Suzhou Sun Island Golf Club

Suzhou, Jiangsu
China
7169 yards
18 Holes / Par 72
Opened: 2004

an irish links in china

Quite a few links-style courses have been built on the flat paddy fields surrounding Shanghai and Suzhou. However, the golf course at Suzhou Sun Island is the first time an Irish style course has been designed in China.

Starting with an extremely flat site less than a meter above the famous Yang Cheng lake (home of the famous hairy crabs of Suzhou), some 1.8 million cubic metres of earth was moved in order to transform the flat paddy fields into the extreme dune environment normally encountered on the Irish shores. The golf course features some major elevation changes ranging from a high of 23 metres to a low of minus 8 metres. This elevation change, coupled with the twisting, tumbling fairways running through the dunes and strong gusty winds helps create an authentic Irish feel and a unique golf course for this area that is dominated by flat, tree-lined lakeside courses.


Construction Credits:

Construction Superintendent - Jack Lam

Lead Shaper - Randall Morgan