Mission Hills Golf Resort China

Mission Hills Golf Club is one of the biggest golf resorts anywhere in the world

Annika Course - Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen China 

Mission Hills Golf Club, is in Shenzhen China and is one of the biggest golf resorts anywhere in the world.  There are some great golf resorts across the globe, which feature a choice of golf courses for guests but Mission Hills China, is on another level and the choice of golf courses is fantastic.

Mission Hills China is located in Guanlan, which is a town situated between Shenzhen and Dongguan, the two closest cities to the resort.  The resort is easy to find, along the intersection of the Meiguan Expressway, the Guanshen Expressway and the Jinhe Expressway.  Mission Hills China is also just two hours away from Hong Kong, so for those wanting a day visit, it is possible but a long weekend from Hong Kong is advised, to make the most of your time and facilities at the resort.  In fact, the resort is split into three distinctive locations, which are Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou, so it is best to decide which you want to use, before beginning your journey.

Choose from 11 championship golf courses at Mission Hills China

Mission Hills, China

As mentioned above, there is a choice of 12 golf courses at Mission Hills China, with 11 of these courses being full, 18-hole championship golf courses and offers the best golf in China.

The other golf course is an 18-hole par-3 golf course, which is a great place to practice your short game.  It should not be ignored, as it is also home to few favourites you may recognise from the Open Championship over the years.  However, the best golfing action takes place across the 11 championship courses, each of which have been designed by different people in the world of golf.  Some of the great names who have designed golf courses at Mission Hills include Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Ernie Else, Vijay Singh, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Annika Sorenstam and David Leadbetter.  As you can see, some of the top names in world golf, past and present, have been part of the world record breaking choice of golf courses at Mission Hills China.

In terms of which course to play, that all depends on your own personal preference but if you want a real test of your golfing ability, the best course to choose in many people’s eyes is the Norman Course.  As the name suggests, the course was designed by Greg Norman.  It was the tenth to appear at Mission Hills and with a slope rating of 150, is one of the most difficult in the whole of Asia.  When playing from the black tees, there are two par-4 holes on the back nine, which play to 486 yards and 485 yards respectively, with the carries from the tees very tough, one of which measures 260 yards.  In addition, there is a par-5 which plays to 664 yards, also on the back nine and the length of the holes, combined with the unforgiving nature of the rough, make the Norman Course a genuine challenge, even for those at the top of their game.  For all its difficulty, the Norman Course blends in nicely with its surroundings and despite there being no water present, still looks good on the eye.  However, be prepared with plenty of golf balls because once in the rough, they are hard to find.

The Olazabal Course - Mission Hills

The Olazabal Course, which was the first to be designed by the famous Spanish golfer of the same name, can be played from the Dongguan Clubhouse and hosted the World Cup in 2011, which was won by the United States.  The key features of this course are the undulating fairways, which lead to significant changes in elevation throughout the 18 holes.  There are over 150 bunkers to be aware of on the course and it can be easy to lose your concentration, with the surrounding tropical jungle and countryside coming into view from the higher sections of the course.  The Olazabal Course also had the distinction of playing host to the 2012 WGC-HSBC Champions event, further underlining the high regard in which the course is held by the professional golfing world. 

For those looking for a more recreational golfing experience at Mission Hills, the Faldo Course could be the one for you.  This course offers a diverse selection of holes, each of which is a little different to the next and the 16^th hole is one the most popular, with a short tee shot to an island green, reminiscent of the 17^th at TPC Sawgrass.  There are several risk-reward style par-4’s to enjoy and split fairway hazards and with water coming into play regularly, these provide enough of a test to keep good players on their toes.

The Pete Dye Course was the first to be designed by the American in China and is one of the shortest courses of the lot at Mission Hills China, coming in at 6,800 yards.  Although the distance of the holes is not a challenge, strategic shot placement is and with deep pot bunkers and long waste areas, stretching from tee to green, good shot placement is a must for a low score.  The par-4’s are generally short throughout but the undulating greens are a good test and approach shots need to be accurate, to provide good birdie opportunities.

Another course which is short but requires accurate approach play is the Shadow Dunes Course, designed by Brian Curley.  As the name suggests, this course is situated on several large sand dunes and the holes wind their way around many of them, with native vegetation following alongside the fairways.  There are many large, undulating contours throughout the 18 holes but the biggest challenge on the Shadow Dunes Courses comes on the greens.  The putting surfaces are huge and can be difficult to read, especially if approach shots are not close enough to the pin.  Those who love to test their putting skills, will find the Shadow Dunes Course a real treat and those who would like to improve their approach play and putting, should have it on their list too.

Some unusual bunker layouts at Mission Hills

However, if you are serious about improving your short game, the 18 hole, par-3 course designed by China’s most decorated golfer, Zhang Lianwei, is definitely worth a visit.  Zhang has two firsts to his name which are the first Chinese golfer to play in the Masters and the designer of the first par-3 golf course in China.  There is a great deal of water on this course but for those who know their golf, several holes will stand out, due to their familiarity.  The Zhang Lian Wei Course comes complete with replicas of the Postage Stamp hole at Royal Troon and the Road Hole at St. Andrews.  These are in addition to a Redan style green, sloping away from the point of entrance and turtle back green complexes, with the highest point being in the middle.  This is a fun course to play and a good choice for beginners.

Each of the 12 course at Mission Hills China have the own, distinctive features as you can see from the five courses covered above and it’s impossible to cover them all here.  However, you can be assured of a fantastic round of golf, whichever you choose to play and the facilities off the course are also excellent.  The 5-star, luxury accommodation means you can stay on-site in style and enjoy the swimming pools, gym, spa and wellness centre.  There is accommodation and facilities available at Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou, so you can stay close to the golf courses you want to play.  At each resort, there are many styles of room to choose from, so whether you are travelling along, with friends, as a couple or with your family, you are guaranteed to find the perfect accommodation to match your requirements.  There are several dining options at each place, including restaurants, cafes and bars and the business facilities at each are ideal for those wanting to meet clients, in an impressive environment. 

If you are looking for the ultimate golfing experience, look no further than Mission Hills China.  With the largest choice of any single golf resort in the world, it’s a dream come true for golf lovers.  Pick and choose which of the great selection of golf courses you would like to play or better still, stay in the resort for a longer period of time and sample as many courses as your heart desires, in addition to the other top class facilities.  In terms of a great golf holiday, Mission Hills China offers everything you could ask for and more.