An island golfing Eden
Golfers are spoilt for choice on Hainan. The courses in Sanya and Boao offer a particularly rewarding challenge
IF HAINAN REALLY is the Hawaii of the East for golf, these days the island has more muscle than Maui. Of course, those who are sensitive about the environmental impact of the super-sized courses that have sprung up in recent years might want to stick to the beaches. But for golfers, the courses in Sanya and Boao, along with others scattered around the island, are a grand and rare indulgence.
At Sanya, the golfing action is in Yalong Bay, close to the five-star hotels that hug the beach. The two courses are a treat. The five-year-old Yalong Bay Golf Club was designed by renowned American designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. It features a tough 18 holes set in a landscaped environment with waterfalls, coconut palms and picture-perfect greens.
Embellished with 95 bunkers and a winding river, the course's fairways include challenges of every description - even a 120,000 square metre lake.
In 2003, the course received ISO 9001 certification for the quality of its management. It has received several awards from regional golfing magazines. And it is the host club for the Sanya Open, which is part of the Asian Tour.
Yalong Bay is more than just greens. The tropical-style clubhouse and restaurants have a casual, laid-back air perfectly suited to Hainan's subtropical climate. The swimming pool has an artificial beach where the kids can play while their parents chop their way around the 7,116-yard course.
Prices for the course are expensive, but similar to those at other top-rated courses around the island: 850 yuan for the green fee and 145 yuan for the caddie.
Cheaper packages can be booked in advance through the hotels.
At the height of summer, even the most avid golfing enthusiasts might prefer the option of a night game on the back nine holes.
Of course, there is the option of simply smashing a bucket of balls at the driving range. A short ride away is the new kid on the block, the Sun Valley Golf Club, which opened last year. In a clear attempt to make a name for itself against its established rival, the course designers, US-based JMP, conjured up Asia's only par 6 for the 18th hole. At 828 yards, it is quite a walk.
The 7,875 yard, par 73 course also has some sprawling greens (between 950 square metres and 1,100 square metres) and even bigger tee boxes.
It was obvious the day we visited, however, that the elements were giving the course a hard time.
It did not help that Sanya was having a dry spell, either, as golf courses need to suck up huge amounts of water before they can grow into the forms the designer conceives.
Still, it shows promise as an alternative to its established rival. Published green fees are 800 yuan with caddie fees at 130 yuan.
In Boao, there are two more highly rated courses. The more established is the Boao Golf and Country Club which is described as the 'only full-island Scottish-style links in Asia'. This refers to the fact that the course covers Shapo Island, and its natural features have been preserved as a challenge to players. The green fee is 700 yuan, while a caddie costs 120 yuan.
The alternative is the Sofitel Hotel's Graham Marsh-designed BFA International Convention Centre Golf Club . The 7,129 yards of fairways feature more than 76,000 square metres of lakes. The green fee is 120 yuan for 18 holes, and a caddie is 120 yuan.
AT A GLANCE
Yalong Bay Golf Resort
Tel (0899) 88565039
Sun Valley Sanya Golf Club
Tel (0898) 88564488
Boao Golf and Country Club
Tel (0898) 62777307
BFA International Convention Centre Golf Club
Tel (0898) 62966888
