Spring City

The signature # 8 hole on the lake Course.
The guy in the boat is selling 'found' balls.

What to do with two weeks before the school year starts? My oh so conscientious school started with teacher prep a week before the Olympics hit town, but like everybody else we get a two week Olympic break before beginning in earnest the morning after the Closing Ceremonies. So I decided a golf holiday would be in order. Taking the advice of a Beijing Golfers Club friend, I decided to head off to Kunming and a golf resort called Spring City. Spring City is Kunming's nickname because even though it is far south in Yunnan Province, it is at altitude (5000 ft) and quite a relief from Beijing heat and humidity.

Travel was uneventful, although it was a bit odd to be the only westerner on the 3 1/2 hour flight. Also, I found that security was very tight - a thorough wanding and pat down were followed by removing shoes, belt and everything in my pockets for inspection. I guess you can't be too careful during the Olympics.

I stayed 3 nights and played a round each day including time at the practice tee. The golf and the service was everything I had hoped it would be. Spring City is billed as "Asia's Number One Golf Resort". I am not sure where that leaves Mission Hills, but the resort was everything I could have asked for. There are two 18's - the Lake Course by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and the Mountain Course by Jack Nicklaus. Both were beautiful to the eye and superbly maintained. The Lake Course was my favourite and had spectacular views on almost every hole as it went back and forth on terraces overlooking the lake. A little piece of heaven!

#10 on the Lake Course

Must be one of the smallest caddies ever! Good thing we had a cart.

I took one afternoon to do a bit of site-seeing to the "Stone Forest". This is a spectacular area of rock formation - the limestone remains of an old seabed. It has eroded into peculiar shapes much like a forest. It was really quite interesting and reinforces my belief that Chinese people love stones and mountains.

Me at the Stone Forest - reminded me of Hainan's "End of the Earth"

My Yi Minority Guide

Yi Minority entertainment.

View of the Rocks