China Golf, 中国高尔夫

Best China Golf Courses and Golf Tours in China

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US-based Golf Digest magazine has released its annual list of what it considers to be the China’s top ten golf courses. According to the magazine’s editors, if you’re looking for China’s best courses, forget Shanghai, Beijing or Shenzhen – the best golf in China is in Kunming.

Kunming took three of the top six spots on Golf Digest’s list, here are the results:

1. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort (Lake course), Kunming, Yunnan province

2. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort (Mountain course), Kunming, Yunnan province

3. Sheshan Golf Club, Shanghai

4. Shenzhen Golf Club, Shenzhen, Guangdong province

5. Tiger Beach Golf Links, Haiyang, Shandong province

6. Lakeview Golf Club, Kunming, Yunnan province

7. Jian Lake Golf & Country Club, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province

8. Trans Strait Golf Club, Fuzhou, Fujian province

9. Pine Valley Golf Resort & Country Club (Old course), Beijing

10. Mission Hills Golf Club (Norman course), Shenzhen, Guangdong province

Kunming ended up beating out the big coastal cities with the top two courses – both at Spring City Golf and Lake Resort. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, Spring City’s Lake course was named best in China, beating out Spring City’s other championship course, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Mountain course.

Kunming reappears at the number six spot on the list with Lakeview Golf Club, which has been the site of the Yunnan stops of the Omega China Tour as well as the Faldo Series Asia.

Shanghai’s Sheshan Golf course rounded out the top three.

Shenzhen is the only other city with multiple courses in Golf Digest’s top ten – Shenzhen Golf Club was named number four, while Mission Hills Golf Club’s Greg Norman-designed course came in tenth.

Editor’s note: This story was cross-posted on China Sports Today

Image: Spring City Golf & Lake Resort

This article is from http://gokunming.com/en/

KurtBarnes_CreditWorldSportGroup

June 18, 2009: Australian Kurt Barnes blasted an Omega China Tour record round of nine-under-par 63 to lead fellow big-hitter Yuan Hao by one after the first round of the inaugural RMB700,000 Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open in Anji, Zhejiang province.

Australian Anthony Brown shot a bogey-free 66, while 18-year-old Korean Eom Jae-woong, 20-year-old amateur Han Ren and Liu Junfeng each carded a 67 to share fourth at the Anji King Valley Country Club.

Thai legend Thaworn Wiratchant, the 10-time Asian Tour winner, shot 70 on his Omega China Tour debut to share 19th place, while Luxehills Golf Championship winner Chen Jian carded a 74.

The burly Barnes, nicknamed ‘Australia’s John Daly’’, finished his round with an eagle at the 525-yard, par-five ninth to set a course record over the 7,150-yard Mark Hollinger-designed layout.

“It’s lucky I hit my wedge fat. I thought it may have rolled on, but when I got there, I saw Thaworn (Wiratchant) on the green indicating it was just six feet. Holing that was a nice way to finish,” said Barnes, who won April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open in Nanjing on his Omega China Tour debut.

“It was my best course management in a long time. It was tough for me not to try to use my driver on a couple of the par-fours, especially one and five. Instead, I used three-irons to set up sand-wedges and birdied both of those. I gave myself a pat on the back for that.”

Despite bagging seven birdies and an eagle, the 28-year-old admitted his most important hole was his fifth, the 380-yard 14th, where he pulled his tee-shot left into the trees. 

“The highlight of my round was finding my ball in the bushes on hole 14. I managed to pitch out and then get up and down for a lucky par. That was the turning point, as my round could have gone either way after that,” said Barnes, whose best tournament round was a 62 in the 2006 Victorian PGA Championship.

Barnes, one of nine PGA Tour of Australasia pros in the field, played in a high-profile flight with Thaworn and Liao Guiming (72), the reigning Omega Order of Merit winner.

“I’ve played with Thaworn a couple of times in Asian Tour events. He didn’t hole as many as he usually does, but after a slow start, he knocked a few in on the second nine, so I expect him to come good in the next couple of days,” said Barnes, joint-fifth in last week’s Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu.

Yuan, arguably the longest hitter among mainland pros, shot eight birdies in his bogey-free 64 as he continued his mission to win his first title on the Omega China Tour.

“My iron play was great today and helped set up a lot of birdie chances. I got lucky with a couple of long putts and that helped. The course is not that long, so hitting close with your irons is most important,” said Yuan, 29, who has 15 top-10 finishes in 28 events.

