Fair Way to Heaven

SPRING CITY GOLF & LAKE RESORT, KUNMING

**Ranked the Number One Golf Course in China by US magazine Golf Digest, set amid lush, rolling hills and with Yang Zong Hai Lake providing a natural water feature, Spring Citys two courses are cited by many players as among Chinas best, both for their outstanding natural beauty as well as for the challenging game they guarantee. The Mountain Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a par 72, 7,453-yard course of wide fairways, allowing for long drives, but requiring accurate approach shots to evade a good distribution of bunkers before touching down on the well-contoured greens that demand equally diligent reading.

The Lake Course, a Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed par 72, at 7,204 yards, nestles amid the undulating contours and rocky outcrops. A 150-yard drop in elevation from the club house to the lake allows for a terrace effect and affords views of the lake on all 18 holes. Benefiting from Kunmings temperate, year-round spring-like climate, the club also includes a hotel, spa, a golf academy and resort homes. Three-day, two-night golfing breaks at the resort start from RMB 3,260 (USD 475).

PINE VALLEY GOLF CLUB, BEIJING

**The first by-invitation only golf course in China, Pine Valleys 18-hole, par 72, 7,216-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed Golden Bear course has, since 2007, hosted the Beijing Open, as well as the 2004 Volkswagen Masters and the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic. The course boasts a dramatic mountain backdrop. The eighth hole is the most picturesque, with a lake and views toward the Great Wall, while hole 13 is nicknamed the catchers mitt, owing to the deep depression on the left side of the fairway that traps balls trying to avoid bunkers on the right. A second par 72, 7,508-yard Nicklaus course offers abundant water hazards and a tricky par-3 island hole at the 17th. There is also a Nicklaus-designed nine-hole floodlit course, a driving range, a 75-acre polo club, a country club with tennis courts, bowling, billiard tables, a spa and fitness center, three restaurants, a claret and cigar bar, a chapel for weddings, venues for corporate events, a 138-room hotel, serviced apartments and even a hotel for your pets, should you be bringing the whole family.

SHESHAN GOLF CLUB, SHANGHAI

**Located about 40 minutes drive from Shanghai, the venue for the HSBC Champions tournament every November and now one of the regions most exclusive members-only golf clubs, Sheshan is a thickly-forested and hilly par 72, 7,143-yard course with elevation fluctuations of more than 12 meters on some holes. The natural foliage of deciduous and pine trees frame each hole and include 1,000-year-old gingko trees beside the fourth hole. The course boasts water features on each hole, and a deep quarry adding a dramatic section that demands accurate, controlled play, especially on the 16th and 17th holes.

The club also features the Sheshan Golf Academy, with a covered driving range, PGA pro instructors who use swing-analysis systems, and a palatial club house with Roman-style baths and scores of stone-clad villas with terracotta roof tiles, giving the course the appearance of a Tuscan village C or as close an approximation as you are likely to find in eastern China. Theres also a spa and gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, squash and tennis courts and snooker tables should rain stop play.

MISSION HILLS, SHENZHEN

The biggest golf club in the world, with a total of 216 holes and 12 courses, each one the work of a top designer, Mission Hills hosts the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in November and also houses a signature David Leadbetter golf academy. Legendary players to have designed courses here include Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Jos Mara Olazabal, David Duval, Jumbo Ozaki, Vijay Singh, Pete Dye and Annika Sorenstam.

Chinas own Zhang Lianwei designed the 2,393-yard, 18-hole par-three course, the first of its kind in China. Mission Hills also features Asias largest golf shop, six driving ranges, a spa and the Mission Hills Resort, should you decide to move in for a couple of weeks, which is probably a good idea if you plan on playing each course. And for those just visiting, its only a 30-minute drive from Hong Kong.

WEST COAST GOLF CLUB, HAIKOU

**Opened in 2005 and one of 18 courses on Hainan Island, West Coast Golf Club is a short drive from the islands capital Haikou. The club stuck its flag firmly on the international golfing map by hosting the Grand China Air LPGA tournament in October 2008, the first time an international ladies tournament had been played in China, with 63 players competing for a USD 1.8 million prize purse, making it the richest tournament on the LPGAs Asian Tour C Swede Helen Alfredsson won the inaugural competition. Designed by Perry and Cynthia Dye, nine of the holes on the par 72, 7267-yard, palm-tree lined course face the South China Sea, cooled by fresh ocean breezes, while a lake and streams that meander across the course bisect the fairways and present natural hazards. Non-members pay RMB 1,080 (USD 154) in green fees on weekdays and RMB 1,280 (USD 186) on weekends.