For such a plain place, Haiyang, a small seaside town in northern China’s Shandong Province, is home to one fantastic golf links course. With its fine quality and attention to detail, it is no wonder that the famed Carnoustie Golf Links is among its growing list of admirers.

The Scottish golf club has hosted six British Opens Championships on its Old Course layout and is renowned for the difficulties it has given the game’s best players. What’s more, it is also one of the world’s oldest clubs and ranked among the top three courses in Britain. Tiger Beach’s owner and designer Beta Soong said it was a great honor for his club to have such an association with the Dundee-area club.

“When I go to Tiger Beach Golf Links, I feel that I have come to a Xanadu,” Soong said. “With the sand dunes stretching into the horizon and the abundance of wild bushes, the wide expanse of the course and the ocean waves make me relaxed and happy.”

Pursuing perfection

To this writer, the natural sand dunes found at Tiger Beach are similar to those on Cebu Island in the Philippines. However, I originally mistook that the dunes were natural until Soong told me he had designed them this way. I then asked him about the club’s construction.

He said in 1997 he traveled to Shandong occasionally. On one of his trips, he found a grand piece of ground bordering the Yellow Sea, with a coastline of 1.6 kilometers and a shockingly similar climate and terrain to Scotland. On intuition, Soong bought the land in order to create a unique golf links.

The process to build his dream course took about three years to complete with Soong in command during the entire process. With the purpose of pursuing perfection, he reworked his design many times. Sometimes, the labor-intensive and expensive clay work had to be rebuilt so as to keep the whole course balanced. At other times, he reconsidered the design of the layout for days and months. By example, his replica of the famed Swilken stone bridge at St Andrews Golf Course proved to be expensive as it was built and rebuilt many times until he finally achieved his desired look.

It is clear that Song is very serious about his passion. When building the bridge he moved the rocks many times. Everything had to be accurate from the shape of the rocks to the color of the cement. If not, it was redone. He said equilibrium existed in nature and there was balance and beauty on the links. He believes that where there is a will, there is a way. Understandably, he sees the Links as his own baby. After three long years and hard work, the 7,200 yards Tiger Beach Links layout is finished at last.

To be integrated with nature

As with all the ancient British golf links, their designs are simple, spontaneous, and integrated with nature without any sacrifices. Each land form varies naturally.

In relation to Carnoustie Golf Links, Tiger Beach is different in its approach but equally satisfactory. The two clubs signed a sister links agreement in June 2002, the first time the Scottish club had signed with anybody in its more than 300 year history.

At Tiger Beach, the first nine holes have a much steeper slope than the inward nine. Hole 10 has earned a reputation of being the toughest as a lake provides an obstacle as it snakes its way along the fairway and around the green’s right and back. Guarding the green are left and right side bunkers awaiting any errant shot.

The inward nine is not flat but still undulant. Tiger Beach is definitely not a course for those big-hitters who fail to think about their shot first. The most important factor for players experiencing the course for the first time is to find a rhythm with nature. Also, avoid the long rough of the majestic hills lining the fairways as it can be fatal. You would likely have to be a low handicap without losing at least one ball on this tough layout.

Other obstacles lie in the British style pot bunkers. The depth of the bunkers can be as high as an adult man and do a good job of protecting the greens. The stiff wind at Tiger Beach adds to the challenge. I experienced the course on a most relaxed and comfortable day, perhaps the hope of every golfer.

Despite being only a few years old, the reputation of Tiger Beach is quickly spreading by word of mouth. Many Korean and Japanese players have made the trip and have spoken of their preference for Tiger Beach.

To get to Tiger Beach, follow the golden coastline to Fengzhen Town, Haiyang. The course is located in the center of Yantai, Weihai and Qingdao. It takes just about one hour to travel to the course from each of these three cities.

People who have always wanted to travel to Scotland to play golf will enjoy the experience that Tiger Beach offers. Being besides the ocean with the waves lapping against the shore, against a backdrop that includes hillocks, pot bunkers and often-punishing rough, if you close your eyes for a few seconds, it is not difficult to imagine that you are at one of Britain’s famed link courses.

By Jasmine Wong

Tai Kung Pao newpaper
Hong Kong
Appeared: April 2004