DR. Ken Chu, Chairman and CEO of the Mission Hills Group in China and his brother Tenniel, the group’s vice chairman, have retained their number one ranking as the most powerful people in the Asian golf industry, according to Golf Inc. magazine.

    Ken Chu was also inducted into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame at the recent 2016 Asian Golf Awards. He is the youngest receiver of this award.

    The Golf Inc. ranking is compiled by its editors around the world and considers each person’s impact on golf course management, education and training, environmental sustainability, financial sustainability, golf course development and promotion of golf, as well as other factors.

    As reported by the American publication, “the Chu brothers have obtained traction in Asia for pursuing a strategy of “Golf and More” to develop recreational facilities that compliment golf and attract a broader audience.” Ken and Tenniel Chu retained their ranking as the most powerful people in the Asian golf industry for a fourth successive year.

    Golf Inc.’s recognition of the Chu family demonstrates China’s increasingly crucial role in global golf. The success of the “Golf and More” strategy behind the continued growth of Mission Hills was also a factor behind Ken Chu’s Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame Award, which he received at the 2016 Asian Golf Awards in Hua Hin, Thailand, on Oct. 30.

    “What I’m doing to try to change the forefront of the game is to tie in golf with not just lifestyle but also world-class leisure and entertainment developments,” explained Ken Chu at the ceremony.

    Ken Chu also received a number of other Asian Golf Awards at the ceremony, including the Best Clubhouse in Asia-Pacific and the Best Pro-Shop in Asia Pacific, both for Mission Hills Haikou. (SD-Agencies)