Sanya is a tropical tourist town at the south end of Hainan Island China, known for it wonderful warm weather all year round.

Sun Valley Golf Resort is one of the more noted resorts in the area and boasts 27 holes, consisting of the A, B & C nines.

We played the A & B nines for our 18 holes.

 

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The course is set in the hills a little inland from the famous beach area- with lakes and valleys creating the interest and elevation change required to keep our attention during the game...

I enjoyed the day, and would suggest this is a nice resort type course, which will be in considerable demand given it's proximity to the plethora of quality hotels and beach resorts in this tropical paradise.

For me, though it is only a good local course, and not somewhere of standard sufficient to attract international visitors per se.

Having said that there were a number of holes that will stay in the memory banks- always a good sign when rating a course.

The first hole on the A course is a downhill par 4 with a big water carry to an elevated green for the approach- that hole certainly gets your attention to start the round.

Holes 4, 5 & 6 - known as The Triangle- circumnavigate a large lake. All three holes are reasonably difficult with water and bunkers constantly a threat.

The 4th hole is a 188 yard ( blue tee ) par 3 - all water carry.

Hole 5 is a par 5 which initially doglegs left with lake all down the right side, and then requires an approach shot over water to a green tucked in the other side of an inlet. It is a quality golf hole.

Hole 6 is a longish par 4 measuring 417yards ( blue tee ) which doglegs left with water in play all down the right.

When the club introduced us they said virtually no one pars all 3 of these holes, so I was very pleased to do so!!

And to compensate for heading away from the lake hole 8 is a short par 3 measuring 232 yards from the blue tee...

 

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Overall the course was enjoyable, and well maintained.

But the big talking point for Sun Valley Golf Resort will always be the 18th hole, or the 9 th hole on Course B.

It is a par 6, and has never been eagled- even by the many professionals that have tried.

 

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It measures 828 yards from the tips, and 782 Yards of the blue tees.

It's a long slog, and although interesting as a one off, it is not the sort of hole I'd care to play too often. Enough said!

 

All in all, Sun Valley is nice course in a lovely area. If you are heading to Sanya for a holiday and want to play some golf, this is a relaxing and interesting place to play, with no hotel or housing development attached.

 

Peter Wood

The Travelling Golfer

March 2014