Hainan Island is a strange place. It’s often called the "Hawaii of China," which is a bit of a stretch if you’ve actually been to Maui, but in the world of high-end golf, it holds a secret that puts most American private clubs to shame. That secret is Shanqin Bay Golf Club. Honestly, if you try to find it on a map, you might struggle. It sits on the southeast coast of the island, tucked away near the town of Bo’ao, perched on cliffs that look like they were stolen from the coast of Scotland and dropped into a tropical jungle.
It is quiet there.
Most golfers will never see this place. That isn't hyperbole. It is arguably the most exclusive golf club in the world, with a membership list that reportedly hovers somewhere around 20 to 30 people. Think about that for a second. You have a world-class, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw-designed masterpiece that covers hundreds of acres of prime coastal real estate, and it’s basically a private playground for a handful of individuals. It feels like a ghost town, but a very, very expensive one.
The Coore and Crenshaw Miracle at Shanqin Bay Golf Club
When Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw first arrived at the site, they didn't see a golf course. They saw a vertical jungle. The land was thick with brush, pineapple plantations, and jagged rock. But the bones were there. They realized they had a chance to build something that looked like a "links" course in a place where links courses aren't supposed to exist.
The duo is famous for their "minimalist" approach. They don't like moving a lot of dirt. They want the land to dictate where the holes go. At Shanqin Bay Golf Club, the land was screaming. You have holes that dive toward the South China Sea and others that climb through massive, sandy blowouts. The 16th, 17th, and 18th holes are particularly brutal and beautiful. They run right along the cliffs. If you have a slice, your ball isn't just out of bounds; it’s at the bottom of the ocean.
The turf is Paspalum. It’s a hearty, salt-tolerant grass that stays neon green even with the sea spray hitting it constantly. Walking these fairways feels different than walking a muni in Florida. It’s spongy. It’s pristine. Because there are so few rounds played here—sometimes only one or two groups a day—the conditioning is beyond anything you’ve ever experienced. There are no divots. There are no pitch marks on the greens. It’s like playing on a 3D-rendered simulation of perfection.
A Design That Almost Didn't Happen
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the construction. The project was spearheaded by Wang Jun, the former chairman of CITIC Group. He was a man with immense power and a singular vision: he wanted the best golf course in Asia. Period. He didn't care about the cost, and he certainly didn't care about making it a commercial success. He just wanted it to be right.
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Coore and Crenshaw were hesitant at first. They don't take on many projects. But once they saw the elevation changes and the way the sea framed the property, they couldn't say no. They spent years tweaking the layout. Interestingly, the course used to have a slightly different routing, but parts of it were reclaimed by the government or adjusted due to environmental concerns. It’s a miracle it exists at all, given how strict land-use laws in China have become regarding golf courses. While hundreds of other courses across the country were being plowed over by bulldozers during the government's crackdown on "illegal" developments, Shanqin Bay remained.
It’s protected. It’s untouchable.
What It’s Actually Like to Play There
If you somehow manage to get an invite—maybe you know a guy who knows a guy who knows a billionaire—the experience starts long before you reach the first tee. You drive through winding roads, past small villages and lush greenery, until you hit a gate that looks like it guards a military installation. Once inside, the noise of the outside world just... stops.
The clubhouse isn't a sprawling, tacky mansion. It’s elegant. It’s understated. It sits on the highest point of the property, offering a 360-degree view of the coastline. You can see the waves crashing against the rocks 100 feet below. You won't find a crowded locker room or a line at the snack bar. In fact, you might not see another golfer the entire day.
- The First Tee: It's an intimidating start. You're hitting out toward the ocean, and the wind is almost always howling.
- The Caddies: They are incredibly professional, but many don't speak much English. It doesn't matter. They know every break on the greens. They point, you shoot.
- The Wind: This is the real defense of the course. On a calm day, a low-handicapper could tear it up. But it’s never calm. The wind comes off the South China Sea in gusts that can move a mid-iron shot thirty yards sideways.
The 11th hole is a standout. It’s a par three that requires a carry over a massive ravine. If you're short, you're dead. If you're long, you're in a bunker that’s deeper than a grave. It’s the kind of golf that makes your hands sweat. But then you look to your right and see the turquoise water and the white foam of the surf, and you realize how lucky you are to be standing there.
The Great Chinese Golf Purge
To understand the weight of Shanqin Bay, you have to understand the context of golf in China. Around 2014, the Chinese government started a massive crackdown. Golf was seen as a "sport for millionaires" and a hotbed for corruption. Officials were banned from playing. Water rights were revoked. Hundreds of courses were shut down and turned back into parks or farmland.