“It was my first time playing with Lu Wen-teh and it was great to watch him. He has a great routine to all his play and his short game and his ability to save par was great. He’s so steady.”

Lu (69), a five-time Asian Tour champion and third in Chengdu last week, is one of two Chinese Taipei invites along with Lin Wen-hong (71), younger brother of Lin Wen-tang, the reigning UBS Hong Kong Open champion.

Thaworn is one of five Mercedes-Benz Tour pros from Southeast Asia along with compatriots Wisut Artjanawat (70) and Pariya Junhasavasdikul (69), both fellow Asian Tour players, and Singaporeans Goh Kun Yang (69) and amateur Choo Tze Huang (70).

Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open, Anji, Omega China Tour

Leading first-round scores (par 72; Chinese unless stated):

63 – Kurt Barnes (AUS)

64 – Yuan Hao

66 – Anthony Brown (AUS)

67 – Eom Jae-woong (KOR), Liu Junfeng, Han Ren (A)

68 – Liu Qing, Lee Joung-wook (KOR), Fan Zhipeng, Kevin Huang Wenyi (A)

69 – Yuan Tian, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (THA), Goh Kun Yang (SIN), C.J. Gatto (USA), Lu Wen-teh (TPE), He Shaocai, Deng Yonghong, Wong Woon-man (HKG)

70 – Choo Tze Huang (SIN) (A), Chen Dongsheng, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA), Li Chao, Wisut Artjanawat (THA), Liu Anlin, Tom Prowse (AUS), Johnson Xing Xiaoxuan, Josh Lane (AUS)

71 – Yang Yonggang, Rowan Beste (AUS), Zhang Changlei, Liu Guojie, Lin Wen-hong (TPE), Brad Andrews (AUS), James Su Dong, David Wei Wei (A), Shang Lei, Xie Zhi

Selected scores:

72 – Liao Guiming, Hu Mu (A), Kevin Chen (USA)

73 – Michael Moore (AUS), Lucas Bates (AUS), Zhang Xinjun (A)

74 – Tang Shing-chi (HKG), Kelvin Jones (NZL)

75 – Jim Johnson (USA)

76 – Tristan Lambert (AUS)

78 – Max Kellner (GER)

80 – James Stewart (HKG), Philip Luke (AUS)

81 – Park Sang-hun (KOR)

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ENDS

Complimentary low-res photos attached

Credit: David Paul Morris/World Sport Group

For high-res photos

Visit the Gallery at www.omegachinatour.com and click on any image to access the high-resolution option. Credit: David Paul Morris/World Sport Group

For further information

Contact: John Higginson, Media Manager, World Sport Group (East Asia).

Email: j.higginson@worldsportgroup.com.hk

Media centre tel: +86 572 5521-812

Mobile: +86 136-3131-7977

Dongfeng Nissan

Dongfeng Nissan represents the Dongfeng Motor Company, a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Nissan Motor Company. It produces the Nissan Sunny, Nissan Bluebird, Nissan Teana and Nissan Tiida for sale in China.

Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open

June 17, 2009: Luxehills champion Chen Jian is hoping his improved short game will help him justify his tag as one of the favourites at this week’s inaugural RMB700,000 Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open, the first Omega China Tour event in Zhejiang province.

Chen, 34, became the circuit’s most surprising winner when he beat former Asian Tour player Rowan Beste in a play-off to win last week’s Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu , four years after his last top-10 finish on the Tour.

The Kunming-based teaching pro competes this week on another Mark Hollinger layout at the new Anji King Valley Country Club, where most of the challenges lie on the sloping greens, most notably the treacherous ninth and 18th holes.

“ King Valley is not long but it’s quite difficult, especially on the greens. You really need to pay attention on every stroke, especially on your approach shots, as you can roll off the greens,” said Chen, who featured in a pre-event photo shoot at the Anji Bamboo Forest with Australian Kurt Barnes.

“It was overwhelming to win in Chengdu , but this week is a new beginning. I need to forget about last week and start again. There are many top players who can win, especially at this tournament,” added Chen, who will play the first two rounds with Dell winner Wu Weihuang and national team amateur Huang Wenyi.

Liao Guiming, who finished fourth last week, played with Chen in the third round in Chengdu and witnessed his friend’s improved short game.

“We supported each other during the round and his 68 put him in the final flight on Sunday. His putting and chipping are very good now,” said Liao, the reigning Omega Order of Merit winner.

