Living on a golf course development makes sense, especially if you happen to like the sport For many frequent travellers to the Pearl River Delta who are considering buying a house, the question is not why they should opt for a property on a golf course but why they shouldn't. Golf courses have innumerable advantages. Like every one of their ads proclaims, they are oases. In the world's workshop, a bit of greenery, security and decent neighbours can make the difference between success and the madhouse. Ask anyone who has a factory there and they will nod knowingly. The challenge is how to choose a place that will fit your budget, satisfy your family and maximise your travelling time. If money is no object but time is, it's hard to beat Mission Hills. Just under 90 minutes' drive from central, the world's biggest golf club offers country living in a range of enormous luxury villas, all with stunning views along the prestigious World Cup golf course. Its strength is its size, which has created a community atmosphere that residents find enlivening. Beyond the greens, the complex has the widest range of dining, leisure and entertainment options among property developments in Guangdong. And the security is tight. But if bang for buck is a concern, you might want to bet with Superman, a.k.a. Li Ka-shing. Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong have a joint venture in Dongguan's Houjie County which promises all the quality associated with their reputation as Hong Kong-listed companies run by Asia's richest man. Harbour Plaza Golf Club may not be as large as Mission Hills but there is no doubting its quality and long-term investment value. Its new villas in the next-door Laguna Verona estate are nearly as big as those in Mission Hills, tastefully designed, and considerably cheaper per square foot -- an average of 12,000 yuan per sq m to Mission Hills' 17,000. They do not have the same views as they are built along the Hang Gang lake rather than inside the golf course. But in some you see the lake on one side and the golf course on the other. Its location also places Harbour Plaza in a different category of buyers: people who have business that spans the eastern side of the PRD. Houjie is an hour from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Fuyong -- the ferry pier near the Shenzhen airport that brings in people from Hong Kong. Those who think more about a pristine environment and are on a smaller budget will have to go further out. Palm Island in Huiyang has apartments that sell for about 9,000 per sq m. Hillview, near Dongguan city, has a lovely course with large villas but is much more into a local market -- about 80 per cent of buyers are from Dongguan. Over on the western side of the PRD is the Agile Golf Club development. There are 36 holes here, among Asia's best, and the property development, called La Cite Greenfield, lacks nothing in scale. Indeed, it looks like a mini-city of villas, mid-rises and high-rises. Hongkongers make up about 60 per cent of buyers here. Prices are a lot cheaper, at an average for the villas of about 8,000 per sq m and 4,000 per sq m for the apartments. The advantage is the environment. Zhongshan has little of the eastern side's manufacturing mayhem. In all of these places you need to weigh up your finance costs. Remember to ask about options for Hong Kong residents, as some offer mortgages payable through banks in Hong Kong.