Posts Tagged China
Weekend of Birdies @ Lotus Hill, China
We were in China this weekend for the Reunification Cup tournament between four of Hong Kong’s private clubs – Country Club (which we were playing for), American Club, Football Club and the Chinese Recreation Club.
We went up to prepare with a practice round on Friday and managed one Birdie. This happened on the Par 4 seventh. A blistering drive left us only 100 yards to the pin, but a pushed approach shot was 21 feet from the hole. At least I was pin high. A right to left break did not stop us from jamming into the hole. Birdie #1.
On the next day, the first day of the competition, we had a blistering start. A par on the first followed by a Birdie on the Par 3 second. A severe downhill tee shot got us three feet past the hole for an uphill putt. We also won the Nearest-to-pin prize for this! Then on the Par 4 that followed, our 5-wood just missed the right fairway bunkers and our approach landed pin high with 12 feet to go. The tricky downhill putt had a severe right to left break, so we just hoped to get close. But I was tracking perfectly and pleasantly ended up at the bottom of the cup. Then on the back-9, R’s back was starting to ache. At this age, he should refrain from playing too many consecutive rounds! Shots were starting to land 10-15 yards short, so on the Par 5 18th, we took an extremely conservative route. The strategy worked out, as we were on the green in regulation. A delicate downhill putt was left for Birdie and we made it. A good bonus considering R’s back.
On the final day, R’s back was worse and he couldn’t follow through. So we were taking one to two clubs more for shots. Our scores were not good but at least we managed a Birdie on the Par 5 fourth. A good drive hugged the right side of the fairway and our second shot left us with 100 yards to the green. Taking more club (a pitching wedge) we landed left of the flag with a 15 foot downhill putt for the Bird.
Note to R: Next year, please don’t play the practice round. Your back will thank you. I will too 
111104 Lotus Hill, Hole 7 (Par 4)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 2 (Par 3)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 3 (Par 4)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 18 (Par 5)
111106 Lotus Hill, Hole 4 (Par 5)
Roller Coaster Round @ Palm Island, China
We were playing at the annual JWNV tournament celebrating our dear friend Johnny Wong’s 60th Birthday. We were blessed with cloudy skies and managed to avert the thunderstorms and heavy rain that were in the forecast. On the Lychee and Lake courses at Palm Island, China, we started from the Lychee’s 6th hole and after pars, bogeys, double bogeys and even triple bogeys, it wasn’t until our 12th hole until our first Birdie arrived. The Lake course’s 8th hole, a 150 yard Par 3, called for a 6-iron with the wind and boy were we close. Headed straight for the flag and looked real good. Hit the ground, scraped by the pin and landed just a foot past the hole! Another brush with a hole-in-one. This was also the Nearest to Pin hole, but someone was even closer…at four inches. Nevertheless, a tap-in Birdie.
Three holes later, on the Par 4 2nd hole of the Lychee course, we hit a huge slice on our drive but luckily avoided the huge waste bunker surrounding the green. With about 155 yards to the pin, we took a 6-iron and I hopped just off the edge of the uphill green and rolled onto the green to be pin high 10 feet from the hole. A subtle downhill putt was tricky but managed to get Birdie #2.
Then we blew the next hole and for consolation on our last hole, the Par 5 Lychee 5, we played a textbook Birdie. A perfect drive and a 7-iron left us with 100 yards to the pin. With wind against us, a ¾ pitching wedge got me just under 10 feet below the hole. The slight right to left breaker uphill was Birdie #3.
The competition used New New Peoria to calculate the handicap and the format was Stableford; therefore, we must have been lucky and the blown holes were used to calculate our handicap as despite our roller coaster round, we won the Men’s Net Champion. Yippee and Happy Birthday Johnny…thanks.
110715 Palm Island, Lake #8 (Par 3)
110715 Palm Island, Lychee #2 (Par 4)
110715 Palm Island, Lychee #5 (Par 5)
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Late Birdies @ Wind Valley, China
We never played well at the public course at Wind Valley in Shenzhen, China. As it was a while ago since our last game here, we were hoping to shoot better this time. Things didn’t seem too rosy from the start and on the 14th hole, we were faced with a torrential downpour. We thought that was the end of it, but the rain may have woken us up. On the Par 3 16th we had to carry the ravine with our 5-iron, which was hit solidly and left me pin high eight feet from the hole. There was a fair bit of left to right break on the downhill putt, but we managed to get the job done.
Then on the final hole, with the tees pushed up way forward (to the red tees), the 597 yard Par 5 was suddenly 442 yards! Unfortunately, our drive sliced to the adjacent hole, but we managed to take advantage of the shortened length and laid up with an 8-iron to leave us 110 to the hole. A well struck pitching wedge went straight for the flag and I landed just four feet under the hole. An easy uphill putt finished the round to redeem ourselves on this course.
110714 Wind Valley, Hole 16 (Par 3)
110714 Wind Valley, Hole 18 (Par 5)
Island Green Birdie @ Mission Hills, China
It was a rough day. Two back to back quadruple bogeys meant that this was not a good round. Nevertheless, on the signature hole of the Faldo Course at Mission Hills, China, the magic finally arrived. This Par 3 island green with the flag at the front showed 102 yards on the rangefinder. The caddy said 95. With a slight wind against us, we took out the trusty 52° and went for the pin. Bang! Pin high…just five feet from the hole. A simple putt to at least record a birdie for the round.
110607 Mission Hills, Faldo 16 (Par 3)
Tap-in Birdie @ CTS Tycoon GC, China
We haven’t been to Tycoon Golf Club in Shenzhen, China ever since they changed management and redid all their 27 holes as well as adding 18 more. Like many clubs in China, everything is huge!
Our caddie was pretty good for her age. We thought she was just 18 but “I’m already 20″ was her reply. Guess two years is a big difference when you’re 18! On the 5th hole of the F Course, the yardage marker showed 135 yards to the center of the green but there was a strong left to right wind in our favor. “Hit 130 yards” she said. “130?” “130!” she confirmed. So we replaced our 8-iron with a 9 and aimed slightly left to account for the wind. Beautifully struck with a nice high trajectory headed straight for the flagstick. Four inches in front of the hole! WOW! And we won the Nearest-to-Pin prize too
110429 CTS Tycoon GC, Hole F5 (Par 3)
110429 CTS Tycoon GC, Hole F5 (Par 3)
