Golf in South China

If you're on business trip to Hong Kong or Shenzhen, two of China's most dynamic business and high-tech centers, or the cities are part of a leisure trip itinerary, the best place to play golf is Mission Hills Resort.

Set on rolling, heavily forested terrain spanning some 6,000 acres, Mission Hills is larger than any other golf resort in the world. The statistics are staggering: twelve 18-hole golf courses, a batallion of 3,000 female caddies and three clubhouses, including the gigantic 650,000 square-foot Dongguan Clubhouse.

The 216 holes at Mission Hills are designed by some of biggest names in golf including Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman, Annika Sorrenstatm, Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jumbo Ozaki, David Duval, Pete Dye, David Leadbetter and China's Zhang Lian Wei.

Mission Hills' Golf Courses

It's difficult to pick the best course in the dozen offered at Mission Hills, however, three stand out in the menu.

The Greg Norman course is long and difficult with tiny landing areas framed by thick rough and high grasses, massive, deep bunkers, some of them almost 20 feet deep, water hazards and overgrown foliage. The Pete Dye Course has all of Dye's signature treatments like expansive waster bunkers, small diabolical pot-bunkers, wildly undulating greens and thousands of railroad ties. More player friendly is the Nick Faldo layout, which has wider fairways and a fun-to-play, island par-three hole similar to the 17th holes at TPC Sawgrass Resort.

What is amazing about all of the golf courses at Mission Hills is the quality of maintenance, which exceptional and geared to American standards. All of the courses possess speedy, evenly mowed greens, well tended tee boxes, and meticulously raked bunkers.

An enjoyable and integral part of the golf experience at Mission Hills are the caddies, young women in their early twenties dressed in bright red outfits, who are helpful in finding errant shots, reading greens, yardages and pointing out hazards. Charming and always positive and smiling, the caddies make the experience a special one.

Other Chinese Golf Options

For a Hawaii golf type experience in China, Hainan Island, about a 50 minute flight from Hong Kong, has six superb golf courses, featuring designs by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Australian Graham Marsh. Inland, head to Yunnan Province where you'll find the world's longest golf course, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain layout that measures a 8,548 yards with an 850 yard par five. Another don't miss play is the Mountain Course at Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, a Jack Nicklaus design near the capital of Kunming.

Pete Dye Course at Mission Hills

Caddie at Mission Hills Resort

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