[Kyle Henderson]

With such a large quantity of recently-developed golf courses, why haven't I heard great things about any of the tracks in China?

Too new and distant for raters to visit?

Too few of the top design firms working there up to now?

Poor detail work by locals hired for the construction phase?

A lack of premium sites/soils available for development?


Mission Hills seems to garner the most press purely because it is such a large resort. Has anyone played all of the courses there? Any of them worthwhile?

[Joe Hancock]

Kyle,

I wonder if the Chinese have a different criteria of what constitutes a great golf course. When they hire an architect, it may well come with a list of what the course has to be to fit their idea of great.

Joe

[John Moore II]

Joe-I think you might be onto something there. After all, design ideas in America changed for many years as to what was considered 'good.'

I don't really know why there is nothing 'great.' But again, by who's standards are we talking great? And for that matter, how many recently built are really great anyway, at least when compared to the older golf courses?

[Jaeger Kovich]

I think its more like... why doesn't china have any top-ranked courses YET!

When you look at China as a nation what are they good at? Engineering, math that sort of thing (yes i'm stereotyping, but hear me out). These are both very strict things, they follow rules; 2 + 2 always =s 4 and F is always = MA. So for a nation that is relatively new to golf 18 tees + 18 greens, a clubhouse with some bunkers and water and now you have GOLF.

But as we all know, there is much more to golf than just that. Obviously, they have imported the likes of Jack, Arnold, Norman and all the others that have courses at places like Mission Hills, but what do they have to compare it to? Hirono is across the sea, and how many get to go to Aus? It takes time to really develop the spirit of golf. For me, there are 2 ways to play the game: you can play it like MECHANIC, learning about swing planes, pro-nating, club face angles... that sort of thing. OR you can play like a POET, where rhythm, tempo and balance are key, what was that feeling the golf course thread all about?

So going back to my stereotyped china... once they have played enough golf, and begin to experience what great golf course design is all about, i'm sure it is just a matter of time before they figure out how to engineer a top-ranked golf course and have their own great golf course architects... they are just to smart and clearly love the game to much not to.

With Tom D working on 2 courses (is it still 2?) and C & C with another... all on Hainan Island, top ranked golf in china is sure to come.

[Mike_Young]

because they don't advertise in our magazines.....and we don't go to their resorts in numbers...

[Tom_Doak]

Mike:

From the limited sampling I've seen of courses in China, I really don't think anyone has yet built a course in China which belongs in a top 100 list.

To tell the truth, it doesn't look like anyone has really even tried.  Too many big-name designers have just mailed in designs and haven't sent anyone over there to make sure they turn out great.  And I think many assume that the clients don't really know any different, which is probably sometimes the truth.  It takes a great client to wind up with a great course.

[Brian_Ewen]

With such a large quantity of recently-developed golf courses, why haven't I heard great things about any of the tracks in China?

Too new and distant for raters to visit?

Too few of the top design firms working there up to now?

Poor detail work by locals hired for the construction phase?

A lack of premium sites/soils available for development?

China isnt in the United States of America .

[Wade Whitehead]

Tom Doak:

Were/are you working on a project in China?  I recall, somehow, that one was in the works for you.

WW

[Tom_Doak]

wwhitehead:

We have two projects in planning.  Neither has broken ground yet.

[Gary Slatter]

"no white sand"

I think its more like... why doesn't china have any top-ranked courses YET!

When you look at China as a nation what are they good at? Engineering, math that sort of thing (yes i'm stereotyping, but hear me out). These are both very strict things, they follow rules; 2 + 2 always =s 4 and F is always = MA. So for a nation that is relatively new to golf 18 tees + 18 greens, a clubhouse with some bunkers and water and now you have GOLF.

But as we all know, there is much more to golf than just that. Obviously, they have imported the likes of Jack, Arnold, Norman and all the others that have courses at places like Mission Hills, but what do they have to compare it to? Hirono is across the sea, and how many get to go to Aus? It takes time to really develop the spirit of golf. For me, there are 2 ways to play the game: you can play it like MECHANIC, learning about swing planes, pro-nating, club face angles... that sort of thing. OR you can play like a POET, where rhythm, tempo and balance are key, what was that feeling the golf course thread all about?

So going back to my stereotyped china... once they have played enough golf, and begin to experience what great golf course design is all about, i'm sure it is just a matter of time before they figure out how to engineer a top-ranked golf course and have their own great golf course architects... they are just to smart and clearly love the game to much not to.

With Tom D working on 2 courses (is it still 2?) and C & C with another... all on Hainan Island, top ranked golf in china is sure to come.

IMHO they don't have enough courses from the 1959 to 1990 era, they only have modern courses, all in excellent condition with great clubhouse facilities.  We had a golf group from China playing in St Andrews and honestly they wondered what was wrong with the home of golf.

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