A Luxury Golf Vacation in China - The Game is On!
The utterly amazing transformation of this remarkable country
includes the introduction of equally remarkable golf. More than
200 courses have opened in the past twenty years, two-thirds of
them in the last ten, many created by the game’s leading
architects and players who have been given astounding resources
to make a statement. Golf is a symbol here – to the upper
class individuals who play and to the nation as a whole –
that they have arrived. The Chinese remain fiercely connected
to their culture but they are determined to join the 21st century
club and you are more than welcome to be their guest.
Beijing
China’s capital is the place to begin your visit for it
is here where this complex country is encapsulated. The ancient,
the modern and the rush for more modern being driven by the 2008
Summer Olympics may be studied side by side. The Yuan Dynasty
(1271 - 1368), the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasty
(1644 - 1911) have left behind the Forbidden City, the Temple
of Heaven, Tian’anmen Square the Summer Palace, and the
Great Wall. Coming soon around the corner, will be completion
of astounding architectural endeavors like the Olympic Stadium,
the Central Chinese Television headquarters and the National Grand
Theater which is a beautiful and bizarre titanium accented giant
glass egg that looks to be floating on a lake. All of this is
layered on a city that’s already spent the last decade modernizing
so there is no shortage of luxury lodging, world class shopping,
nightlight and entertainment. The sum of Beijing’s many
parts add up to the most intriguing metropolises on earth.
Golf
begins here late in April for the more than 20 clubs in the area.
One of the finest is Huatang International Golf Club, a private
Graham Marsh design opened in late 1997 which accepts weekday
visitor play. Only a 40 minute drive from the city center, the
7,026 layout is tree lined and beautifully maintained. The area’s
leading club is Beijing Pine Valley with eighteen by Jack Nicklaus
and twenty seven by Jack II. The resort is set among 1,000 wooded
acres facing the Great Wall at Badaling with panoramic views of
the mountains which surround the property on three sides. The
clubhouse, by the prestigious British firm G|A Design, is something
to see as well.
Hong Kong - Shenzhen
Given the city’s previous history as a British colony, it’s
no surprise that the game appeared here at an early date. Founded
in 1889, The Hong Kong Golf Club is home now to three layouts
plus the European Tour’s UBS Hong Kong Open. It’s
a private club but like many in China, will accept visitor play
on weekdays. Very possibly the most recognizable club in China
is 45 minutes north of the city at Mission Hills in Shenzhen.
Founded in 1994 and billed as the largest club in the world, you
can select from 12 signature courses designed by golf legends
from five continents. José Maria Olazábal’s
course will host the Mission Hills World Cup Finals in November.
The resort offers a full range of luxury amenities and serves
as an excellent base with easy access to Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Then there is the city. The dining, the shopping, the energy
of Hong Kong is beyond compare. You’ll need your own energy
as well because a long list of experiences like Tin Hau and Tam
Kung Temples, Madam Tussauds, and The Star Ferry are not to be
missed.
Hainan Island
 A
50 minute flight south west of Hong Kong will bring you to the
beaches and breezes of tropical Hainan Island. If R&R is in
order this is the place to do it. The entire province exists as
a leisure destination with exceptional choices for hotel, dining,
entertainment and golf. Two of the best layouts include Yalong
Bay, a Robert Trent Jones design that routinely ranks among China’s
top ten; and Sun Valley, a 7,875 yard behemoth that is in fact
a treat….from the forward tees. Amazingly enough, the course
is nearly 700 yards shorter than the country’s (and the
world’s) longest course, and its 828 yard par 6 eighteenth
recently lost honors as the country’s longest hole! Colin
Montgomery’s Meishi Mayflower International, Graham Marsh’s
BFA International and Kangle Garden – a 5-star hot spring
and golf resort located in the famous Xinglong Hot Spring area
– easily earn honorable mention.
Yunnan Province
The most southwest region of China bordering Vietnam, Laos, and
Burma is home to Yunnan, or “Beautiful Clouds in the South”.
