Course Review: Mines Golf Club & Lake Malaren Golf Club

The US PGA Tour takes a two week break and action moves to Malaysia for the CIMB Classic taking place at the Mines Golf Club and Resort. It took the vision of a local business tycoon and the genius of one of the 20th century's iconic architects to transform a 400 hectare wasteland into a luxurious resort with an 18 hole work of art as the centrepiece.

Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew brought in Robert Trent Jones Jr to create a layout worthy of attracting the best players in the world. Jones completed his task in 1993 and the course lay unused for a year to bed in. The Mines received immediate and widespread acclaim after opening for play and went on to host the Golf World Cup in 1999, the Women's World Cup the following year, and the Malaysian Open in 2003.

The round begins with a short par 4 that gets more difficult the closer you get to the pin, followed by an intimidating par three across a deep ravine. The first seven holes on the back nine skirts a 65 hectare lake with the driveable par 4 15th a particular fan favourite. The lush and manicured fairways and greens of the Mines will provide a magnificent and scenic stage for an elite international field.

The stars on the European Tour make their way to Shanghai for the BMW Masters at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, the world's most populous city that has become a showpiece for China's booming economy.

Host venue for the second consecutive year is the Nicklaus Design Inc Masters Course, a parkland layout that incorporates many natural elements of beauty and drama including strong rolling topography, elevation changes, lakes and streams. The design strategy is to reward the golfer for correct shot selection off the tee and approach to the green, with poor execution punished by a combination of bunkers, water features, natural grass areas, and fairway contouring.

In general, the more a player is willing to risk by challenging a hazard, the greater the reward with the best opportunity to get close to the pin on the well-defended and undulating greens. This spectacular 6950m par 72 course has signed on to host the event until 2017, and is sure to become a favourite on the Tour.

A Golf Weather
Editorial