Golf

   Introduced to Burma during the British colonial period, the game of golf is not only recreation but also an occasion for wealthy and powerful members of society, especially high-ranking Tatmadaw officers and their business partners, to develop profitable relationships. Although Ne Win isolated the country from most foreign influences, he loved golf and frequently traveled from his heavily guarded compound on the shores of Inya Lake to one of the few operating golf courses in Rangoon (Yangon). During the Burma Socialist Programme Party period (1962-1988), local state and party officials sometimes sponsored the construction of golf courses in their jurisdictions to give themselves a place where they could entertain and influence higher officials. After the State Law and Order Restoration Council opened the country to foreign economic influences in 1988, golf assumed even greater importance, as military officers and local businesspeople made joint venture deals with foreign partners. Many golf courses are military owned. Lavish courses, such as the Pun Hlaing Golf Estate in Rangoon's Hlaing Thayar Township or the Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club near Pegu (Bago), have been designed to meet international standards.