After the 2008 financial crisis, golf development shifted toward Asia. Coore & Crenshaw found their place at Shanqin Bay Golf Club on Hainan, a remote Chinese province. As China’s growth surged, investors and Beijing took interest in the island’s potential. Constructing a course in such a distant location demanded strong collaboration and teamwork.
Shanqin Bay Golf Club
Hainan, China
Following the 2008 financial crisis, the golf industry saw a dramatic shift toward Asia’s design and construction markets. Coore & Crenshaw found their opportunity in the Far East at Shanqin Bay Golf Club, located on Hainan, a once-forgotten province in the South China Sea. The island is as remote as one can get from China’s central government.
Despite its isolation, China’s rapid economic growth and speculation attracted attention from investors and Beijing, eager to capitalize on Hainan’s tropical appeal. Building a course in such a distant and complex environment required immense collaboration and teamwork between designers, developers, and contractors to bring the vision to life.
Hainan is vast, with occasional cities that feel like villages and countless smaller villages dotting the landscape. Its shores vary dramatically, and Shanqin Bay, on the southeast coast, showcases this diversity—featuring rolling farmland, a fertile valley, cliff-top vantages, and coastal sand dunes, all packed between an extinct volcano and golden beaches.
Routing a golf course through this tumultuous terrain was a feat in itself. The Coore & Crenshaw team, working alongside two contractors—U.S.-based Landscapes Unlimited and Chinese partner Forward Golf, took on the challenge of integrating these dramatic landforms into a cohesive, playable design while maintaining the site’s natural beauty.
Historically, Chinese golf course design followed the modern trend of highly manicured landscapes with little strategic depth. Coore & Crenshaw made headlines by introducing a different, time-honored philosophy, blending the site’s exotic setting with the strategic charm of classic golf architecture, prioritizing natural features and firm playing conditions.
Since its debut, Shanqin Bay has ranked among Golf Magazine’s World Top 100 courses. Its broad fairways, rugged edges, and unpredictable contours challenge and captivate players. The journey to Hainan may be long, but for those who make the trek, the rewards of playing such a unique and breathtaking course are undeniable.