The party prohibited state officials from accepting membership in sports and entertainment clubs as gifts in October last year.One of several disciplinary cases following the crackdown was the sacking in December of a deputy mayor for playing golf during working hours and allowing other people to pay his fees.But a new article in Discipline Inspection and Supervision News, the official newspaper of China's anticorruption bureau, said: "There is no right or wrong about playing golf, as it's just a sport."Golf has flourished in China in recent decades, having previously been condemned in the time of Mao as the "sport for millionaires".Officials have now clarified that, as long as party members pay for their own golfing exploits, there are no objections to the sport.Golf courses have developed the reputation in China of being venues for illicit business deals.The government ordered a halt on new golf course developments in 2004 when there were less than 200 in the country, over water consumption and environmental damage concerns.Despite the ban, that number more than tripled in the following decade as local governments attempted to attract tourists and encourage urbanisation.Notwithstanding government concerns about how communist party members facilitate their golfing habits, China has in recent years continued to host the prestigious BMW Masters and the WGC-HSBC Champions professional golf tournaments.And in March last year authorities closed down 66 illegal golf courses throughout the country. ..