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The Shanqin Bay Golf Club is a seaside course that is built on a rolling
land that overlooks the South China Sea. Unlike many courses in China,
the course is not manicured and is very natural. The course features an
excellent mix of sand dunes, trees, bushes, vegetation, beach, valley,
rocky outcrop, and coastline cliffs. Players can enjoy the breathtakingly
beautiful ocean view several times throughout the course while playing
inland and away from the cost. The excellent greenery land provides an
illusion to the players as if they are playing in a jungle or forest.
The course’s par is 71 and its length is 6900 yards. This is relatively
short in current tournament course standard. However, when there are strong
sea winds, the course can become very tough and players can feel as if
the course is 7400 yards long. The course has a good mix of long and short
par-3s, par-4s, and par-5s. Each hole is varied and has its own unique
characteristic. Shanqin Bay Golf Club is a stunning course that stimulates
players to play multiple times due to its superb routing, layout, and
views.
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The second hole consists of a slight dogleg that bends to the left. Players
should aim towards the right side since there is a fairway bunker at the
left corner that requires a 270-yard carry to clear. However, more importantly
an accurate tee shot is needed due to the narrow landing area as the fairway
is squished with a bunker on the right and ruined short wall that runs
along the left. The second and third shots will be gentle downhill shots.
There are landing areas on the fairway that slops towards the right. Due
to a sharp drop off at the back, players should aim their ball over the
green. However, players should also know that it would be hard to approach
to the pin from there.
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The third hole requires the ball to be hit over a valley and bushes,
and towards the ocean. The hole is downhill and the green slops sharply
from the front right to the back left. This means that a 2-club-more-lofted
iron club should be selected at this hole. Two bunkers on the right and
a hazard on the left guard the green.
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The fifth hole is an over-water tee shot that consists of a slight dogleg
that bends to the left. The view of the spectacular dune will catch the
players’ sights. Players should aim towards a fairway bunker that is located
at about 345 yards away from the tee in order to achieve a good par. Nevertheless,
the green and pin positions will become blinded on the uphill approach
shot. Since the green slopes from front to back, players should be warned
that a nice shot may end up with the ball rolling down into either the
two bunkers or bushes at the rear of the green. It is recommended that
players hit short of the green rather than long on this hole.
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The sixth hole is a challenging dogleg that bends to the left. A little
downhill tee shot that requires the ball to be hit over a lake. If the player’s
tee shot sways too much from right to left, they may find their ball in
the lake on the left that awaits any errant shots. To be safe, players are
tempted to drive their ball more towards the right side of the fairway.
However, this will lead to a much longer second shot, which will ultimately
make it difficult to reach the green in two shots. Since the green is deep,
narrow, and its left side faces the lake, an accurate approach shot is needed
to land the ball safely. Since the green is slightly undulated, the putting
will also be difficult. |
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The seventh hole is a par four with a dogleg that bends to the right. The
tee shot is an over-a-valley shot with a slightly downhill approach shot
that follows after. Since the fairway slops strongly form left to right,
if the approach is short of the green, the ball will roll down into a large
bunker on the right side of the fairway. The green slopes from back to front
and is protected by two bunkers on the right. |
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The eight hole is a downhill and short par three with the ocean spreading
in the horizon beyond. There are three sand dunes (or bunkers) that are
positioned on both sides of the green. The green’s undulating surface
is not manmade and the designers didn’t make any alternations on the green.
It is a natural and quite an easy hole.
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The eleventh hole is a long par three. Since the hole is downhill, the
actual distance is much shorter than the yardage figure. This means that
it is possible for players to hit the green in regulation if they manage
their play well. The left side’s apron slopes from the green’s left to
its right edge. This means that hitting the ball into the apron will allow
the ball to roll down into the green. However, players should be warned
that the green itself is guarded by five bunkers.
