From Tee to Shore

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

Sea inlets and blown-out bunkering are the obvious hazards to avoid at Shenzhou

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 two-course 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.

www.shenzhougolf.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

Sandy wastes lie in store for those who stray offline at The Dunes at Shenzhou

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