GETAWAYS:
GOLF TRAVEL
They call it “China’s Hawaii” for several reasons not the least because it’s a catchy name. But also because it fits: it’s the same latitude as Hawaii; it’s well suited to tourism like Hawaii; and you can turn up and play golf and lie on the beach – and repeat – as you can in Hawaii.
Hainan is about a third the size of Tasmania and home to nine million people. Once a provincial backwater, the government has opened the place up to golf tourism. Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods played a lucrative exhibition at Mission Hills’ flagship Blackstone Course. The celebrity Pro-Am has enticed such names as Jessica Alba, Nicole Kidman and Michael Douglas. Automatic visas are granted to citizens of 59 golf-playing countries.
Mission Hills Haikou sports 10 golf courses designed by American firm Schmidt-Curley. Its velvet carpet laid over volcanic rock. There’s a course called Lava Fields. Blackstone was recently awarded number one resort course and fourth best championship course in Asia Pacific at the 2018 Asian Golf Awards. It also won best clubhouse.
The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula has two 18-hole courses, East and West, and a composite, and you should just Google it now. The pictures sell the place better than words. It’s stunning – Barnbougle on the beach.
From March 3 – 11 of 2019, Asian specialists China Golf Experiences will team up with golf writer Matt Cleary to present the “Two Resort Challenge”, a 2-ball teams’ event with caddies, leaderboards and competition across four stunning golf courses – two at Mission Hills, two at The Dunes. There’s practice rounds on Blackstone and Lava Fields. There’ll be fine prizes and massive banquets. Tariff is $2,680 twin-share, $3,490 single and $1,230 for non-golfing partner and includes breakfast, welcome and presentation dinners, internal land transfers and eight nights 5-star luxury accommodation at Mission Hills and the Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula.