GOLF IN QINGDAO, SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA

I was in China from 25 to 31 Aug. Joining Raymond Ng and his friends from Brothers.com, a group of golfers from his home club, Sand River in Shekou, we flew from Shenzhen to Qingdao, Shandong, for 3 glorious days of golf and beer at the Qingdao International Beer Festival. This image shows Qingdao to be a clean and pleasant city made more famous recently because it was where aquatic sports for the 2008 Summer Olympics was held. We played at the Tiger Beach Golf Links, Tian Tai Hot Spring Golf Resort and Qingdao Shi Lao Ren (Old Man Rock) International Golf Resort.

As is evident throughout China, here in Qingdao, new housing blocks are also being put up. These blocks were opposite the Grand Regal Hotel where we were lodged.

An overview of the Shi Lao Ren International Golf Resort in Qingdao. The course is located within the city. It's 6,191 yd long from blue tee-boxes and course-rated 69.24. I reckon this was the course we enjoyed most in this outing.

This rock resembling an old man is the one that the club has been named after. From another angle a hole can be seen thru its mid section.

As the course was developed from a fishing village, many fishing boats have been left in situ, two of which are seen here.

Hole 17 is the signature hole. It's a par-3 playing to 180 yd from blue and made difficult by a narrow green that elongates sideways.

Hole 16 is a 348 yd par 4 with a beach as its longest bunker. A tee shot landing in there is not only hard to find but also to retrieve back on the fairway.

An overview of Holes 16 & 17.

Hole 15 is a short par-4 with an elevated green. The hole is 332 yd long from blue. Quite easy to make par here.

From the course toward the city of Qingdao and a stretch of beach that is well patronised by locals.

From the course toward the city of Qingdao.

Hole 14, a 561-yd par 5 from blue and handicap-indexed 2. The hole dog-legs right and the bunkers are strategically positioned to catch tee-shots. Although I didn't find the right bunker, I messed up the second shot and also my score for the hole. One of the tougher holes here.

A fairly big water hazard waiting to catch tee-shots.

The 13th - a 157 yd par-3 from blue with a green that is narrow and elongated.

Fish farms next to the course.

The 1st hole - a par-4 playing to 345 yds from the blue tee-box. I made par here after being regulation on, the first of my six that day.

This is one of the holes from the staging area of the Tian Tai Hot Spring Golf Resort. About one and a half hours from Qingdao, Tian Tai is located in an undulating area resulting in most holes being played either uphill or down. There are 3 nines here called the A or Mountain Nine, the B or Sea Nine and the C or Spring Nine. As yet, not course or slope-rated, the course plays (from blue tee-boxes) to 6,626 yds for the A-B combination, 6,672 yds for the B-C combination and 6,620 yds for the C-A combination.

From the first tee-box of the Mountain Course toward the clubhouse.

This is the Index 1 hole of the B or Sea Course, an uphill par-5 playing to 462 yds from the blue tee-box. It's not easy to keep the ball on the narrow fairway. I landed my second shot on the right slope and I had some difficulty to make the fairway for the next. After reaching the green, I 3-putted because the slope on the green was harsh.

A hole that plays uphill all the way. Notice the size of the green. Such holes never favour me as my lari kuat ball can't do its work.