“Chen Jian has played many events on the Omega China Tour and his victory was a reward for how hard he has been working on his game.”

Liao agreed this week’s tournament could be won on the greens. “This is the first golf course in China surrounded by bamboo,” he said. “It’s beautiful and offers a lot of great views of the mountains, but the greens are very difficult, especially holes nine and 18.”

Liao has been drawn with big-hitting Kurt Barnes, winner of April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open, and Thailand ’s Thaworn Wiratchant, the 10-time Asian Tour winner making his Omega China Tour debut. Barnes, who finished joint-fifth last week, looked forward to playing in an international flight.

“Thaworn’s a top player. He has a very unusual swing and putting style, but obviously it works. He seems to hole everything,” said Barnes, one of nine PGA Tour of Australasia pros in the field.

“You don’t need to be long on this course, but the closer you can get to the greens, the easier it is to put the ball where you want. I’m in good form so I hope to be challenging this weekend.”

Zhang Yongjiang, Director of Anji King Valley Country Club, said this week’s event was a big boost for Anji and Zhejiang province.

“This is a great occasion as it’s the first major professional golf tournament in Zhejiang ,” Zhang said. “Anji is renowned as ‘bamboo country’ so it’s a very beautiful natural environment, so I’m really happy the Omega China Tour players have the chance to play here.”

Dongfeng Nissan, a joint-venture company that produces Nissan cars for sale in China , is the first automobile manufacturer to sponsor an Omega China Tour event. Nissan Teana cars are on display at the 10th and eight tees, with the latter hole, a 231-yard par-three, offering the new model as a hole-in-one prize.

“This is the first anniversary of the Nissan Teana car being on sale in China and this week we have launched the new version of the Nissan Teana,” said Denise Guo, Deputy General Manager, Marketing Department, Dongfeng Nissan.

“Despite the economic recession, Nissan sales have been great on the mainland, which is why we’re supporting the Omega China Tour, as it has a nationwide platform. Golfers and Nissan Teana owners have a similar profile.”

This week features one of the Omega China Tour’s most competitive fields due to a particularly strong foreign contingent. Thaworn is one of five Mercedes-Benz Tour pros from Southeast Asia along with compatriots Wisut Artjanawat and Pariya Junhasavasdikul – both of whom also play on the Asian Tour – and Singaporeans Goh Kun Yang and Choo Tze Huang.

Lu Wen-teh, a five-time Asian Tour champion and third last week, is one of two Chinese Taipei invites along with Lin Wen-hong, younger brother of Lin Wen-tang, the reigning UBS Hong Kong Open champion.

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ENDS

Complimentary low-res photos (Credit: David Paul Morris/World Sport Group):

Press conference trophy photo features (left to right):

Denise Guo – Deputy General Manager, Marketing Department, Dongfeng NISSAN

Liao Guiming – Winner, 2008 Omega Order of Merit

Chen Jian – Winner, Luxehills Golf Championship, Chengdu

Zhang Yongjiang – Director, Anji King Valley Country Club

Guo-Liao-Chen-Zhang_CreditWorldSportGroup

Anji Bamboo Forest photos feature (left to right):

Chen Jian – Winner, Luxehills Golf Championship, Chengdu

Kurt Barnes – Winner, Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open, Nanjing

For high-res photos (Credit: David Paul Morris/World Sport Group)

Visit the Gallery at www.omegachinatour.com and click on any image to access the high-resolution option.

For fur the r information

Please contact John Higginson , Media Manager, World Sport Group ( East Asia ). Email: j.higginson@worldsportgroup.com.hk. Mobile : +86 136-3131-7977.

Dongfeng Nissan

Dongfeng Nissan represents the Dongfeng Motor Company, a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Nissan Motor Company. It produces the Nissan Sunny, Nissan Bluebird, Nissan Teana and Nissan Tiida for sale in China .

Kurt Barnes_creditworldsportgroup

 

Barnes, renowned as ‘Australia’s John Daly’, held off Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat and China’s Zhang Lianwei to win April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open in Nanjing, where 10 Australians competed on the Omega China Tour for the first time.

Kurt Barnes_creditworldsportgroup

  

Tristan Lambert and Brad Andrews, both yoga enthusiasts, and Michael Moore, also a professional tennis coach, are also playing their second successive Omega China Tour event after competing in Nanjing.

