GOLF IN GUANGDONG - THE SEQUEL

Last May, I was in Guangdong for golf with my friend, Raymond, and in my last post on that outing, I suggested that Guangdong beckoned again. So, in May 2009, I spent seven days in Guangdong at Raymond's invitation to golf there again. Jimmy and William made the foursome. We played five games - two at Mission Hills (Nick Faldo and Vijay Singh-designed courses) - and stayed three days in Xintang playing Guangzhou International Golf Club (GIGC), Sino Golf and Country Club and Dragon Lake Golf Club. This is the entrance to the Jiu Long Hu (9-Dragon Lake) Complex where in addition to a first-class 27-hole golf course, there is a 5-star hotel of the same name and luxurious housing.

Overlooking the course at Dragon Lake. Lush fairways and greens await! Dragon Lake is located in Huadong Town, Huadong District, Guangzhou. Here, and also in the Sino course, many lychee trees line the fairways; unfortunately, the fruit was not ripe yet.

After I took this shot of the Dragon Lake Clubhouse, I was told by a security guard that photography is not allowed. I wonder why?

Golf does wonderful or horrible things as we swing the club to make a stroke. Is Jimmy trying to steer his ball back to the fairway here? If I recall correctly, his ball landed in the rough on the right of the cart path. The next seven shots record my memories at Dragon Lake, pleasant or otherwise.....

Raymond preparing for his tee shot to the downhill fairway of Hole 18, a 443-yd par 4, indexed 3. Anyway, we all found the fairway although it appeared narrow and daunting. Either we were good or merely lucky!

Jimmy doing like-wise.

The island green of Hole 16, a 157-yd par-3 from blue. Although Raymond and I were one on, I made my only birdie here as I was closer to the pin and had also learned the greens by then, the fifth day.

One of the ending holes where the fairways are not only undulating but are interspersed by ravines and other obstacles. This feature added character and challenge to Dragon Lake.

The approach to the first green requires crossing water. The hole plays 367 yds from blue and the approach for me was with a mid iron.

This course by virtue of its Jiu Long Hu or 9-Dragon Lake name has many lakes and ponds which add considerably to its difficulty. Of the five courses we played, this one has the fastest greens sometimes going up to 10 or so. As an indication, because Frankie arranged for us to play here, we each paid about 760 RMB for greens fees, golf cart and caddy. As Raymond's guests at the Mission Hills courses, we paid about the same amount. Walk-in greens fees at Mission Hills covering also the caddy and use of cart is 1,300 RMB.

From the first tee-box to the Dragon Lake club house. USGA ratings from blue tees for A & B courses are length - 6,662 yds, course - 71.9 and slope - 136; for B & C combination, they are length - 6,697 yds, course - 71.8 and slope - 137 and for the C & A combination - length - 6,723 yds, course - 71.9 and slope - 133.

The par-3 B8 hole of Sino Golf and Country Club which is 215 yds long from the blue tee-box. My tee shot landed in the middle terrace and it took me another two shots to make the green. Sino is located in Zeng Cheng. It's about 6,600 yds long from blue tee-boxes and is course and slope-rated 72.5 and 130 respectively. The following four shots are also Sino memories.

This downhill par-3 B3 hole is 195 yds long from the blue tees. I made par here after landing my tee shot on the right apron.

A sprawling fairway in Sino. The undulating course layout demands physical fitness of the golfer if he is to play a good round. Well, I was half poofed by the fourth day, never mind the fifth.

Golfers and caddies are busy preparing for work on one of the Sino greens. Many of the caddies, here as elsewhere in Guangdong, come from other provinces.

An otherwise beautiful view obscured by an overcast day.

The serenity of golf courses has to be interjected by high rise buildings in view of rapid economic development in China. These two towering blocks attest to that! This shot and the next six are of GIGC located near Xintang and Xian Cun.

I was a bundle of disaster for this par-4 17th Hole because of poor shots and ended up with an eight after joining the navy twice. Raymond, on the other hand, was stroking his stomach as he was two just outside the green. The other two also joined the navy albeit only once. It's called the "law of natural attractions"?

On the approach to this par-5, the slightly overcast sky obscured what could have been a picture-perfect shot of the mountain in the background.

The signature Par-3 of GIGC playing 185 yds from blue. I was one on but missed birdie. The serenity has been somewhat jarred by the construction of buildings just above the treeline.