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Sheshan International Golf Club is a top-notch golf course built on a
gentle rolling hill. The punctuating and undulating tree-lined fairways,
raised greens, water hazards and bunkers are all strategically placed
in order to maximize the challenge. A strong technique and a decent course
management are necessary in order to score well on this course. The course
has a good mixture of both from easy and difficult holes ranging from
short to long. The Sheshan Golf Club proudly hosted the 2005 & 2006
HSBC Champions and guested many professionals including Tiger Woods. This
helped boost the course’s publicity. Unlike many of the golf courses in
Shanghai, which are all relatively flat, this golf course moved a total
of two million square yards of earth and sand in order to create large
numbers of undulations.
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| This par five consists of a sharp dogleg that
bends to the right. The tee shot will require the ball to avoid the creek
that guards the left side of the relatively narrow fairway. An accurate
tee shot is necessary in order to avoid the row of six bunkers that are
all lined up on the right side of the hole. In addition, the creek on the
left hand side eventually leads into a lake that sits near the end of the
hole. This will give the players some pressure in their second and third
shots. |
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This hole is an excellent mid-length par three that utilizes a natural river.
The river runs alongside the left hand side of the hole. Players should
look out for the relatively deep bunker that is placed in front of the green.
The green is slightly elevated and slants from the mid left to the back
right, meaning that the center of the green is a good target regardless
of the pin position. |
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The eighth hole is a long and downhill par five with a sharp dogleg that
bends to the left. A creek runs along the entire left side of the fairway
that eventually crosses in front of the green. There are two fairway bunkers
that come into play off the tee. Players should avoid these bunkers in
order to hit the green on regulation. The stream on the left tends to
keep players aiming towards the right side. However, players will find
their ball in the trees if they aim too much towards the right. The green
is very shallow and undulated and is guarded by a body of water in front
and a bunker in the back. I have heard that the green is reminiscent of
Augusts 13th.
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This relatively long par four consists of a narrow fairway and a dogleg
that bends to the left. The tee shot can be quite tricky due to the fact
that the left hand side is covered with several trees, and the right hand
side consists of bunkers that are placed between 240 and 290 yards from
the tee box. The second shot can be quite challenging since players will
need to hit and bite on the elevated green, which, from a distance, looks
like its floating above the surrounding roughs. |
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| The fourteenth hole of this course
is designed in an “S” shaped double dogleg. Although the tee shot can be
quite a breeze, the second shot can get quite tricky and challenging. With
water running down through the entire left section and well placed bunkers
that are dug in throughout the fairway, players should try to be hit down
the left side in order to open up a opportunity for an approach for the
green. In addition, the green is slightly elevated and very shallow making
this hole quite difficult. |
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This very short but superb par 4 consists of a dogleg that bends to the
right and a over-the-body tee shot. There is a large front bunker, and two
back bunkers that are all strategically placed over the course of 250 yards.
It is very tempting for long hitters to try aim ball on the green with one
shot but players must be careful, as the green is small and surround by
hazards. Therefore, players must make a decision whether go for the green
or a lay up. It is said that Tiger Woods played this hole cleverly during
the 2006 HSBC Champions. During his play, he used a number three wood club
and managed to hit safely on the left side of the green with easy one chip
and one putt. One the other hand, my favorite Japanese player, Hideki Matsuyama,
ended up with a triple boggy on a 2014 tournament when his aggressive drive
became lost ball. |
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This two hundred and twelve yard long par three consists of an over-a-ravine
tee shot. Players should look out for the bunkers that are placed on the
left, right and backsides of the green. The green slopes sharply to the
right; therefore player must aim accordingly to where the pin is located
on that day. . |
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The finishing hole is a dynamic par five that consists a dogleg that
bends to the right, and a fairway that curves around a lake. In order
to get the ball onto the green in three shots, the tee, second and third
shots will need to carry the water. While long hitters can try to hit
the green in two shots, the second shot must hit the green and bite, otherwise
the ball could easily fall into a body of water that is strategically
placed behind the green. For most players, a lay-up to 100 yards will
leave a wedge short the semi-island green.
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In order to get to the Sheshan International Golf Club, it will take
a 40-minute drive from Cetral Shanghai, a 30-minute drive from Hongqiao
Airport and an 80-minute drive from Pudong International Airport. Visitors
can book a tee time on weekdays only though a golf booking agent.
Other courses designed by Robin Nelson & Neil Haworth in China are
Jade Dragon Snow
Mountain (玉龍雪山) GC, Sun Island International
(上海太陽島國際) GC, Qingdao Huashan International (青島華山國際)
CC, Guangzhou International (広州仙村國際) GC, Century
Seaview (世紀海景)CC, Xili
(西麗) G&CC, Shenzhen
(深圳)GC , Huizhou Tangquan
(恵州溫泉) GC, etc. in China, and Kai
Sai Chau GC (East) in Hong Kong
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A view from clubhouse