- Yinli Foreign Investor Golf Club
- Reviewed by:
Review Summary:
Overall, we're happy to return. The course isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it's pleasant enough and the refurbished clubhouse is a nice place to enjoy a post-round drink and snack.
| Address | Qingxi Town,Dongguan City, Guangdong, PRC. |
|---|---|
| 007 booking hotline | +852 2187 3146 or book-on-line |
| Website | http://www.yinligolf.com/ |
| No. of Holes | 18 |
| Par/Length | 72 / 7,014 yards (Back Tee) |
| Designer | Liang Kok Kun |
| Night Golf | Back 9 |
| Course Transport | Electric Carts |
| Transport | Club shuttle from Huanggang (45mins ) |
Club Facilities / Scorecard / Driving Range1, 2 / Practice Green / Pro-shop / Starter / Changing Rooms1, 2, 3, 4/ Reception / Midway House
Introduction
This 18-hole club, just up the highway from Mission Hills, is one of the older facilities in this part of Dongguan – opening for play in the early 90’s. Its relatively convenient location , frequent shuttle bus service (departures hourly), and reasonably priced green fees makes it a popular choice for Hong Kongers. The club is also the home course of the Hong Kong Professional Golfer’s Association (HKPGA), and the SAR’s finest can often be seen striding the fairways and enjoying a post-round beverage in the well-appointed clubhouse.
The opening of the new Long Lin Expressway has significantly shorten the travel distance to 45 mins from Huanggang.
Club Facilities & Service
Thanks to a recent upgrade, the clubhouse is one of the most stylish around. The lobby(1, 2) is agreeably modern and features some elegant touches(1, 2). The changing rooms(1, 2, 3, 4) are large and well equipped, while the restaurant(1, 2, 3, 4) serves a decent range of food and beverages. On a personal note, they could improve the quality of the coffee – at RMB30 for a small pot one thinks they could keep pace with the likes of Starbucks or Pacific Coffee, but sadly this isn’t the case. The food, however, is very tasty and offers much better value for money. There is also a hotel(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) on-site. Unlike the clubhouse, this hasn’t been upgraded but the rooms are comfortable enough for a one night stay. A massage centre is also available for those requiring a quick rub-down before catching the shuttle bus back to Huanggang.
Fairway & Green maintenance
Generally good. Yinli is the only club in the region to use a dual-green system. On many holes, there are actually 2 greens – this means that they can close one green for maintenance without disrupting play. It’s an interesting innovation, implemented after the course was first built, although the layout is more fun to play if you get to play to the original greens. The newer greens, normally positioned in front of the originals, make the course significantly shorter and easier because they lack the greenside hazards of the older ones.
Caddy Service & knowledge
Good. On the 3 times I’ve played here the girls who have had the misfortune to get me have been enthusiastic to try out their English (with varying degrees of fluency). A generally happy and good natured bunch which, of course, is the main thing.
Course Design
Yinli is definitely one of those courses where you notice a significant difference between the two nines. Although all 18 holes wind through attractive parkland, the front nine is the tighter of the two, while the closing streth features more in the way of elevation change. Although water comes into play more on the back nine, the front nine can be considered trickier because of the narrow landing areas. From the member’s blue tee the course measures almost 6,600 yards, which seems long for the recreational golfer. In reality it’s quite manageable, although the par-3s are exceptionally long – averaging close to 190 yards each. The rest of the course is made up of mid-length par-4s and long par-5s, and all feature doglegs in one form or another, which makes it quite an interesting course to play.
Not in the top echelons of courses in the region, but certainly not a bad choice for those looking for a quick hit in generally relaxing surroundings.
Photos
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# 1, par 4, black tee 412, blue 380, white 355, red 330 yards. Index 11.
This mid-length opener plays a bit shorter because of the downhill tee shot. The fairway is narrow so it’s not a bad move to go with a fairway wood. The difficulty with the approach lies in the two-tiered green; get on the wrong tier and you’ll face an extremely tough two-putt.
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# 2, par 4, black tee 399, blue 390, white 350, red 320 yards. Index 8.
Very narrow landing area on this par-4 means a 3 wood or even an iron is the play off this tee. Bunkers surround the green. Fiddly hole.
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# 3, par 3, black tee 218, blue 195, white 180, red 165 yards. Index 16.
Long par-3 that plays downhill to a small, well-bunkered target. Very tough to make par.
