Golf Escapes
The Heart of
CHINA
Great golf awaits in Yunnan province STORY BY ALEX JENKINS
T
hink of Pebble Beach and one immediately conjures up images of Pacific rollers crashing onto the rocky cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula. Take a trip over to Gleneagles and memories of the wild and dramatic scenery of the Perthshire countryside will last a lifetime. Play a round at the Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre, host of the annual European Masters, and be blown away by sweeping vistas of the Swiss Alps. Without a shadow of a doubt, the most memorable courses are influenced by their geographical surroundings above anything else. Which is why, in my eyes at least, Yunnan province is China’s premier golfing destination. While other places on the mainland might boast a superior number of courses or brag about easy access to the country’s financial and commercial hubs, the clubs of Yunnan, and those located close to the charming culture-rich cities of Kunming and Lijiang in particular, remain refreshingly quiet on the marketing spiel front. Like most great courses there’s a reason for this: they already know they’re among the best that their country has to offer; there’s really no reason to make a song a dance about it. Aside from its stunning mountain landscapes, Yunnan’s appeal, especially to golfers, is largely credited to its moderate climate. Kunming, the provincial capital, or the “City of Eternal Spring”, as it is commonly known, offers near perfect golfing weather year-round. The fact that all the courses here are all decked out in silky-smooth Bent grass just adds to the appeal. But Yunnan has other advantages. The region is one of the most ethnically diverse in the country, which means, like in most places were cultures collide, both fantastic cuisine and a striking-looking population. The air is the cleanest in China; the vegetation is the most diverse. This is, simply put, travel at his most memorable.
The Nicklaus-designed Mountain Course at Spring City 46
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long in the memory. If, like Faldo, you love to work on your game post-round, head to Lakeview’s state-of-the-art driving range and short game area. It’s among the best practice facilities in the country. Yardage: 7,222. Par: 72. Architect: Nick Faldo (2005). Access: 30mins from airport. Contact: www.lakeview.cn Sunshine Golf Club HHHH A nother exquisitely manicured track, Sunshine is a feast for the eyes. Situated on naturally rugged land, the course features d ra mat ic sh if t s i n a lt it ude a nd a f ford s breathtaking views of the surrounding pineclad countryside. It’s fun too, with a number of short par-fours and par-fives on the frontnine offering weekend golfers legitimate birdies opportunities. Although the course tightens considerably over the final stretch (unleashing driver over these holes is a ploy only the brave should consider), Sunshine’s place among the top echelons of China’s courses is secure. Those who take pleasure in palatial clubhouses can’t fail to be impressed by the club’s nineteenth— it’s the largest and most luxuriously-decorated in the province. Yardage: 7,217. Par: 72. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2004). Access: 30mins from airport. Contact: www.sunshinegolfclub.com
WHERE TO PLAY
Cool climes (clockwise from above): The stunning Jade Dragon Snow Mountain course in Lijiang; the risk-reward ninth at the Lake Course, Spring City; Faldo’s exceptional greens complexes at Lakeview. 48
KUNMING Spring City Resort HHHHH If you only have time for one day’s golfing in Kunming make sure it’s at Spring City. Of the two immaculately conditioned courses at this exceptionally well-run resort, we rate Nicklaus's Mountain layout slightly ahead of Trent Jones's Lake. But really, they’re both first-class. The Mountain Course rises gently through towering glades and uses its natural terrain to its fullest. Fairly generous fairways and large greens make this perfectly playable for the recreational golfer, although a ravine-fronted green at the closing hole ensures an exacting finish to what is arguably the finest course of its type in China. Despite being shorter than the Mountain, the slightly newer Lake course is probably a less forgiving if more spectacular test. Relatively narrow and undulating landing areas place the onus on accuracy, while dramatic greenside bunkering and strong elevation changes add
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WHERE TO PLAY LIJIANG Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club HHHHH Occupying one of golf’s most dramatic sites, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, named after the mystical peak that rises majestically above it, has to be seen to be believed. Routed across hills at an elevation of some 10,000 feet (oxygen bottles are provided in the golf carts for those prone to altitude sickness), the course is one of the highest in the world—and also one of the longest. From the members’ blue tee, the course measures an awesome 7,700-plus yards— but here’s the thing: in Lijiang’s crisp, thin air you too can drive the ball like Tiger. Twentypercent yardage increases with the driver (tee it up high!) are standard, meaning length is less of a factor than you might think. The course really comes to life on the back-nine with a series of demanding dogleg holes flanked on all sides by mountain pines. As an experience, Jade Dragon ranks up there with the very best. Ancient City Golf Club, a pleasing Joe Obringer-designed layout fifteen-minutes from the centre of Lijiang, is the city’s only other course and worth a visit if time permits. Yardage: 8,548. Par: 72. Architect: Nelson & Haworth, (2001). Access: 20mins from Lijiang Old Town Contact: www.ljxsgolf.com (Chinese only).
a definite wow factor. The incredibly scenic 486-yard par-five ninth, which runs along the banks of Yang Zong Hai Lake, might look like a birdie hole on paper, but like many of the holes here, pars are well-earned. Yardage: 7,453 (Mountain); 7,204 (Lake). Par: 72. Architects : Jack Nicklaus (Mountain), 1996 ; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (Lake), 1998. Access: 40mins from airport Contact: www.springcityresort.com Lakeview Golf Club HHHH The jewel in the crown of Nick Faldo’s Chinese design portfolio, Lakeview, only 20-minutes from the centre of Kunming, is a brilliant strategic challenge set in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. Attentiongrabbing bunkering—there’s over eighty of the glaring white sand pits on the course—is the most obvious feature on this lengthy track, but conquering the subtleties of Faldo’s green complexes is where a good golfers will make their score. Stellar conditioning and the exciting use of water combine to ensure this course live WWW.HKGA.COM
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twenties; Lijiang, at 10,000 feet above sea level, is a few degrees cooler. Avoid golfing in Lijiang in the late summer when Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is inevitably shrouded in mist and the chance of a snow flurry is high.
WHERE TO STAY
Heavenly Lijiang: in the Old Town (above); The Banyan Tree, one of China’s most unique stays.
ORIENTATION
Dragonair operates nine direct flights per week from Hong Kong to Kunming (2hrs 30mins). There are no direct flights to Lijiang from Hong Kong at present; connect through Kunming with China Eastern Airlines (40mins). Alternatively, you can fly direct to both cities direct from Shenzhen International Airport.
WHEN TO GO
HOW TO BOOK
Golf007 (www.golf007; (852) 2180 2963), Hong Kong’s biggest specialist golf travel agency, offers a variety of value packages to both Kunming and Lijiang. Prices start from $4,730 for 3 day / 2 night package at Spring City Resort. Call for tailor-made itineraries.
Courtesy of Banyan Tree
Although golf is certainly playable year-round in Kunming, May through July is the ultimate time when temperatures averages in the mid-
While staying in one of Spring City’s wellappointed villas makes perfect sense for those on a pure golfing package, seeking accommodations in downtown Kunming allows visitors to enjoy more of what the city has to offer. The Grand Park Hotel (www.parkhotelgroup.com), overlooking Green Lake in the heart of Kunming, is among the better 4-star choices here. Lijiang’s increasing popularity as a tourist destination has resulted in a number of new hotel openings, although it’s hard to look beyond the stunning Banyan Tree Lijiang (www. banyantree.com). With its Naxi-inspired architecture, sublime spa and jaw-dropping views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, this is a destination in itself. Expensive, but well worth the splurge.
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