Tropicana Magazine Jan-Feb 2018 #116: A Start From The Heart

THE SWING
olf in China attracts foreign investment and
golfers who come from as far as Australia to play
given the country’s inexpensive fees. The courses
here have become renowned for their worldclass
facilities and design, and it should come as
no surprise that it is the location of choice for
major tournaments: the WGC-HSBC Champions
in Shanghai; the TCL Classic on Hainan Island; the Volvo
China Open; and the BMW Asian Open. Amongst the
country’s most successful golfers are Zhang Lianwei and
Liang Wen-Chong.
There are currently about 500 golf courses in China,
the first of which was constructed in 1984. Mission Hills
is one of the leading firms owning courses around the
country. Its Mission Hills Golf Club near Shenzhen has 12
courses, making it the world’s largest golfing complex. We
list some links that are at the top of our list:
1. The Dunes, Shenzhou Province
Regarded as one of China’s top golf courses, The
Dunes is located in Wanning, Hainan Island, in
South China. This golf complex was fashioned by
Tom Weiskopf and his design associate Phil Smith.
There are two 18-hole golf courses – West and East –
which were formerly used as an old watermelon farm.
These predominantly Links-styled layouts test your
golfing skills throughout your game. With massive
dunes, local indigenous plant species combined with
unparalleled breathtaking views, each hole provides
a different experience. With many bunkers and tight
fairways, The Dunes will play fast and long with ocean
winds posing a challenge to any player’s strategy. Both
courses are routed, in part, along the South China Sea
and feature holes that touch pristine bays and beaches
providing the finest golfing experience in the region.
2. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort
This premier integrated golf resort located in Kunming
comprises of two championship golf courses: the
Mountain Course designed by Jack Nicklaus; and the
Lake Course by Robert Trent Jones Jr. The courses have
been bestowed over 70 world-class awards since their
inception in 1998. The Mountain Course has a natural
undulated terrain coupled with challenging side hills
and elevated greens and tees to provide hours of golf
strategising. The natural beauty of this course amidst
beautiful native pines, rocky outcrops and the stunning
view of Yang Zonghai Lake provide a gorgeous backdrop
to golfing challenges. The Signature Hole 8, Par 3 and
the world famous Hole 18, Par 4 will definitely provide
inspiration to the discerning golfer. The Lake Course,
sprawled along the scenic Yang Zonghai Lake, is an
invigorating play. The course steps down to the lake in a
series of terraces and palisades providing a combination
of spellbinding view and a challenging round of golf at
the same time. The Signature Hole 8, Par 3 is deceptive,
challenging and unforgiving.
3. Mission Hills, Shenzhen
Mission Hills is China’s highest rated golf and leisure
resort, and the world’s largest golf club according to the
Guinness Book of World Records. This golf complex
features seven out of twelve 18-hole championship
courses by Mission Hills in China designed by golf’s
greatest legends and architects. The historic World
Cup of Golf in 1995 was China’s first-ever international
golf tournament held at the World Course. This course
was designed by Jack Nicklaus and is heralded as one
of the ten most significant and influential courses of
the last 20 years, providing one of Asia’s best golfing
experiences. Vijay Singh’s course includes a 150-yard
beach bunker on the Par 4 third hole and the green
complex at the Par 5 10th which is literally perched
atop a rock wall. The Ozaki Course offers elevated tees
and fairways flanked by naturally occurring slopes.
Large areas of turf and wide fairways are punctuated by
strategic bunkering.
“The Mountain Course has a
natural undulated terrain
coupled with challenging
side hills and elevated
greens and tees to provide
hours of golf strategising.”
TM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
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