PSA - Taiwan Golf & Country Club in Tamshui

[AChao]

Hi everyone,
I received / purchased Doak's Confi Guide Vol 5 not that long ago and one of the Gourmet's Choices was Taiwan Golf & Country Club in Taiwan.  What was interesting is that my mother actually grew-up in Tamshui and my father and mother went to college in Tamshui, and I'd been to Taiwan many times and never played or heard anything about Taiwan Golf & Country Club.  (Most of my golf there has been played at Miramar and a few other higher-profile, newer courses). 

Because of Tom Doak's listing on the Gourmet Choices, I decided to call them up and found-out that non-members can play on weekday morning before 8:30 am pretty easily.  For about US$180, it includes green fee, locker room, caddy, caddy tip, cart, and rental clubs.
The course was originally 27 holes, but 7 holes had to be returned to the Taiwan Government years ago.  (The Club has a ground lease from the government.)  According to my caddy who has been there 30 years, the weakest 9 was given up and the remaining two 9s were always the strongest (though the first hole from the old nine looks pretty good). 

At any rate, I thought I'd mention it as so many of you are so well traveled.  The course as a whole is good and interesting though not necessarily destination worthy, but the two par 5s back-to-back on the front nine are excellent and seriously cool for lack of a better description. 

A new hotel is being built next to those par 5s and they will probably have packages which I would think will make it easier to book.  Right now, it probably helps to be able to speak some Chinese or hope the English speaker is available. 

Contact phone and information is right on their website.  If you go, make sure you go to the "Old" club and not "New Tamshui".

[Tom_Doak]

AChao:


I believe the correct name is Taiwan Golf & Country Club.


I played there with my friend David Lee, who lives in Taiwan.  We encountered quite a few English-speaking members, but you could be right that the staff doesn't have many.  Apart from the locals, the most common visitors are Japanese; indeed it was the Japanese who built the course when they controlled Taiwan between 1895 and World War II.  The designer was Rokuro Akaboshi, who studied at Yale, and was Hugh Alison's host when he came to Tokyo Golf Club in 1930.


I agree with your description of the course as "good and interesting though not necessarily destination worthy".  I told them if it were me I would cut some of the trees to make more of the views on the front nine, but I doubt they'll do it 

[Tom_Doak]

P.S.  As to your other point about the club being pretty open to visitors, I think that’s true of 15 of the 18 courses in The Goirmet’s Choice for v5.  The three exceptions are Shanqin Bay, Whistling Rock, and Tokyo Golf Club.

[AChao]

Hi Tom,
Thanks for chiming-in on this thread.  You are correct.  In English, the scorecard says "Taiwan Golf & Country Club" and I've corrected it on this thread.
And thank you for putting it as a Gourmet's Choice in your book -- I doubt I would have seeked-it-out if it wasn't so prominent in your book.  As someone who needs to be there for 2 weeks or so every 2 years, this course is great fun and something "new" from the more recently built clubs.  I'm still floored by holes 6 and 7 -- when I was walking down 6, I was thinking the same thing about tree removal.  I wish that they could hire you or another top architect and remodel and remove trees.  6 and 7 have the potential to be among the top handful of back-to-back par 5s in the world and be noteworthy individually as well.       

BTW, for #11, I think the caddie mentioned the tree that you noted used to be a lot smaller and managed (and really needs to be now).  He also noted that the hole between 11 and 4 (the old #1 on the lost 9) is sometimes used in place of #11 (and sometimes #4).
Also, just as an FYI if any one goes there, the Chinese Characters actually translate to "Taiwan Golf Club" and not the English name.  And if / when you take a taxi there from either Taipei or the Jei-Yuen in Tamshui, most cab drivers know the course as "Old Tamsui or Old Taiwan".  If you just say Tamsui, they may take you to New Tamsui Golf Club.

[Tom_Doak]

 I wish that they could hire you or another top architect and remodel and remove trees.  6 and 7 have the potential to be among the top handful of back-to-back par 5s in the world and be noteworthy individually as well.   

It's not that they can't afford help:  I gave them a few of my thoughts at a lunch afterwards.  It's more that they are very conservative about tree removal because they think the tightness of the course trains good players to hit the ball straighter.  Quite a few of the great players out of Taiwan have honed their games at Old Tamsui.

[Chad Anderson (Tennessee)]

I find this post interesting because I am adopting 2 brothers from Taiwan and will be traveling there twice this year.  One for the court date and one to pick them up and bring them home.


It is highly unlikely that I will get to play golf on either trip, but I am hopeful!  My wife may kill me, but then she wouldn't want to raise 4 kids by herself.

[AChao]

 I wish that they could hire you or another top architect and remodel and remove trees.  6 and 7 have the potential to be among the top handful of back-to-back par 5s in the world and be noteworthy individually as well.   

It's not that they can't afford help:  I gave them a few of my thoughts at a lunch afterwards.  It's more that they are very conservative about tree removal because they think the tightness of the course trains good players to hit the ball straighter.  Quite a few of the great players out of Taiwan have honed their games at Old Tamsui.

That's interesting about the tree removal and how it trains good players to hit straighter.  About 12 years ago, I played a fair amount of golf with Teresa Lu and she was awfully straight.  I'm glad I didn't grow-up on a course with so many trees -- either my wrists would be broken, clubs broken, or would have run out of golf balls without scuff marks.
If you are ever wanting to remodel, I'll be sure to tell the caddie I had there to remind everyone how many professionals drive from 9 tee to 1 fairway because they find it too narrow! 

[AChao]

I find this post interesting because I am adopting 2 brothers from Taiwan and will be traveling there twice this year.  One for the court date and one to pick them up and bring them home.


It is highly unlikely that I will get to play golf on either trip, but I am hopeful!  My wife may kill me, but then she wouldn't want to raise 4 kids by herself.

That's great of you and your wife!  The world needs more people like you. 

One way many people try to get over jet-lag on the flight over to Taipei-Taoyuan is to play golf immediately upon landing. 

Miramar is about 20 minutes away and features four nines of which two are a little better than the other two.  Usually, two nines are reserved for members and two are for hotel guests and unaccompanied.  Yung-Han is about 10-15 minutes. 

That being said, I think Taiwan Golf & Country Club has more of the most interesting holes in Taiwan.  Miramar and Sunrise are of similar quality to TGCC, but a little less unique to me.  TGCC is about an hour from either airport.  It's an hour from Taoyuan because of the distance, and an hour from the city because of traffic.
Feel free to get in contact if you would like to know anything else about Taipei.  I was born there and have been there around 10 times in the last 15 years.  I've been jet-lagged at 3am, stuck in 14 days or rain, 100* with 80% humidity, taken the subway (jie-yuen), etc ...