| |
Despite being a flat resort course it is liberating
to play. The greens and fairways are in excellent condition for a resort
course. The fairways are wide but strategically placed fairway bunkers as
well as water hazards come into play on approach shots, so you need to hit
meticulous shots. The total number of the bunkers is 109. The greens are
big and undulated. The course is located near the ocean and the sea breeze
increases the difficulty level. The front 9 holes have an excellent layout
while the back 9 holes make use of a natural in Land River. Overall, you
will enjoy the beautiful scenery and surroundings.
|
| |
|
|
|
Bunkers protect the elevated green. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
A beautiful par 3 with bunkers everywhere and a lake on the left. 。 |
| |
|
|
|
Two fairways split by a lake give you the option of driving left or right.
The left fairway gives you a short cut to the hole but requires an accurate
230-yard carry off the tee. Water on the right and bunkers on the left eagerly
await an errant drive. As long as the demanding tee shot is successful,
the approach shot is not difficult from there. The right fairway offers
the safer option off the tee, which makes this hole a dogleg to the left.
However, the second shot is more difficult requiring a long approach shot
over water. |
| |
|
|
|
This is a similar layout to Hole 8. Two fairways, left and right are also
provided split by a creek. To attack the pin nearly, you need to hit to
the right fairway but must carry the ball 220-240 yards in order to clear
the creek. Tail wind encourages you to hit try for a longer carry. If you
choose the safer route down the left fairway, the hole becomes a slight
dogleg to the right. |
| |
|
|
| A good dogleg to the right along
the river, taking advantage of the natural terrain. A precise approach shot
is needed as the green is well protected by bunkers. The view seen from
green is magnificent. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
There are many bunkers crisscrossing this hole. The beautiful fairway bunkers
are not much in play but bunkers guarding the front of the green definitely
are. |
| |
|
|
|
Because the hole doglegs slightly to the left, you need to hit the right
side of the fairway but well-placed fairway bunkers narrow most of the fairway.
The green is slightly elevated and the bunkers guarding the left of the
green should be avoided as they are deep. |
| |
|
|
| An “S” shaped par 5 to start with
a dogleg to the left with the green swung to the right lasting the end.
This is a long par 5 but even longer if a head wind blows. There is water
on the right side of the green. |
|
|
| |
|
|
It takes 1 hour and 30 minutes from Haikou by car. The
adjacent Sofitel Boao Hotel is luxurious. This is the hotel world leaders
stay when important international conferences like APEC are held in China.
Facilities in the hotel and furniture in the room are first rate. Also
world leaders meet at International Convention Center seen from the course.
The course title, BFA stands for Boao Forum for Aisa.
The designer, Graham Mash, is an Austrian PGA and used to be very successful
on the Japanese PGA tour. He has designed less than 50 golf courses
mainly in Austria and Asia. AS far as Asia is concerned, Penang GR,
Tropicana G&CC, Penang GR and Staffield CR and Stera
Harbour G&CC are his designs in Malaysia, Fairways & Bluewater
RG&C and Royal Northwoods G&CC are in Philippine, Klub Golf
Bogor Raya, Gading Raya Pading GC are in Indonesia, Silk River CC is
in Korea, Mission Valley GC, Kagoshima Gaden GC and Karuizawa 900 C
are in Japan and Beijing Huatang International GC is in China.
|
4th Par 3 161 yards