Course B at Stoneforest International CC is called Masters Resort.

It was designed by the team behind most of the Mission Hills courses at Shenzhen and Haikou- Schmidt & Curley, and opened for play in 2011.

Stoneforest has 3 quality courses, and a grand plan which incorporates a clubhouse for the public access courses( A & B ), and another for the members private course ( C ).

The plan also includes an international standard hotel.

When we visited the fairly elaborate two storey driving range also served as clubhouse.

 

 

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Whereas Course A ( Yufeng Ridge ) covers some dramatic Stoneforest terrain, with significant elevation change, Course B ( Masters Resort ) travels through some quieter territory, particularly in the front seven holes.

This lower lying land is a nice contrast to the rockscapes encountered on Yufeng Ridge, with a higher density of vegetation giving the course a softer look.

We played in early October and these holes were enlivened by the masses of wild flowers in the rough.

I liked the short par 4 First hole- a drive and pitch from an elevated tee.

 

 

 

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It was an ideal starter with no great pressure on the tee shot. However the green is tucked in behind a nest of bunkers, and care was needed to hit the dance floor with sand wedge in hand.

It was a nice birdie opportunity to get the round started.

 

 

The second was a dogleg par 4 which required a short iron approach, and was another pretty hole which helped ease us further into our round.

 

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Hole 5 was a downhill par 3 which was also a delight to play.

 

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The tenth hole is the signature hole at Masters Resort.

It is a par 5 uphill, and measures 618 yards off the back tees.

We played it at 580 yards off the blue tees, and it required solid hits with driver, 3 wood and 3 wood again to get near the green as the hole is severely uphill.

But it looks a treat!

 

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Another hole I liked was the short par 4 thirteenth, but then I like short par fours!

In relatively bland low lying land the hole was all about an accurate short iron in to a green which wrapped around a nest of bunkers in front, and was nicely framed by a cluster of trees immediately behind.

 

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Hole 18 was a nice risk and reward reachable par 5, with a green set in the rocks not to dissimilar to the feel of Yufeng Ridge.

Overall Masters Resort is a quality course which is very playable, and offers a nice variety of short and longer holes, and a mix of really tough holes with some that are pretty easy.

It is however not a patch on its sister course Yufeng Ridge...

In fact the family resemblance is a little hard to pick!

 

 

Peter Wood

The Travelling Golfer

October 2014

 

 

Tours

 

Masters Resort is one of the courses played on The Travelling Golfer's Spring City & Stoneforest Tours.

 

Other courses played on the tour include:

 

Course A at Stoneforest

The Lake course at Spring City

The Mountain course at Spring City

Yunling GC

Sunshine GC