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.