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Shanqin Bay Golf Club survived because of its pedigree and its backers. But it also survived because it doesn't try to be a public attraction. It doesn't advertise. It doesn't host big professional tournaments anymore (though it did host a few in its early years). It exists in a sort of bubble. This isolation adds to the mystique. When you’re there, you feel like you’ve been invited into a secret society. It’s the "Fight Club" of golf, except the first rule is that you probably can't afford it.
The Routing and the "Lost" Holes
There is a lot of talk in the golf architecture community about the "lost" holes of Shanqin Bay. Because of the rugged terrain, some areas of the course are incredibly difficult to maintain. There have been rumors of holes being moved or modified to fight erosion or to satisfy local land requirements.
Unlike a standard resort course where everything is paved and manicured, Shanqin Bay feels raw. The transition from the fairway to the native "waste areas" is seamless. You’ll find yourself standing in sand that wasn't trucked in from a quarry, but was naturally deposited there by the wind over centuries.
Why the World Rankings Love It
Despite its lack of accessibility, the course consistently ranks in the Top 100 in the world by major publications like Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. It’s usually the only course in China to make the list. Why? Because the architecture is flawless.
Coore and Crenshaw didn't build a "signature" course where every hole looks like a postcard. They built a strategic course. You have to think. You have to decide whether to challenge a bunker to get a better angle into the green or play it safe and leave yourself a 40-foot putt. The greens are complex, with subtle humps and hollows that make three-putting a very real possibility. It challenges the best players in the world while remaining playable for the high-handicapper—assuming the high-handicapper has enough balls in their bag to survive the ocean carries.
Practical Realities: Can You Actually Visit?
Kinda. But mostly no.
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Shanqin Bay is a private club in the truest sense of the word. It is not like Pebble Beach where you can just pay a $600 green fee and walk on. You generally need to be a guest of a member. However, there have been windows of time where high-end golf tour operators have been able to secure tee times for international visitors staying at specific luxury hotels on the island. These opportunities are rare, expensive, and subject to change at a moment’s notice.
If you are serious about trying to see it, you shouldn't just show up at the gate. You’ll be turned away immediately.
- Work with a Specialist: Look for golf travel agencies that specialize in Asian luxury travel. They sometimes have "backdoor" access.
- Stay at the Right Places: Usually, the top-tier hotels in Sanya or Bo’ao have concierges who have "relationships" with the club.
- Check the Season: Hainan is tropical. Summer is brutally hot and humid. The best time to visit is between November and February when the air is crisp and the wind is manageable.
The Misconception of "Old World" Golf
People often think that because China is "new" to golf, the courses lack soul. Shanqin Bay proves that wrong. It feels ancient. The way the stone walls meander through the property and the way the trees are shaped by the wind gives it a sense of place that you don't find at modern resort developments in Dubai or Las Vegas.
It’s not just a golf course; it’s a landscape painting that you happen to be hitting a ball through.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Visitor
If you’re a golf nerd who dreams of playing the world's best, Shanqin Bay should be at the top of your bucket list, even above the Old Course at St. Andrews. Why? Because anyone can get onto St. Andrews if they try hard enough. Almost no one gets here.
- Bring Extra Balls: I’m serious. The jungle and the ocean eat golf balls for breakfast. Even if you're a scratch golfer, the wind will catch a ball and send it into the abyss.
- Don't Expect "Western" Amenities: While the service is top-notch, it’s a Chinese club. The food will be local, the language will be local, and the customs are local. Embrace it.
- Focus on the Architecture: If you do get on, put the phone away for a bit. Look at how Coore and Crenshaw used the natural ridges. Notice the absence of artificial mounds. It’s a masterclass in design.
- Fly into Haikou or Sanya: Haikou is actually closer to the course than Sanya, though Sanya has more luxury resorts. Renting a car is an option, but hiring a private driver is much easier for navigating the rural roads of Hainan.
Shanqin Bay Golf Club remains one of the last true enigmas in the sporting world. It is a monument to what happens when unlimited money meets unlimited talent on a perfect piece of land. It’s beautiful, it’s frustrating, and it’s almost impossible to see—which is exactly why we can't stop talking about it.
To make this trip happen, start by researching luxury golf tour operators in Beijing or Hong Kong, as they are the most likely to have the connections needed to bridge the gap between "impossible" and "once-in-a-lifetime." Prepare for a high price tag, but for the true connoisseur, the walk along the 17th hole at Shanqin Bay is worth every penny.