A quick Google search for “doing business on the golf course” reveals article upon article about tips for closing deals on the course, why golfers get ahead in business, the art of the deal. The list goes on and on, but the practice may be coming to an abrupt end in China, where the government is cracking down on, as reported in The New York Times, “yet another temptation that has led Communist Party officials astray.” The crackdown is in response to allegations that a top Commerce Ministry official allowed an unidentified company to pay his golf expenses. While the ruling targets government officials — there’s even a hotline for reporting civil servants who violate specific regulations, including playing with business associates and betting on the game — only time will tell if the policy extends or fades. As Dan Washburn, author of The Forbidden Game: Golf and the Chinese Dream, told The New York Times, “Everyone’s a potential target in this ongoing crackdown on corruption, and golf is a particularly easy and obvious one.” — Lisa Matte, editor in chief