Different from golf-links in the warm southern China golf courses in northern China are just awaking in early April. Golf in Beijing is a seasonable outdoors sport. Late April means the beginning of the sport which has been only available for the rich.
Beijing golf destinations
    All the golf clubs in suburban Beijing open in late April when the courses become green. Among the 20 golf-links opened so far in Beijing most of them have suffered financial problems that they had to lower the price to attract more players.
    Generally a one-day golf play in any of these golf-courses costs no more than 300 Yuan (US$36) far cheaper than the 800 Yuan (US$96) several years ago. Usually the entrance fee ranges from 15 Yuan (US$1.8) to 20 Yuan (US$2.5) per person.
    Renting Golf clubs are 20 Yuan (US$2.5) each. Golf balls are 30 Yuan (US$3.6) for 30 balls. And golf-course ranges are from 30 Yuan (US$3.6) per hour to 40 Yuan (US$4.8) per hour.
    For people with club membership cards it is relatively cheap. The annual membership card costs 7 000 Yuan (US$843) to 10 000 Yuan (US$1 205) without time limit. Here are some good golf destinations in Beijing.
    Huatang International Golf Club It was opened in late 1997. It is a new course but with lots of trees. The friendly course is open to public not only for people with a membership. It is a 40-minute drive from the city centre
    Address: Beijing East Yanjiao Economic Development Zone Tongzhou District.
    Beijing Golf Club The club is just 30 minutes from the Beijing International Airport. This championship course was designed by Poellot and Benz of the US.
    Address: East bank of Chaobaihe in Shunyi District.
    Beijing International Golf Club The course runs alongside Ming's Tomb (Shisanling) Reservoir. In an area of water shortage the golfer has 13 holes where water is the main hazard. This mature course offers large greens with plenty of out-of-bounds markers.
    Address: North Side Ming Tomb Reservoir Changping District.
Shanghai golf destinations
    Shanghai is not the ideal place to develop golf courses because of the plain terrain. Therefore Shanghai has only a few golf-links. Among these courses only two or three of them can be considered professional. Generally the service offered by Shanghai-based golf-links is more expensive than that in Beijing. The green fees here range between 700 Yuan (US$84) to 850 Yuan (US$102).
    Shanghai Tianma Golf and Country Club It is located 30 minutes from the Hongqiao Airport in the Sheshan National Tourism Park. Sheshan is known for its natural beauty and for having the only mountain in Shanghai. With 200 exquisite Villas designed by American Designers the golf course boasts 27 holes. Luxury villas lakes and streams surround it.
    Address: 1 Tianmashan Village Songjiang District.
    Shanghai International Golf Country Club About 40 kilometers from the city the 18-hole Dianshan Lake course features open vistas and gentle undulations.
    Address: Zhujiajiao Qingpu District Shanghai.
Guangodng golf destinations
    The South China's Guangdong Province boasts 60 different sizes of golf-links. It is almost twice the size of Beijing and Shanghai combined.
    Mission Hills Golf Club the world's largest golf destination which boasts 180 holes is located in Shenzhen Guangdong Province.
    Founded in 1994 and located just 30 minutes from Hong Kong Mission Hills is the World's No 1 Golf Club as accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004. It is an exclusive gated residential community housing a five-star hotel resort and country club with the largest tennis facilities in Asia.
    Mission Hills is also the world's largest golf destination with 10-signature golf courses and the exclusive home to China's David Lead Golf Academy. Mission Hills has also been named as one of the top 10 sights in Shenzhen and is nationally recognized as a 4A-rated tourism resort.
    Mission Hills is located at the heart of the region's expansive transportation system. It is 30 minutes from the centre of Shenzhen and 20 minutes from Shenzhen's Huanggang or Hong Kong Border with direct freeway access to all major cities and international airports via national highways.
    Shenzhen Baoan International Airport is a 40-minute ride by cab to the golf club.
    Apart from being a five star resort it offers all-year-green golf links 228 luxurious rooms 50 tennis courts with three different types of surfaces. This fantastic resort attracts visitors from around the world. With an area of 20 square kilometers it would take two days to circle this 180-hole destination. Now a new modern area is under construction in Dongguan just a 20-minute drive from Guanlan.
    Free shuttle buses are offered by Mission Hills connecting Shenzhen Hong Kong Guangzhou and Kowloon. It is available every 30 minutes.
    Cost for golf play here ranges from 400 Yuan (US$48) a day to 600 Yuan (US$72) a day.
Accommodation: 300 Yuan (US$36) to 450 Yuan (US$54) for a room with two beds.
Address: Shenzhen Guanlanhu Avenue.