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The thirteenth hole is an externally long par five. Hitting the green
on regulation in this hole can be quite difficult. The hole starts off
with a tee shot with a slight dogleg that bends to the right. The second
shot is then followed by a slightly downhill dogleg that bends to the
left. The third shot is a relatively straight uphill shot. If players
are playing against a strong wind, there is a chance that the third shot
can be caught and land into a large bunker that is placed in the middle
of fairway. Putting will be difficult as the green is triple tiered and
it will be tricky especially if the ball is in a different tier from the
pin.
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This par four is quite a dynamic hole that has a view of the ocean that
spreads ahead and bends to the right. The tee shot is downhill which is
then followed by an uphill approach. There is a large fairway bunker at
the right corner that comes into play off the tee. Since there are three
deep bunkers that are placed on the right side of the green, it is safer
for players to aim towards the left half of the green on their approach
shot.
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The sixteen hole is a very short, downhill, drivable par 4. Furthermore,
the green is elevated, slopes from back to front, and is protected by
five bunkers. Players should be aware of the hazard that runs along the
left side of the green. Distance and accuracy is necessary in order to
hit the green in one shot.
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The seventeenth hole is a par four that offers a superb view. It consists
of a slight dogleg to the left, and a beach and ocean view on the right.
The tee shot is downhill and the fairway slops to the right. The green
is deep, narrow, double tiered, and has a sharp drop off towards the right
side of the green. Back in 2016, the Chinese government directed the club
to plant windbreak pines on the rough between the fairway and the beach.
When the pines grow some five or ten years later, the hole may offer players
a different strategy and view that will be surely against the course designers’
intention.
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The finishing hole is an over-a-valley, drivable par four. It is important
for players to carry the ball onto the green since if the ball even lands
even a little too short, the ball will roll down the slope and into the
rough. The green is highly elevated, undulated, and double tired. This
will make putting is difficult wherever the pin is placed.
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To get to Shanqin Bay, it takes about an hour 45 minutes
from Haikou International Airport and 2 hours from Sunya International
Airport. The Clubhouse is quite modern and the meals served are quite
delicious
.The club is also a 20-minute drive from Boao Asia Forum Hotel and a
15-minute drive from Boao State Guest House.
A five-course two-day Asian interclub match was held at the Shanqin Bay
GC, Nine Bridges GC, Ayodhya Links, Tokyo GC, and the Hong Kong GC. I was
able to participate after I had the privilege to become a member at the
Ayodhya Links GC. These five clubs are represented in Asia’s Top 100 of
The 2015 Platinum Clubs Of The World. These clubs were voted as the finest
and the most elite private golf and country clubs around the globe. The
interclub tournament was the first attempt to achieve this. After my play,
we had a very entertaining barbecue dinner at a neighboring beach’s golf
course where we enjoyed a evening of Hawaiian dance show in which the caddies
were dressed up as hula dancers.
GOLF Magazine ranked Shanqin Bay Golf Club the 47th best course in the
world in 2015. The other selected courses in Asia are Hirono
GC (Japan 42nd), The
Club at Nine Bridges (Korea, 43rd), Kawana
Fuji Course (Japan, 68th), Ayodhya
Links (Thailand, 76th) and Tokyo
GC (Japan, 96th). According to the site top100golfcourses.co.uk, Shanqin
Bay Golf Club was ranked 1st out of the 450 courses in all of China during
its 2016 evaluation.
Other Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed courses, within GOLF Magazine’s
2015 Top 100 lists, are Sand Hills (13th Nebraska), Pine Hurst No.2
– redesign: original; Ronald Ross (16th North Carolina), Riviera – redesign:
original; George Thomas (29th Califonia), Friar’s Head (31st, New York),
and Barnbougle (85th Australlia).
GOLF Magazine 2015 US Top 100 also includes their designed courses such
as Streamsong Blue Course (47th Florida),Old Sandwich GC (49th Massachusetts),
andBandon Trails (51st Oregon).
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Hole 2 Par 5 563 yards (3)