Shanghai Agile Binhai Golf Club

About the club

This surprisingly wild site offers the feel of a links course despite its proximity to China's second-largest city. One of Binhai's two courses (the other being the Forest Course), the Lakes is the work of Australia's Peter Thompson, winner of five Open championships, who has managed to sculpt the originally level ground with mounds, imposing bunkers and strategically situated water hazards. It may be possible to locate an errant ball in the thick, rugged rough around the holes, but escape will depend on a combination of luck and brute force. There are, however, some good chances to break par with straight shots, particularly on the front nine's less lengthy par 4 holes, though for the most part players will congratulate themselves just for staying near handicap. The excellent course maintenance and the test posed by the course are more than enough to compensate for its somewhat inaccessible location.