GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
From Tee to
Shore
Courtesy of Hainan Clear Water Bay Golf Club
There are nearly sixty courses now complete or under construction on Hainan Island, just an hour’s flight from Hong Kong. Alex Jenkins checks out five of the best to play in China’s answer to Hawaii.
The seaside setting of Clear Water Bay Golf Club makes a round here an extremely appealing proposition 60
HK GOLFER・AUG 2014
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGOLFER.COM
HK GOLFER・AUG 2014
61
S Courtesy of The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula and Mission Hills China
uch has been the rate of golf course construction in China in recent years that you’re more likely to find the world’s best golf course architects traipsing through the glades of Yunnan and the hills of Zhejiang than you are in the traditional golfing centres of the United States or Great Britain. Make no mistake: the Middle Kingdom has taken to the sport in a way not seen since the Japanese fell in love with the royal and ancient game in the 1970s. Although there have been issues of late, with regional governments beginning to clamp down on course developers who may not have adhered entirely to the admittedly complicated zoning rules, there are few such problems Hainan, the undeniable golf capital of China. In just fifteen years, this tropical island province off the southern tip of Guangdong has been transformed from a rural backwater into a burgeoning tourism destination. Golf has been at the forefront of this development – indeed, it is actively encouraged – with nearly sixty courses now either completed or in the design phase. China’s answer to Hawaii, with its luscious green landscapes and volcanic rock formations, is well and truly on the road to golfing mega-stardom.
62
HK GOLFER・AUG 2014
The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula Since retiring as a tour professional, Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 Open champion, has enjoyed a successful career as a golf course architect – his name adorns some of the modern game’s most illustrious layouts, such as Loch Lomond in Scotland and Troon North in Arizona. Weiskopf’s first project in China, the twocourse Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula, situated on the southeast coast of Hainan, has become one of his most talked about designs. The West Course at this fully-fledged holiday resort offers a definite challenge, with its windswept dunes and natural, sandy wastes. Indeed, given its firm and fast playing surfaces and proximity to the crashing waves of the South China Sea, the West course has been likened to the traditional links of the British Isles. The slightly newer East Course is every bit as enjoyable, with sea views at nearly every turn. Owned by Citic Pacific, Shenzhou Peninsula certainly has the quality to host international events. The club, it seems, is prepared for the eventuality: the club’s Composite Course – which includes five holes from the West and 13 holes from the East – has been earmarked for tournament play of the highest standard. shenzhougolf.com HKGOLFER.COM
Citic Shanqin Bay Golf Club The only Chinese course featured in Golf Magazine’s influential World Top 100 ranking, Shanqin Bay, which comes in at number 78, is an exclusive property that impresses at every turn. Designed by leading American architect Bill Coore in harness with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, Shanqin Bay, located on Hainan’s dramatic eastern seaboard, is a thrilling rollercoaster of a course, one that has been laid out over strongly undulating land offering spectacular vistas of the South China Sea. Dense tropical vegetation, sublime views and sensational bunkering combine to produce one of the most talked about layouts in the Eastern hemisphere. en.shanqinbay.com
Mission Hills Hainan Mission Hills is arguably the most recognisable gol f i ng ‘ bra nd’ i n Ch i na; cer ta i n ly no organisation has done more to put the country on the global golfing map. The brainchild of the late Dr David Chu, a Hongkonger who was over 40 before he lifted a club, the original Mission Hills complex in Guangdong province, which occupies vast tracts of land between the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan, is the world’s largest golf-specific complex, with 12 courses and a plethora of pre- and post-round amenities. And Mission Hills’ newer facility in Hainan – which includes 10 Brian Curley-designed courses, a luxurious hotel and a vast volcanic spring spa, located just 15 minutes from Haikou airport, the island’s main international gateway – is every bit as remarkable. While every course here is worth playing – including the two par-3 layouts that are perfect for young kids and beginners – the two standout layouts are the Blackstone and Lava Fields courses. The former hosted the World Cup in 2011 and is a lengthy and heavily bunkered test, one that most recreational golfers will enjoy playing from the forward tees. Lava Fields, meanwhile, is a more friendly and subtle course, one that benefits from generous fairway widths, throwback-style bunkering and appealing changes in elevation. missionhillschina.com Clockwise from top: sandy wastes lie in store for those who stray offline at The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula; the expansively bunkered Blackstone Course at Mission Hills; sea inlets and blown-out bunkering are the obvious hazards to avoid at Shenzhou HKGOLFER.COM
HK GOLFER・AUG 2014
63
Yalong Bay Golf Club
Clearwater Bay Golf Club
Despite being one of Hainan’s oldest courses, Yalong Bay retains its status as one of the island’s most enjoyable. Situated in the upmarket tourist resort of the same name, the palm-fringed course is within walking distance of a slew of beach-fronted five-star hotels and features an excellent mix of holes in first-rate condition. No surprise then that the course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. who incorporated memorable water hazards into his layout, has been chosen to host a number of European and Asian Tour events since opening in 2000.
The two courses at Clearwater Bay Golf Club act as centrepieces for a vast upscale residential and hotel resort situated a 45-minute drive from Sanya. The A Course here has been built on a flat parcel of land and should be the choice for beginners, given its playability. While the whitesand bunkers that frame many of the holes are large, the landing areas are generally very wide and the greens aren’t overly contoured. The B Course, which is hillier in nature, is more strategic of a strategic challenge and, as such, a more enticing proposition for the better player.
yalongbaygolfclub.com
agile.com.cn
Courtesy of The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula
The picture-perfect setting of the Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula (top); the Palmfringed course at Yalong Bay, a Robert Trent Jones II design (below)
64
HK GOLFER・AUG 2014
HKGOLFER.COM