Visit Hainan - Australia's Leading Hainan Holiday and Tour website.

Nestled amongst the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Northern region of Hainan island lie the emerald green golf courses of one of the world’s most prestigious clubs, Mission Hills Hainan. The club is the latest venture of golfing powerhouse Mission Hills, widely regarded as the world’s leading leisure and sports management firm.

 

Mission Hills Hainan opened in March 2010, with six initial courses stretching around a volcano. So far the group has invested 25 billion Yuan (about US$3.7 billion) to add golfing, retail and community facilities at its 5-billion Yuan club in Haikou. The local Government of the island has suggested that at its completion, Mission Hills Hainan may consist of up to 30 courses.

 

For now, the prestigious club can boast a total of ten courses, with the opening of four new courses. The four new courses have been crafted by Shmidt-Curley Designs together with the Mission Hills club and include the Stone Quarry, Shadow Dunes, Double Pin and Stepping Stone.

 

‘At Mission Hills Hainan, golfers can select from a global menu of golf design genres,’ says Brian Curley of Shmidt-Curley Design. ‘Each layout has a distinct 'personality' - levels of difficulty, bunker styles, green sizes and undulations, landscaping, par and yardage were intentionally varied to distinguish the resort from competitors and celebrate its status as an international golf destination."

 

Shadow Dunes is the largest of the new courses, covering an area of 6,428 yards (par 70), set out along the vast, unspoiled scenery and vegetation of the island’s tropical coastline. With sweeping contours and wild greens, accuracy with the short game is important as balls are sent running on this course.

 

Stone Quarry (par 70, 6,029 yards) twists through volcanic quarries with steep rock walls. Golfers play amongst remnants of abandoned mines with coal cars and railroad tracks dotting a course of abrupt mounds, long bunkers and complex greens. The design is a tribute to Peter Dye, a mentor to the Shmidt-Curley team.

 

Extending the club to include families and golfers of all levels, Double Pin (par 54, 1921 yards) is the most suitable beginner course, consisting of par-3 holes that range from 98 to 153 yards set amongst colourful flowers. And finally, Stepping Stone (par 54, 2,176 yards) is the perfect place to polish your game, with a layout that blends perfectly with the natural vegetation and rugged black volcanic rock.

 

The Mission Hills Group is the owner of the world’s largest golf club, a 12-course club based in Shenzhen in southern China. In the past, Mission Hills has catered mostly to foreign golfers who have made up 80% of its customers.  In recent years, however, the company has switched its focus from foreigners to Chinese golfers, targeting a market of new wealth that emerged after an economic boom that increased annual urban wages by 64% in 2009.

 

‘We have confidence in the rise in Chinese consumption and them having a holiday mentality,’ said Ken Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills. ‘We see the growth of the game and we see the growth of this business sector.’

 

Golf’s popularity has also increased in China with the addition of the sport to the Olympic games. ‘The country will be spending money to promote the game, to build the younger generation to participate in the sport,’ said Chu. ‘There’s a chance for them to win a gold medal and golf is a game in which the Chinese can excel.’

 

"I am very optimistic Mission Hills Hainan will help show Asian golfers and developers it is more about offering a great experience," said Curley. "Some of the courses, like Blackstone and Lava Fields, will play long and test the best players. However, we also designed courses that are still challenging and thought-provoking but tailored to be more forgiving to mid- and high-handicappers," he said.

 

With less than 200 days to go until the start of the 2011 Omega Mission Hills World cup (November 24-27), the island is buzzing with excitement to receive the pros in one of the most prestigious events in the world of golf.  This will be the first time that the World Cup has taken place in China’s tropical island Hainan province and will see 56 professionals from 28 countries – including the likes of Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Steve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus and Bernhard Langer – compete for the US$7.5 million prize fund.

 

Mission Hills Hainan’s immaculately manicured club is located 15 minutes from Haikou Meilan International Airport, and includes an 18-storey luxurious resort with 525 spacious rooms. Along with mineral springs and spa facilities, 12 restaurants, a sport and recreation centre, MICE facilities, villas, residential towers and the island’s largest mineral springs, Mission Hills Hainan is fast becoming a golfing Mecca and one of the most sought-after leisure destinations in China.

< Prev		Next >