I feel like i'm about to step into the lions' den here....
I own a small golf travel company specialising in sending Aussie golfers overseas. 80% of the business is to the high end destinations in GB & I & the USA. For several years i resisted the urge to even send golfers to Mission Hills - surely it was "Buffet" not "Connoisseur Golf"? However, demand from valued, past clients meant i needed to set up contracts with Mission Hills & start working with them. Feedback from returning club golfer clients was enthusiastic. They loved the courses, the caddies, the (relatively cheap) oppulence. Naturally, i assumed they wouldn't know better.
For one reason or another i got the chance to get over there myself in May this year. At least i was going to have a chance to tell my clients " I've been there. Play this course. Avoid that one. Visit this bar. Etc". My report card to self?
Negatives:
-the bureaucracy is over the top. From memory you have to check in at 3 seperate places to finally get yourself onto a cart
-the logistics can be a challenge. At the original Shenzhen location , the 12 courses (10 non member access) are spread over 3 different locations. Planning the shuttle commute takes some management
-the scale of the whole thing is boderline mind boggling (depending upon where your room was in the "new" Donguann Resort it could take 15 minutes to walk to the Dining Room for breakfast (& back)
-the restaurants were "OK"
-course conditions in May were ,generally, 6 to 7 out of 10
Positives:
-in general, the courses were FAR MORE INTERESTING than i had expected them to be
-given that 4 or 5 courses out of 1 clubhouse (think Pinehurst) must, obviously, use very simiolar topography, we always were kept interested enough during each round. The developers did a decent job of creating some individuality for each course (even if that started to dim with the passage of time)
-a couple of the lesser courses were surprise packets. Personally i liked "Vijay" a lot. It had several short Par 4's and good risk/reward Par 5's. Not sure how that gets sheeted back to Vijay....but it was a fun round
-Olazabal is clearly the "chosen one". Lots more attention to detail & staffing. It really was a grand, large-scale course. In hindsight, there was a lot of sand....but i didn't feel it detract or interfere with the experience. I have really enjoyed watching the great players take it on (and to bits)
- my caddy (Kiki)
In summary, Mission Hills (in general) & Olazabal (in particular) is one of those guilty pleasures. I'm not booking myself in for another visit but i would not be unhappy to "have to" return again.