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Shanghai: As Shanghai Silport prepares for the upcoming Volvo China Open, big changes have been undertaken at the course over the past year. The 7073-yard, par-72 Championship Course which will host the tournament has seen the addition of about 100 trees planted around the course and the reconstruction of four tee boxes.

Silport owner Beta Soong said he hopes the changes will add to the difficulty of the course for what he calls a very important year. This year’s event is the 10th anniversary of the country’s national golf championship and it will be the first time the tournament is included as part of the European Tour schedule.

“It has been a great honor for Silport to host the Volvo China Open for the past five years but this year is one of particular significance,” said the Taiwanese industrialist. “The European Tour players are used to a certain standard of quality in the courses they compete on each week. It is essential that we meet that standard and let them know that the quality of golf courses in China are comparable to the best courses anywhere in the world.”
Soong who also designed and built the Tiger Beach Golf Links course in China’s northern Shandong Province, said he viewed golf courses as “living things” and something that must constantly be maintained at a high standard.

“A golf course is something that is constantly evolving. Of all the great golf courses in the world today, few are like their original design. Changes have been made through the years, usually for the better, and it has made the courses that much better. I have the same philosophy for Silport and Tiger Beach. Our work is never done and we will constantly fine-tune our layouts on a regular basis.”

The following is a look at Shanghai Silport’s Championship Course hole by hole:

Hole one: Par-5, 561 yards
The opening hole which is part of Silport’s West Course nine, is a relatively wide, straight forward par-five. While the tee shot is relatively free of danger, peril is possible with the water on the right or the oversize waste bunker on the left.

Hole two: Par-3, 193 yards
On this short par-three, bunkers on both sides and at the front of the green, make this a test of accuracy with a medium or long iron. The hole provides spectacular views of the Dian-Shan waterways and countryside. An ancient kiln is visible on the other side of the waterway. Known as Silport’s “lucky hole” as the most holes-in-one by its membership has been registered here.

Hole three: Par-4, 468 yards
The longest par-four requires two accurate and long shots to hit the green. Dangers include water on the left, the long rough and the waste bunker on the right.

Hole four: Par-4, 417 yards
A good tee shot down the left side will avoid the deep and wide bunker on the right. Danger lies in overshooting the sloping green as water borders the back of the hole.

Hole five: Par-4, 414 yards
A straight-forward hole offset by demanding pin placement. Peril lies on water at the right of the fairway and a large waste bunker dotted with pampas grass waiting to claim any errant shots, on the left.

Hole six: Par 4, 405 yards
With a canal on the left of the fairway and water hidden over a hill on the right side starting at about 150 yards from the tee, the wet stuff is everywhere on this hole. The tree line down the right side of the fairway may prevent a shot from finding water but their presence make for a difficult approach.

Hole seven: Par-4, 408 yards
This narrow, long fairway is bordered by water on the right. The hole boasts one the club’s most tricky greens as the elevated hole slopes from left to right. In addition, bunkers at the front of the green make informed club selection a must.

Hole 8: Par-three, 185-yards
The three-tiered green of the eighth hole has been made more difficult with the construction of a new tee box which adds about 20 yards to the length. Putting the ball close to the flagstick is essential to avoid the roller-coaster ride that can occur on this challenging green.

Hole 9: Par-5, 570 yards
The opening nine closes with a challenging hole that requires a long, accurate drive if the player has any aspirations to reach the green in two. The partly dog-leg right hole comes to a bottleneck midway up the fairway with water on both sides. Out-of-bounds markers are also waiting on the left side to catch any shots that don’t reach the green.

Hole 10: Par-4, 432 yards
The back nine, Silport’s Center Course layout, features a bunker stretching down the entire right side of the fairway with water down the entire length of the left side. Trees lining the hole make it essential to keeping shots straight and on the fairway.

Hole 11: Par-3, 188 yard
A straight shot that requires the ball to navigate a front bunker to reach the narrow green.

Hole 12: Par-4, 409 yards
The beautiful scenery of Silport is perhaps the greatest distraction here. The life of rural farmers is clearly visible across the waterway that borders the length of the hole. In overshooting the green, there is a chance to experience the wet staff as the large green slopes towards the water on the left side and back.

Hole 13: Par-4, 346-yards
On this tight but short par-four, both sides of sides of the fairway are flanked by water. The approach requires navigating a green that is guarded by a large bunker on the right side.

Hole 14: Par-5, 574 yards
The rebuilt tee box has made this very long par-five even longer. The big-hitters will undoubtedly be able to carry the water on this dog-leg right but the trees that guard the fairway could be a factor. Overshoot the green and the ball will likely get caught up in the mounding that rings the hole.

Hole 15: Par-4, 392 yards
This slight dog-left features the largest waste bunker on the course, dotted by the ever-present pampas grass. Water guards the right side of the fairway. The approach requires keeping the ball to the left side of the green to avoid the right front bunker.

Hole 16: Par-4, 373 yards
Another hole with a rebuilt tee box, this one elevated, will likely tempt the big-hitters to go for the green off the tee. Any uncertainty in their shot and the ball could end up in the canal at right or the water at left.

Hole 17: Par-3, 185 yards
Silport’s signature hole which has been lengthened this year with a new tee box, is truly inspiring. The hole requires an accurate blast over water to reach the sloping, circular green. A memorable experience.

Hole 18: Par-5, 554 yards
The finishing hole requires two accurate blasts to reach the final green. The second shot is critical as it requires carrying water and several greenside bunkers to reach the green. If the pin is tucked in the bottom left of the sloping green, this hole can be particularly nasty.