Golf Pros Find Greener Fairways in China

On a recent morning in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan, Cindy Reid—expat golf pro, aspiring brand icon—is working closely with a pupil. "Chin out, buddy!" she yells. "You are only as good as your grip, buddy! Your grip is too strong, buddy!" After each comment, Reid's student, Jackson, a mystified 10-year-old boy in custom-made golf clothes, turns to the young Chinese interpreter employed by Reid. The boy, the son of a local industrialist, speaks no English, and Reid, who was born in New Jersey, speaks no Mandarin. But that doesn't stop her from charging $600 per hour to help 10-year-olds swing like pros. After Jackson hits a good shot, Reid rewards him with a new nickname. "Nice job, Rocky!" she yells, as the interpreter translates. "Whenever you hit a good shot, I call you Rocky!" (The interpreter translates that, too.) Then an even more mystified Jackson gets a high five from Reid, who has a team of instructors ready to keep him busy for several more expensive hours after she's done.

Reid, the force behind the Cindy Reid Golf Academy, is a pioneer of the American golf-pro diaspora. Her school, which opened three years ago at the exclusive Mission Hills golf club, 45 minutes from Hong Kong, has 2,000 part-time students, more than half of whom are kids. The former Ladies Professional Golf Assn. player is now focused on opening two more schools and transforming herself into the first expat golf pro brand. Reid appears regularly on the Golf Channel China and contributes golf insight to state-owned China Central Television. She's published several golf-based articles and books in Chinese and has a team of translators working on more. Reid is also preparing to star in a new reality series, , that begins this week. She hopes it will help her launch Cindy Reid-branded clothing, sunscreen, DVDs, and iPhone apps. "I've got a lot to do," she says.