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Exposing children to golf at an early age through school programs has nothing to do with flaunting family wealth, but is a way to pass on strong values to youngsters, parents of promising junior golfers said.

Despite concerns that introducing golf into the school curriculum might trigger comparisons of family wealth, parents praise the game's influence on their children.

One such parent is Wang Haiqiang, father of national youth team player Wang Xinying. "I hope playing golf can teach her honesty, integrity and dedication, which she can hardly learn from textbooks," Wang Haiqiang said.

Although his daughter has demonstrated the potential to be a future pro star by winning a series of amateur and pro tournaments, he insisted the 14-year-old should never give up her academic studies.

"Striking a balance is also a challenge for her, which requires her to better manage her time and improve her efficiency," he said.

Zhang Jianjun, father of rising junior Zhang Junbin from Shenzhen, attributed his son's gentle manner and social skills to his seven years of golf training.

However, both fathers acknowledged that teaching a child to play golf remains a heavy financial burden for normal families in China, where affordable public facilities are rare.

The lack of government-owned inexpensive practice ranges has slowed down the pace of the campus promotion, especially in small cities.

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