Hidden Tiger GC
Picture Perfect
Gary Player describes his course at the IMG-managed Hidden Tiger in Anhui province as a gift to nature, and he's absolutely right. Perched on the shores of mystical Lake Taiping with the famed Huangshan mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, providing a gorgeous backdrop, this is surely one of the most picturesque places in the country in which to tee it up.
Thankfully, nine-time major champion Player and his design team understood their market well, and rather than create a monstrously difficult layout for the amateur, they have sculptured an approachable and wonderfully balanced course from the hilly terrain. Make no mistake: trouble, in the form of native grasses, attractive bunkering and, of course, the lake itself, lie in store for the wayward, but this is an enormously enjoyable track, one that is refreshingly free from residential sprawl.
Admittedly it does require some effort getting to Hidden Tiger. The club is a three to four hour journey from Hangzhou airport, which you can fly directly in to from Hong Kong, but there's also the option of crossing the border and flying from Shenzhen or Guangzhou into Huangshan, which is about an hour's drive away. Adding to the allure: the five-star Crowne Plaza Hotel on Lake Taiping is set to open next summer. www.hiddentigergolf.com
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