Cut off from the world until recent times, today it remains essentially
a virgin land where you can observe cultures whose layers reach
back for thousands of years. The natural beauty of Yunnan Province
is a see-it-to-believe-it proposition. It has glaciers gliding
down mountain ranges that are snow-capped year round, deep virgin
forests, hot springs, precipitous valleys, beautiful farmlands,
and the largest number of plant species in China (more than 18,000)
which bloom throughout the year. Do not leave without seeing the
amazing Stone Forest, a 186 square mile labyrinth of
towering limestone known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.)
as the 'First Wonder of the World.'
Some believe that the Shangri-la referred to in James Milton's
Lost Horizons was located in Yunnan. There is no mystery however
about the local work of Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones,
Jr at luxurious Spring City Golf & Lake Resort. Nicklaus’
Mountain Course has been ranked as China’s best by Golf
Digest; its 18th one of the world’s best 500 by Golf Magazine.
Meandering along the shore of Wenbihai at the foot of Wenbi Peak
at Lijiang, the golf course of Lijiang Ancient City International
Golf Club goes up and down under the silhouette of Yulong Snow
Mountain with great momentum. The PGA standard golf course is
of international quality, with a total length of 7,661 yards.
The world’s mightiest golf course is found 10,000 feet high
on the provinces’ northwest border. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Golf Club goes on for 8,548 alpine scenic yards. And plays to
par 72. But, at this altitude you can bomb so step up. You’ve
come a long way, play the long tees!
Shanghai
Like Beijing, this is also where the 21st century is furiously
taking shape in China. Shanghai is reinventing itself with the
fastest economic expansion the world has ever
seen. Much of the activity is found across the Huangpu River in
Pudong, the city’s “New Bund”, soon to be home
to the world’s tallest building. Several hundred years ago
the original Bund was the center of Shanghai life – culture,
politics, and economy. Now it is a required walk along the waterfront
to dine, dance and admire 52 buildings of various architectural
pedigree from Gothic and Baroque to Romanesque and Renaissance.
You’ll also visit the Shanghai Museum, and Yu Yuan Gardens
– five acres of 400 year old classical Chinese gardens in
the Old Town. Spring and fall are the best times to visit here
as the summer months are often hot and humid.
The golf you’ll want to play is found at Silport and Binhai.
Silport is a 27 hole facility, ranked by Golf Digest as a China
top 20, and home to the European Tour’s Volvo China Open.
The club has also been recognized for the quality of its caddies
which are all female. Binhai Golf Club is a 36 hole Peter Thompson
design opened in 2000. As you might expect from this 5-time British
Open champion both layouts – one by the lake, the other
through a forest – are characterized by Scottish links features
including rolling, rumbling fairways and deep, steep faced bunkers.
The occasional breeze blowing off the East China Sea can add to
the challenge.
Side Bets: Guilin & Xi’an
 In
order to experience China fully you’ll want to leave your
sticks in their travel case for a few days while you visit Guilin
and Xi’an. Located about an hour’s flight due west
of Hong Kong in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is where
you will discover Guilin, one of the most picturesque places on
earth. Two crystal-clear rivers meander through the city, which
is encircled by mountains with unusual and bizarre karst rock
formations and caves. The limestone cliffs that surround the city
and line the Li River have provided backdrops for countless Chinese
paintings. For a relaxing change of pace, take the boat trip from
Guilin toYangshuo down the Li River for 30 miles of breathtaking
scenery.
Xi’an is China’s historical heart and one of the
birthplaces of ancient civilization. Thirteen dynasties such as
Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC),
Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) once placed
their capitals here but it was originally settled in the Neolithic
Age as evidenced by the popular Banpo Museum which dates back
approximately 6,000 years. Xi’an, along with Athens, Cairo,
and Rome, is recognized as one of the four major ancient civilization
capitals. The Big Goose and Small Goose Pagoda’s are not
to be missed in Xi’an but perhaps the most remarkable sight
to see is the terra-cotta warriors. Built over 36 years and finished
in 211 BC for the tomb of emperor Qin Shi Huang, 6,000 life-size
armed warriors and horses are assembled in an underground vault
351 yards long and 68 yards wide… not unlike one of Phil
Mickelson’s drives!
China
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