 

The big-hitting Barnes, who turned 28 on May 25, will be the star attraction at the Luxehills International Country Club after his impressive Sofitel victory, which followed an 11th-place finish at the Volvo China Open and marked his first victory since the 2005 Victorian Open.

 

“Winning my first overseas title in China was a huge achievement for me, so it would be great to win another trophy at Luxehills,” said Barnes, who won RMB225,000 in Nanjing.

 

“The quality of the Australian players going to Chengdu is as good, if not stronger, than those in Nanjing, so it will be interesting to see how we do at Luxehills.”

 

Barnes, who regularly drives between 330-340 yards, is rediscovering the form that made him one of his country’s most promising players in his early 20s, when he won the 2002 Australian Amateur Championship.

 

After turning pro in October 2003, he won the Queensland PGA Championship in November 2004 and the Victorian Open two months later, but had to wait over four years for his next trophy.

 

“Everybody was really happy for me when I got back to Australia,” said Barnes, who played with Zhang Lianwei in the final two rounds in Nanjing. “Becoming the first Australian to win on the Omega China Tour is a massive thing to have on my resume, so it will be great to play again in China.”

 

Lambert, runner-up in the 2006 Queensland Open and 2007 Victorian PGA Championship, was also keen to return to the Omega China Tour after finishing tied for 21st at the Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open.

 

“The cooperation between the two Tours is a great initiative. It’s great for us personally and I think the Australian players will do well,” said the 26-year-old. “From what I’ve seen so far, the Omega China Tour is really well run and the signage, marquee and spectator stands give it a very professional atmosphere.”

 

Anthony Brown, Matthew Griffin, Tom Prowse, Josh Lane, Rowan Beste and Lucas Bates make up the10 PGA Tour of Australasia entries for Luxehills.

 

Zhang, a six-time Omega China Tour champion, and eight-time winner Li Chao will be among theleading Chinese pros at Luxehills along with Dell Championship winner Wu Weihuang, Omega Championship winner Zhou Jun, big-hitting Yuan Hao and Chengdustar Huang Mingjie.

 

Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chi-huang will also be among thefavourites after winning last year’s event with a Tour-record 18-under total of 270. The field will include up to two invites from each of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau, and 10 foreigners from Qualifying School.

 

 

ENDS

 

 

For high-res photos

Visit the Gallery at www.omegachinatour.com and click on any image to access the high-resolution option. Credit: World Sport Group.

 

For further information

Please contact John Higginson, Media Manager, World Sport Group (East Asia). Email: j.higginson@worldsportgroup.com.hk. Tel: +852 2891-2000. Mobile: +852 6626-1443.

 

About theLuxehills International Country Club

Luxehills International Country Club is Chengdu’s most central golf club and part of theLuxehills International Community, the most prominent real estate project in China’s southwest region. The project was developed by Wide Horizon Real Estate Co. Ltd. The golf club is renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular scenery and includes a North American-style clubhouse, an 18-hole championship course by JMP Golf Design Group and international-standard facilities. Firmly established in China’s golfing community, Luxehills was voted Favourite Course of the Year by the players on the 2008 Omega China Tour and hosted the 2008 National Golf Clubs General Managers Conference.

Luxehills Golf Championship

 May 22, 2009: Mark Hollinger of the JMP Golf Design Group believes the Omega China Tour record total set at last year’s inaugural Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu will not be under threat in next month’s second edition.

 Last September, Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chi-huang shot four rounds in the 60s for an 18-under total of 270 at the Luxehills International Country Club, while another 11 players finished under par.

Tsai at Luxehills-Creditworldsportgroup

“I expected thewinning score to be between 10-under and 12-under, so I was surprised when Tsai shot 18-under,” said Hollinger, who designed the 7,335-yard, par-72 layout. “I don’t expect 18-under this year, but if the green speed is quick, I’d expect the top players to shoot between 12-under and 15-under.” 

Hollinger also designed theLongxi Hotspring Golf Club in Beijing, which hosted last year’s season-ending Omega Championship, where only champion Zhou Jun finished under-par.

“I thought the scores would be the other way around as Longxi Hotspring is a wider course, but the greens were really quick and the rough was really long, which made it tough,” Hollinger said.

This year’s Luxehills Golf Championship offers an increased purse of RMB1 million and will be held from June 11-14, an ideal time for thePaspalum fairways and rough, while balmy early-summer weather is expected in the Sichuan capital.

