated with others, Shi says.

The baseline for golf skill requirement has increased in recent years. When it was first formed, the team required members to score less than 100 poles. Now, the requirement has become less than 80 poles.

"We have a strong team identity, and practice hard to honor the team," Shi says.

Members gather regularly to practice in order to improve their skills.

It also holds competitions once every month among team members. Those who perform well are chosen to represent the team to play against other teams, whether amateurs or professionals.

In the team's borrowed office in a plastic surgery hospital in the Beijing CBD, there are quite a few trophies that the team has won in various competitions, including charity and commercial events.

Team members also wear uniforms, including hats and gloves.

Shi is proud that Mulan is well known among national golfers, and makes its contribution to the promotion of the sport among Chinese women.

"When the team was formed, we just wanted to play golf and have fun together," Shi says. "Now it is not only about playing golf and having fun by ourselves, but we also want to introduce the sport to more people and help it gain popularity among Chinese women."

As the government and official golf associations regulate and promote golf in China, dozens of other amateur women golf teams initiated by individuals have also sprouted up.