Shanqin Bay Golf Club - - - Before renovation
山钦湾高尔夫俱乐部场

Course Date
Location Hainan, China
Yardage 6894 yards Par 71
Course Rating  
Playing Date 19 January & April 24, 2016
Designer Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
Opened 2010
Caddie Yes
Golf Cart Yes (Can drive onto FW)
Rating
Overall Rating
5.45
Course Layout
5
Difficulty Level
4
Greens Condition
5
Fairways Condition
7
Landscaping & Views
6
Level of Satisfaction
6

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.



A vew from clubhouse

 A view


A vew from 7th tee

A vew from 8th green

Beach behind 9th tee

Scorecard
 
Hole 2 Par 5 563 yards

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.

 

Hole 2 Par 5 563 yards (3)

Hole 2 Par 5 563 yards (2)

Hole 2 Par 5 563 yards (1)
 
Hole 3 Par 3 181 yards

Hole 3 Par 3 181 yards

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.

 
Hole 5 Par 4 395 yards

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.

 

Hole 5 Par 4 395 yards (3)

Hole 5 Par 4 395 yards (2)

Hole 5 Par 4 395 yards (1)
 
Hole 6 Par 4 446 yards

Hole 6 Par 4 446 yards (2)

Hole 6 Par 4 446 yards (1)
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.
 
Hole 7 Par 4 486 yards

Hole 7 Par 4 486 yards (2)

Hole 7 Par 4 486 yards (1)
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.
 
Hole 8 Par 3 150 yards

Hole 8 Par 3 150 yards (2)

Hole 8 Par 3 150 yards (1)

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.

 
Hole 11 Par 3 251 yards

Hole 11 Par 3 251 yards (2)

Hole 11 Par 3 251 yards (1)

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.

 
Hole 13 Par 5 648 yards

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.

 

Hole 13 Par 5 648 yards (3)

Hole 13 Par 5 648 yards (2)

Hole 13 Par 5 648 yards (1)
 
Hole 15 Par 4 462 yards

Hole 15 Par 4 462 yards (2)

Hole 15 Par 4 462 yards (1)

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.

 
Hole 16 Par 4 313 yards

Hole 16 Par 4 313 yards

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.

 
Hole 17 Par 4 361 yards

Hole 17 Par 4 361 yards (2)

Hole 17 Par 4 361 yards (1)

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.

 
Hole 18 Par 4 309 yards

Hole 18 Par 4 309 yards (2)

Hole 18 Par 4 309 yards (1)

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.

 
Hole 19
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


Caddies

Restaurant

Lunch

.The club is also a 20-minute drive from Boao Asia Forum Hotel and a 15-minute drive from Boao State Guest House.



Boao Asia Forum Hotel

Boao Asia Forum Hotel

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.

Asian interclub match

Dinner at beach

Dance show

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).