Course Review: Shanqin Bay Golf Club – Hainan Island, China

As the European Tour travels to China for several season-ending tournaments, this week's course review takes a look at one of the best new courses in Asia – China's Shanqin Bay Golf Club. This coastal course combines natural beauty, a great layout, and challenging lies to offer visitors a world-class golf experience.

Taking golf in China to the next level

The boom in golf course developments that swept China over the past decade has been so successful that government authorities have stepped in to regulate new courses. While many Chinese golf courses have received less-than-stellar reviews, Shanqin is a course in a class of its own.

The design duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have brought decades of experience – from a design and practical golfing point of view – to the finished product at Shanqin. The course design incorporates elements of the surrounding landscape, including beach sand, dense rough, and origins of Chinese village life – including original farmer's huts.

A course of contrasts

Overall, the blend of rustic and smooth makes the course visually interesting and also quite challenging to play. The large fairways may offer plenty of landing room for tee shots but the presence of bunkers and other hazards, along with the dogleg layout on many holes, call for a refined short game and lots of patience.

The course design at Shanqin also reflects the changing face of golf in China. As the country becomes a leader on the world stage, tastes are changing – and golf is no exception. Visitors to the course will find that Shanqin equals (or betters) many American-style courses in the West, with excellent service and good course conditions- thanks in part to temperate weather in the area.

Playing the course

Shanqin offers visitors packages and short-term memberships, geared toward guests at the nearby Shanqin Resort. For more information, please visit the club's website.

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