Golden Bear at Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Club

About the club

Pine Valley, Beijing's—perhaps even all of China's—most prestigious club, is located an hour outside Beijing at Badaling, almost in the shadow of the Great Wall. Jack Nicklaus designed two superb courses here, of which this, the earlier, is slightly the better. Adam Scott won the Johnnie Walker Classic here in 2005. The unpromising site—but for the backdrop of the scenic Yan Mountains—was transformed into a verdant parkland that also features horse-riding and serves as a playground for the capital's movers and shakers. Not surprisingly, the club's double clubhouse is luxurious. Nicklaus as always took care to provide a nice blend of short and long holes with various orientations toward the wind. Water comes into play in a large portion of the lush fairways and swift greens of bent grass. The Golden Bear is tough but fair, and has something for every golfer with its five teeing options.