Note: At the time of writing (May 2007) the club were renovating the green and it was out of play. Instead, golfers have to play the 19th hole (a mid-lenght par-3 normally used to settle games that are tied after 18 holes).
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# 4, par 5, black tee 545, blue 520, white 500, red 480 yards. Index 4.
Very attractive dogleg right par-5 that plays gently downhill. The main worries here are the fairway bunker and the trees on the right.
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# 5, par 4, black tee 380, blue 350, white 330, red 310 yards. Index 18.
Short par-4 that doglegs right around the corner. All it requires is an iron and a wedge. Bit of a nothing hole really.
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# 6, par 4, black tee 381, blue 361, white 340, red 310 yards. Index 6.
Decididly tricky hole. It’s short, but the tee shot is blind – a nasty bunker on right is hidden from the teebox. The hole arcs gently to the left and plays downhill. OB left. Nice, but potentially deadly par-4.
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# 7, par 4, black tee 363, blue 330, white 315, red 302 yards. Index 13.
Another narrow fairway on a short par-4. The green features two-tiers making precision with the approach imperative.
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# 8, par 3, black tee 231, blue 211, white 195, red 180 yards. Index 10.
Very long par-3 that plays slightly downhill. Most will lay up short and right of the green as trouble lurks left. Par is a very worthy effort.
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# 9, par 5, black tee 548, blue 496, white 468, red 440 yards. Index 3.
Give it a rip off this tee. This short par-5 is potentially reachable with a good drive. The ravine in front of the tee requires a carry of some 200 yards to make the landing area. If you’re going to try and reach in two the green, which can only be seen from 120 yards in, you need to aim a lot further left than it appears. OB lurks on the right of the putting surface. Definitely worth checking which line to take with your caddie.
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# 10, par 4, black tee 399, blue 375, white 355, red 330 yards. Index 15.This dogleg right swinger requires a pretty decent straight drive to the corner of the elbow if you’re going to have a good view of the green with the second. The putting surface is slightly elevated. Nice hole.
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# 11, par 4, black tee 413, blue 397, white 379, red 363 yards. Index 9.
The brave will fly their drives over the trees on the right which leaves a short pitch to the green. Everybody else can stay left away from the trouble. Be careful that you don’t run out of fairway though – 3 wood is the club of choice off this tee.
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# 12
Tiny downhill par-three. Green features severe slope. The only trouble lies if you hit it really fat – then a pond and the front bunker comes into play.
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# 13, par 5, black tee 544, blue 525, white 504, red 487 yards. Index 5.
Long par-5 that not many will fancy getting on in two. The fairway bunker on the left is extremely well-placed – I’ve been in it everytime I’ve played it. Water on the right might be a concern for slicers. If you can get a straight one away off the tee then this is a birdie chance.
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# 14, par 4, black tee 374, blue 359, white 353, red 321 yards. Index 12.
You have to stay as far left as possible on this hole – the water, which is hidden from the tee, cuts in to the fairway significantly meaning what you thought was a perfect drive is actually lost deep beneath the surface of the lake. Aim for the club’s logo – the flowerbed you can see in the distance. The approach is fraught with trouble too if you’re short. Having said all that, conservative players will like their chances of making a bogey at worst.
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# 15, par 3, black tee 215, blue 195, white 157, red 141 yards. Index 14.
Downhill, well-bunkered par-3. The green is very large. Mid-iron should suffice.
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# 16, par 4, black tee 435, blue 412, white 399, red 384 yards. Index 2.
One of the best holes at the club. A 3-wood off the tee, avoiding the bunker on the left and the water which crosses the fairway at around 250 yards, will leave a mid-iron to the elevated green. A very pretty hole.
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# 17, par 4, black tee 450, blue 430, white 408, red 360 yards. Index 1.
Tough par-4. It’s long and, depending on which green they use, dangerous. The original green is on the right atop a hill, while the new green has been placed behind the water on the left. Par is a very good score.
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# 18, par 5, black tee 525, blue 504, white 479, red 459 yards. Index 7.
Dogleg left par-5. Bunkers are definitely in play off the tee and on the second shot. The green is very big and contoured meaning 3 putts are commonplace. It’s length makes it a birdie chance, although most will be happy to make par.
007’s Rating
Overall, we’re happy to return. The course isn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it’s pleasant enough and the refurbished clubhouse is a nice place to enjoy a post-round drink and snack.
The views(1, 2, 3) from the course aren’t too shabby either.Convenient club shuttle and location is a boon.
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