great holes
new plays
Short on Length, Long on Charm
Coastal Cracker
While the 18th hole on the Eden Course is justifiably the most famous hole at Fanling, the short 12th on the Old Course lays claim to being the best par-three on the property.
“I
t ’s u nique a nd slight ly quirky – modern course architects wouldn’t consider such a d e si g n ,” I a i n Roberts, the club’s head professional, tells me as we watch one fourball tee off at this picturesque corner of the course. You can see his point. Measuring 162 yards from the back tee (a mere flick with a nine-iron for most pros these days), the 12th plays across a grassy hollow to a raised green surrounded on three sides by bunkers. Two sets of steps, in full view from the tee, ease players’ ascent to the putting surface. It’s hard to imagine designers like Nicklaus and Trent Jones Jr. incorporating similar features today. The real genius of the hole, continues Roberts, is the green setup. From the tee the putting surface appears square on to you. But in fact it’s angled – the green cuts away from you on the left. That side
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“It hits you square in the forehead when you see the pictures, or the instant you walk onto the first tee, where you confront a panoramic view of the property: 270 degrees of water and peninsula – golf, ocean and sky as far as the eye can see.” Built on the site of an existing course that was completely erased and redesigned, the layout measures barely 6,200 yards, which makes it something of an oddity given today’s golf architectural trends. “This was conceived as a resort golf course, not some punishing 7,600-yard monster in search of a Tour event,” says Dale. “And if there’s a golfer out there who cannot find a way to enjoy 18 holes at Weihai Point, he should quit the game.” For more information visit weihaipoint.com
bottom of the bank. Most amateurs will hit anything between an eight and a six iron here, but if the pin is at the back and it’s really gusting then plenty of four irons and hybrid clubs will see some action. “When the course first opened, they'd have probably been hitting brassies,” reckons Roberts. Aside from being lengthened slightly over the years, little has changed since 1913 (when the black and white photograph was taken). “It’s the best use of 160-odd yards; and it just goes to show that you don’t need yardage to make a tough hole,” he declares. “Three is always a great score here.” www.hkga.com
Tom Breazeale
of the green is actually 25-yards further away – a full three clubs difference – than the right edge. It has to be one of the most visually deceptive holes in the region. The playing strategy is clear-cut: aim for the right half of the green and hope for a straight one. With the prevailing wind into the players’ faces, any amount of cut spin on the ball will bring the bunkers on the right into play. A pulled or hooked shot – well, more than likely you’ll be faced with a blind chip from the
Think of Shandong golf and those in the know will instinctively conjure up images of Tiger Beach Golf Links, arguably China’s most unique course and the only true links course in Asia. But the northeast province, separated from the Korean peninsula by the murky depths of the Yellow Sea, now has a second seaside course worth getting your softspikes stuck into – Weihai Point Golf & Resort. Developed by the South Korea-based Asiana Group, the parent company of Asiana Airlines, Weihai Point sits atop a windswept promontory and features 14 clifftop holes, making it one of the most spectacular courses to have sprung up anywhere in recent times. “For the golf junkie, the appeal of Weihai Point is completely straightforward,” says David Dale of Golfplan, the course designers.
www.hkga.com
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