Tiger Beach Golf Links

Haiyang, Shandong

This sister club of Scotland's famed Carnoustie is a rare treat in Asia where an 18-hole links-style course has been faithfully recreated as a tribute to the best seaside courses of Britain and Ireland. Waist-high fescue grasses, deep riveted pot bunkers and small shrubberies substituting for gorse can all be found here, as the ever-present wind blowing off the sea provides ample practice for bump-and-run play. The club, which has hosted a China Tour event, is 90 minutes north of Qingdao and is offering a stay-and-play package of two rounds and one night's accommodation for 1,500 yuan (HK$1,695). The price for a single round is 800 yuan.

0535 3311808

Standing High And mighty

Dalian Golden Pebble Beach Golf Club

Dalian, Liaoning

China's football capital also features one of the country's most memorable courses. Built high atop a cliff, overlooking Bohai Bay, is a 36-hole layout featuring the A Course designed by American Peter Thompson (not to be confused with Aussie great Peter Thomson) and the Zhu Zongying-designed B Course. With its spectacular scenery overlooking the water, ever-present wind and strange rock formations dating back 6 million years, the hilly club has often been compared to its famed California namesake. But a round here comes at a fraction of the price at 600 yuan (HK$678) on weekdays. Well worth the trip.

0411 87912346

Fantasy island

Yalong Bay Golf Club

Sanya, Hainan

This 18-hole course, designed by Robert Trent JonesJnr, is about a five-iron away from the white-sand beaches near the South China Sea. It is one of the famed courses in the emerging golf destination of Hainan Island. While the top professionals have been known to shoot low at this club that annually hosts the Sanya Classic, most amateurs will undoubtedly have a more difficult time with the club's tricky greens, subtle water hazards, swirling wind and Jones' strategy of building to a crescendo finish.

0898 88565888

Thrills in the hills

Nine Dragons Admirals

Penghu, Zhejiang

For sheer ambition in a single-course project, Nine Dragons Admirals takes some beating. The first phase of the luxury resort cost a staggering US$300 million and includes a hotel, villas, polo grounds and even a cruise ship terminal. The centrepiece is an impressive 27-hole layout featuring holes atop a mountain and others along Hangzhou Bay. The first China effort by Florida designer Ron Garl makes the most of the natural attributes, including the ocean views, rolling landscapes and dramatic elevation changes as high as 170 metres. The presence of two large quarries adds a spectacular backdrop to the hilly layout.

021 64675252

Mountain to climb

Orient Wenzhou Golf Country Club

Wenzhou, Zhejiang

China's cigarette lighter and shoe manufacturing capital also features one of the country's most stunning golf courses. Situated in a valley atop a mountain, the hilly layout features narrow fairways and huge voids of space that require confident shots to reach the greens. Judging distance is paramount here as players are often playing onto a hill or up a mountain in this beautiful spot. The course annually hosts Asia's top female professionals for the Orient Masters and has an open day Thursday when 460 yuan (HK$523) includes the green fee, caddie, cart, insurance and locker. There are also stay-and-play packages available.

0577 88817718

Beauty and the beast

Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club

Zhongshan, Guangdong

The first club to open in modern China combines history with two fantastic golf experiences. The original Arnold Palmer par-71 layout appears short on paper at 6,462 yards, but it can be a beast with its tree-lined fairways, snaking canals and subtle nuances. The Jack Nicklaus course is classic Golden Bear with huge waste bunkers and an emphasis on challenging approach shots. Visitors can play the Nicklaus layout each weekday with a caddie and lunch for 638 yuan (HK$726), while the Palmer can be played Monday to Thursday for the same price. The club also developed Liang Wenchong, the country's top professional.

0760 6690055, +852 28684642

Swinging course

Orient Pearl Country Club

Beijing

Part of the 15-club Orient Golf chain on the mainland and in Taiwan, this 18-hole course in north Beijing places a heavy emphasis on risk-and-reward shots. With numerous doglegs, blind tee shots and a good mixture of short holes, this layout just begs for confident swingers to take out the big stick, cut the corners and go for glory. The two-year-old club, which hosted the country's top female professionals for the Beijing leg of the Orient Masters in June, features a beautiful wooded area with tight tree-lined fairways and a relatively flat open nine. Tuesday is public day for 400 yuan (HK$452). Women can play for the same price on Wednesday.

010 60425799

Players need luck of the Irish

Suzhou SunIsland

Suzhou, Jiangsu

A Suzhou industrial park provides an unusual setting for one of the most adventurous courses in Asia. Suzhou SunIsland, by design firm Nelson and Haworth, is inspired by Royal Portrush and Ballybunion, among others, and pays tribute to the Emerald Isle with this Irish links-style course on Yang Chen Lake, which is home to the famed hairy crab seasonal delicacy. The square tee-boxes, the massive dunes, punishing bunkers and three great finishing holes provide the right craic for the adventurous golfer, making this course, about 80 minutes from Shanghai, well worth the trip. Public day is Monday for 460 yuan (HK$523), while women's day is Wednesday and Thursday for 330 yuan.

0512 67023636

Hidden gem

Pine Valley Sports and Country Club

Zhuhai, Guangdong

An hour from the Zhuhai pier, this hidden gem is set in a scenic valley surrounded by mountains. The first hole is daunting, as a gun club runs along its perimeter. Quail, pheasant and wild turkey are bred on the premises and roam free. Until September30, a 680 yuan (HK$773) weekday package includes golf, caddie, electric cart and a night's stay at the on-site hotel (twin sharing). Weekends: 1,080 yuan

0756 5573888, +852 28278307

Scenic challenge

Shanghai Silport Golf Club

Dianshan Lake, Jiangsu

Few clubs have done as much to popularise golf on the mainland as Shanghai Silport. The seven-time Volvo China Open host venue is a pure golf experience. The challenge of this 36-hole course, surrounded by scenic farmland, is its abundance of huge waste bunkers and water that come into play on the majority of the holes. The club welcomes visitors on Thursdays for 560 yuan (HK$637), caddie included.

0512 57481111