Hong Kong (New)

Perhaps because of its 115 year history, the Hong Kong Golf Club is one of a minority of golfing institutions in Asia that still very much feels more like a club than a commercial enterprise. The club's first course in Hong Kong was located in Happy Valley (now more famous for the horse-racing track) and its second was the nine hole course in Deepwater Bay on the South side of Hong Kong Island - a course that was only reachable by ferry before a regular road ran to the South Side. The 3,200 yard Deepwater Bay course is still very much in play and is somewhat of a secret pleasure for those who have the time or inclination to resist the siren call of lucre coming over the hill from Central and Causeway Bay.

The club's history at Fanling, where it maintains three courses, began with the completion of the Old Course in 1911. The location is now incongruous, being situated at the Northern end of Route 3, the Expressway that links a China border post at Lok Ma Chau with the world's busiest port at Kwai Chung. Despite being a short distance from a Hong Kong new town (Fanling) and the crazy Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen across the border, Hong Kong Golf Club has been able to maintain a certain atmosphere in its valley, an atmosphere which is more South England than South China. Indeed there is something reminiscent of Sunningdale, Walton Heath or St George's Hill about the traditional elements of the club which extends to the layout of its courses and the nature of many of its holes.

Essentially the Composite Course tacks together ten holes from the 6,060 yard Eden Course and eight from the 6,531 yard New Course. The `New' Course predates the Eden by almost 40 years - having been finished in 1931 versus 1970 for the Eden. Despite its composite nature and the fact that it combines two courses that were built 40 years apart, the holes meld together well. There are no long walks between the holes - explained by the fact that the first nine holes are derived from the Eden and the next seven from the New.

The eight-hole sequence from the New layout begins with five fantastic driving holes where the golfer with command of his biggest stick will do well. The 11th is a superlative driving hole – one of those holes that invites the driver. Likewise the 12th and the 14th. The par five 12th needs a sliding shot – something that begins on the hard left and moves a little back to the middle but still ends up on the left side of the fairway. This then opens up an approach to an angled green on this long dog-leg.

The above passage is an extract from The Finest Golf Courses of Asia and Australasia by James Spence. Reproduced with kind permission.