Kai Sai Chau Public Golf Course - North Course
賽馬會滘西洲公眾高爾夫球場、北場

Course Data
LocationHong Kong, China
Yardage6692 yards　Par 73
Course Rating72.7
Playing Date9 Jul. 2003 & 23 Feb. 2006
DesignerGary Player
Opened1995
Caddie Yes (Advance booking needed)
Golf CartNo
Rating
Overall Rating
5.00
Course Layout
6
Difficulty Level
4
Greens Condition
4
Fairways Condition
4
Landscaping & Views
6
 

A view from the clubhouse
The North Cource is an excellent golf course, making full use of the natural terrain with great views. It is as if the designer, Gary Player, were asking each player at each hole “How should you attack this hole?” For the tees, you need to use not just a driver but also fairway woods or long irons. The demanding layout forces you to use most of your 14 clubs. Another feature of this course is that it has 3 world-class par 3s out of 4. This course definitely presents an excellent challenge.


A view

A view
A view
 
1st　Par 5　560 yards

1st　 Par 5　560 yards (2)

1st　 Par 5　560 yards (1)
A slightly downhill dogleg to the right. In order to fly over a pond, you need to carry 230-270 yards. From the tee, it is wise to aim to the left side of the pond. Almost no other starting holes have scenery as great as this and you can savor the delightful atmosphere as if you were hitting a tee shot on a post card.
3rd　 Par 3　174 yards

3rd　 Par 3　174 yards (2)

3rd　 Par 3　174 yards (1)
You need to have a precise middle-iron shot to hit the elevated green across the limb of the sea cove. The green is 40 yards deep but only 20 yards wide, and the hazards surrounding the green are intimidating.
4th　 Par 4　401 yards

4th　 Par 4　401 yards (2)

4th　 Par 4　401 yards (1)
A dogleg to the left around the beautiful cove. This hole is tough because of the steeply elevated, small and sloped green, 30 yards wide & deep, and because of several bunkers surrounding the green.

9th　Par 4　454 yards

9th　 Par 4　454 yards (2)

9th　 Par 4　454 yards (1)
A gentle uphill, very long par 4. The green is protected on both sides by deep bunkers.
 
10th　 Par 4　452 yards
A dogleg to the left with a downhill tee shot. If you drive too much to the right, it will likely end up in a bush. The green is 60 yards wide with water on its left front and another blind water on the right front of it.
 

10th　 Par 4　452 yards (3)

10th　 Par 4　452 yards (2)

10th　 Par 4　452 yards (1)
11th　 Par 3　210 yards

11th　 Par 3　210 yards (2)

11th　 Par 3　210 yards (1)
This par 3 is intimidating because bushes on the both sides reduce the fairway in front of the green. Furthermore you need to hit an accurate shot because 5 bunkers guard the green. This hole is not only difficult but also spectacularly beautiful. It is as if you were not playing at a golf course and had the illusion of standing in a great natural setting.

12th　 Par 5　521 yards

12th　 Par 5　521 yards (2)

12th　 Par 5　521 yards (1)
This par 5 is beautiful and challenging. The tee shot is intimidating due to the bushes in front and on both sides of the fairway and several bunkers scattered on the fairway. The second shot is difficult as well because the landing area is narrow and there are bushes on the right side and a pond of the left side.

14th　 Par 3　205 yards

14th　Par 3　205 yards (2)

14th　 Par 3　205 yards (1)
After I played, I learned that this hole has been selected as one of the best 500 holes in the world in the year of 2000 by US Golf Magazine. This par 3 has not just breathtakingly beautiful scenery but also is a highly challenging hole. The green is wide and there are steep slopes, which may make the ball roll down to hazards if you are unlucky, both in the front and at the back of the green. The safe landing area is only 30 yards long. Besides, the green is more than 20 meters (65 ft.) lower than the tee, so the tee shot is greatly influenced by the sea wind. You might have high score unless you hit at the right club. There is an old saying “no rose without a thorn”, which also describes this hole. Artificial island greens are usually beautiful but this island green superbly using the natural terrain is exceptionally pretty.
16th　 Par 4　305 yards

16th　 Par 4　305 yards (2)

16th　 Par 4　305 yards (1)
A short par with an uphill, dogleg to the left. If try to hit too hard and off center, a bush will likely catch your ball. To be safe, use a mid-iron from the tee and a short-iron for the second shot, which makes it possible to have either birdie or par. When I played, the sheer blue sky, huge columns of white shining clouds, beauty of the hole spread out underneath them, and the magnificent mountains behind the green combined to give a beautiful effect.
 
19th hole

A ferry to go to the club

It takes 20 minutes by a club ferry from Sai Kung, famous for seafood. It takes a little less than one hour from Central Hong Kong to Sai Kung by car. Kau Sai Chau is Kai Sai Island.

Advance booking of 2 or 3 days is needed to get caddies. There are 36 holes. You need to register the golf club before you play. The North Course, suitable for advanced players, requires all players’ handicap certificates while at the South Course, suitable for beginners, on weekdays one player who has handicap certificate per flight can bring along players who have no handicap index.

The course has been opened 8 years and I have lived in Hong Kong 10 years in 2003. It was my first time to play here. I had heard that it was really wonderful. After I played, I was deeply impressed by the caliber of the course, both its scenic views and the excellent layout. On the course, you never have any man-made structures in your sights at all except for the clubhouse. The Hong Kong Jockey Club, famous for horse racing, has sponsored the club and makes it as a public course as one way of returning the profits it makes for public benefit. The course doesn’t have the bad qualities that typical public courses tend to have. Hong Kong can be proud because it is one of best courses in Asia.


Restaurant
A sunset view from the restaurant

This course has lots of ups & downs but you can not use a golf cart at the North Course, which is only a disadvantage. The summer in Hong Kong is always hot and you had better book a caddie on advance.

Gary Player has designed 200 courses around the world, about 30 of them in Asia. There are Ria Bintan Resort in Indonesia, Manna CC in Japan, Sand River (深圳砂河) GC, Zhaoqing (肇慶) R&GC in China, Puerto Azul B&CC, Orchard G&CC - Player Course in the Philippines and Sriracha GC in Thailand