Just found out another course is being built, just half an hour drive & 80 RMB away from Huanggang, are we golfers lucky or what?

The course is conveniently located but as it is fairly new, you better write down the address, print a copy of the map or the landmark nearby so that you can show it to the taxi driver in case they don't know the way.

The clubhouse is massive for an 18 hole course - but it's only partly open at the moment except the basic amenities such as locker, shower & cafe. The finish & quality of the fixtures & fittings are high and the service was quite nice too. I was told that the rest of the decoration will be finished in August to September or Oct 02.

A good & interesting mix of nice & straight fairways as well as big doglegs. The first few are fairly simple & easier but as you start to warm up, the harder ones will demand more accuracy & length, the hardest one by far is the long & tough dogleg left # 9 hole.

Most greens are big & flat, some of the fairways has lots of big but shallow bunkers and not much water in play.

Used to be very good when I first went there at mid 02 but this time was a little disappointed as the fairways were not as well kept as before & the roughs are getting too deep, getting out of them are very hard.

Just like the course - both still need time to mature and don't except them to give you the precise yardage & line or to read breaks for you but the service was reasonably ok.

This 18 holes course is finally compelted & the back 9 is a lot tighter than the front, the course designer is Les Watts - the same designer of Noble Merchant GC but this one is much more interesting & challenging than the flat & featureless Noble Merchant, having said that the blue tee here is only at a moderate 3,108 yards but Les managed to spice it up with a fair amount of fairway, greenside bunkers & rolling fairways.

The overall package of the course is quite nice......except the view of the city (it is at the city border afterall) & with a fair bit of noise from aircraft taking off & landing (at a reasonable level) from time to time.

As I said the course is very closed to Huanggang which offers another good choice for us......if you want to have a quick round near Hong Kong, give it a try.

The course is equipped with carts but it's not that hard to walk - if the weather is not hot or rainy, save yourself 200 bucks & walk.

08/2005, Birdie