“The course will be in perfect condition for thetournament, as Paspalum is a perennial warm-weather grass so will be in top condition in June,” Hollinger said. “Also, compared to last year, the trees are getting bigger and there are more properties around the course, which suits the landscaping.”

Last year big-hitting Yuan Hao set thepace with an opening 66, while top amateur Zhang Xinjun shot a 66 on day two to lead on 11-under. Tsai, a former Asian Tour regular, shot a third-round 66 to tie Zhang for the54-hole lead on 14-under before shooting his third 68 to finish 18-under, three clear of Liao Guiming.

Tsai and Zhang at luxehills_creditworldsportgroup

“It never ceases to amaze me how good these guys are. The course has some teeth, it’s not easy. However, there is room to drive the ball and thegreens are large,” Hollinger said. “Pros hit it so long and straight, they can avoid problems. Even though there are bunkers, lots of them, it’s a course you can attack.”

C.B. Fong, the club’s General Manager, said the large galleries also played their part in inspiring low scores and expected thesame at June’s event, when Zhang Lianwei will be among many top players competing at Luxehills for the first time.

“Luxehills had the biggest crowds on the Omega China Tour and this makes a difference for theplayers,” Fong said. “It gives them added incentive to play well and they’re encouraged when they have the crowd cheering their birdies. The golfers respond to the fans.”

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For high-res photos

Visit the Gallery at www.omegachinatour.com and click on any image to access the high-resolution option. Credit: World Sport Group.

For further information

Please contact John Higginson, Media Manager, World Sport Group (East Asia). Email: j.higginson@worldsportgroup.com.hk. Tel: +852 2891-2000. Mobile: +852 6626-1443.

About the Luxehills International Country Club

Luxehills International Country Club is Chengdu’s most central golf club and part of the Luxehills International Community, the most prominent real estate project in China’s southwest region. The project was developed by Wide Horizon Real Estate Co. Ltd. The golf club is renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular scenery and includes a North American-style clubhouse, an 18-hole championship course by JMP Golf Design Group and international-standard facilities. Firmly established in China’s golfing community, Luxehills was voted Favourite Course of the Year by the players on the 2008 Omega China Tour and hosted the 2008 National Golf Clubs General Managers Conference.

Chinese golfer Zhang Lianwei, who is the first mainland Chinese to win a European Tour event , is preparing for a winning return in the Luxehills Golf Championship from June 11-14. The prize money of his third successive event on this year’s Omega China Tour is RMB 1 million. He has not been to Chengdu for many years after winning the Chengdu Classic in 1999 and 2001. Another victory is very important to him because he has not won since his commanding victory in the Guangzhou Championship last March. But the Luxehills Golf Championship also attracts many other top players in China including eight-time Tour champion Li Chao, Dell Championship winner Wu Weihuang, Omega Championship winner Zhou Jun, big-hitting Yuan Hao and local star Huang Mingjie. Please click for more information.

Top Chinese golfer Zhang Lianwei

China has stared its search for the next Annika Sorenstam on the China Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour. Many golfers are very happy with the their own tour  in perfect conditions at the Beijing Orient Pearl Golf Club. The first generation of Chinese women golfers have no tours in China for more than a decade. But they see it finally happen. The organizers of the tour hope to expand the tour to 15 events in 2010 and increase the prize money, trying to make it as influential as those in neighbouring Asian countries. Let’s go back to the tour. After the match today,Yang Taoli is at the top of the leaderboard with a 139.Please go to guardian for more.

Yang Taoli on the CLPGA

The Beijing Orient Pearl Champion starts. It is the Monday Qualify today. And the professional tournaments will be held from 13th May to 15th May. After the professional tournaments there will be a junior training and a pro-am match for helping younger golfers to cultivate skills. There are 13 players in today’s Monday Qualify including the former badminton world champion Ye Zhaoying. There are many other special arrangements like fee waive to encourage  female golf amateurs to join the tournament. Please click for more information about the schedule.

The golfer Feng Shanshan

South Korean women are creating huge success in golfing. And there were many Korean winners on the US LPGA Tour last season. But Feng Shanshan is the only Chinese player. Now China plans to catch up with them. While launching the inaugural China LPGA Tour next week with the Beijing Orient Pearl Championship, China also holds six other tournaments in year in Yantai, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Kashi and Xiamen. It is believed that the establishment of the China LPGA tour will provide more chance for Chinese female golfers to compete and practice with each other before they seek fame and fortune oversea. Please visit AFP for more information.