Out With the Old ...

The last couple of years have been a particularly fruitful time for course development in China. Alex Jenkins checks out six of the best new layouts that have opened

Lion Lake CC

A Roaring Rebirth

The Moon Course at this fully-fledged resort, situated on the outskirts of Guangzhou, has been making waves since it opened for play at the end of 2009 – and it's easy to see why.

Rick Jacobson, who was formerly with Jack Nicklaus' design company, is the man responsible for the work and he has sculpted a full-bore track that rolls across pleasing, undulating terrain. (The course was built in part over the original Lion Lake course, a disappointing Larry Nelson design that the new owners of the development were quick to bury). Artfully bunkered, with large, jagged-edged pits protecting generally small, well contoured greens, it's fair to say that the Moon Course provides a serious challenge. Our advice: don't leave home without a deft short game.

What really makes this track stand out, however, is its distinctive scenery. Large red natural rock formations frame many of the holes on the Moon Course and Jacobson deserves credit for taking advantage of these monoliths and weaving a wonderfully varied course through them.

Lion Lake is home to a second 18, the Moonlight Course, another Jacobson design, and is operated by Troon Golf, the American course management company. www.lionlake.com

Pages

Written by Alex Jenkins

Photography by Tom Breazeale

Click here to see the published article.

Southern Africa's Golden Triangle
  Mention South Africa to an avid golfer and they’ll likely conjure up thoughts of the legendary greats of the game - men such as Gary Player, Ernie Els and Bobby Locke - and also some of...
Asia's Most Memorable Golfing Experiences
Journey to Tiger Beach During the heady days of China’s golf course construction boom in the early 2000s numerous clubs, presumably in their eagerness to drum up publicity and therefore...
With Time Comes Change
Twenty years ago it seemed like I had all the time in the world to go play a round of golf and get in some practice on the same day. Fast forward to the present and finding the time to do this is a...
A New Beginning
Not a whole lot has happened golf wise in Phuket in recent years. Save for the opening of Phunaka, a nine-hole, floodlit track located between Phuket Town, the island's historic capital, and Patong...
Looking Long-Term
I happened to watch the movie Game Change for the first time recently which covers the events that led to the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s Republican running mate back in the...
The Sultanate of Swing
The possession of a good nickname may not be prerequisite for golfing immortality, but it certainly helps to build up an aura. Jack Nicklaus, of course, was known as “The Golden Bear”...
At One with Nature
Bunkers are an essential part of the game of golf. They give the architect an opportunity to create strategic and visual interest - at the same time. Many of our modern golf courses - and some of...
Changing Times
We live in a world of constant flux. What is deemed as cutting edge today is often seen as outdated tomorrow. This is particularly evident in the golf business. Golfers are much stronger today...
Vietnam's Latest Gem
Greg Norman has predicted The Bluffs is destined to become one of the world’s top golf courses. Speaking at the much-anticipated opening of the spectacular links course, the Australian said...
A Sense of Place
A sense of place by definition “is a sense of the beauty and the wealth of phenomena that comprise a particular place. It is a factor that makes an environment psychologically comfortable....

Pages