Celebrated Firm’s First Project on “China’s Hawaii” Boasts Tropical, Seaside Setting
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Schmidt-Curley Design – the full-service golf-course architecture, master-planning and construction-management firm – today announces that Clearwater Bay Golf Club in Lingshui, China, its first golf course design on Hainan Island, will open at the end of March.
Hainan Island, often referred to as “China’s Hawaii” for its unblemished beaches, towering, volcanic mountains and verdant, tropical vegetation, is one of the world’s hottest areas for golf course development. Clearwater Bay is located on the island’s southeast coast, adjoining the South China Sea and affording spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding countryside.
“We’re honored to have Clearwater Bay as our first completed project on Hainan Island,” says Lee Schmidt. “Blessed with an idyllic setting, we routed a flowing, natural golf course around clusters of swaying palm trees and along Hainan’s renowned beachfront. It’s sure to please high- and low-handicappers alike.”
The par-72, 7,333-yard layout features fairways of generous width and large, undulating greens. It requires prudent course management, as greens are strategically set at varying angles to the line of play and favor approaches from the proper side of the fairway. The revolutionary, salt water-tolerant Seashore paspalum was used to grass fairways, roughs and greens.
Bunkers differ in size throughout the course and feature rolled over turf coming midway down their front slopes. Larger bunkers have grass fingers extending into the sand giving them a classic, eye-catching shape.
Clearwater Bay features back-to-back par 3s on the back nine that are sure to emerge as favorites. Hole 13 plays from an elevated tee overlooking the shimmering ocean waters to a green guarded by a lake and large bunker on the right. The 14th sits parallel to the ocean with dunes and native grasses encroaching from the left.
“Holes 13 and 14 create a special atmosphere,” says Schmidt, who spent many years working with Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus before co-founding Schmidt-Curley in 1997. “With waves crashing onto the beach only 50 meters away, players will be hard-pressed to remain focused on making par amid the stunning natural surroundings.”
Schmidt-Curley is deeply entrenched in China’s booming golf course construction market. To complement its Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters, the firm has established fully-staffed satellite offices in Haikou, on Hainan’s north shore, and in Kunming in the Himalayan foothills.
Clearwater Bay Golf Club is part of a $3 billion resort and residential development project covering approximately 2,500 acres and featuring nearly 7.5 miles of coastline. Another Schmidt-Curley-designed golf course, six hotels, international conference center, yacht club, boutique shopping collection and more are in various stages of construction. Clearwater Bay is a 40-minute drive from Sanya Phoenix International Airport.
About Schmidt-Curley Design
Founded by partners Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley with offices in Scottsdale, Arizona; Haikou, Hainan Island, China and Kunming, China, Schmidt-Curley is a full-service, international golf course architecture and master-planning firm with more than 100 layouts in 24 countries, including the U.S., Thailand, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Egypt, Sweden and Korea. The tandem is responsible for crafting 10 of the 12 courses at storied Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China – the largest golf complex in the world.
Schmidt-Curley teamed with long-time partner Nick Faldo, as well as Pete Dye, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ernie Els, David Duval, Annika Sorenstam, Vijay Singh, David Leadbetter and Jumbo Ozaki to create a golf experience unlike any other globally. High profile, award-winning projects from Schmidt-Curley include Bali Hai and Siena Golf Clubs (Las Vegas), Amata Spring Golf Club (Chonburi, Thailand, three-time host of the PGA European Tour’s Royal Trophy), Terra Lago Golf Club (Indio, California, site of the Skins Game from 1999 – 2002), Twin Creeks Golf Club (Cedar Park, Texas) and Crosby National Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, California).
Schmidt-Curley has also worked extensively with golf’s biggest names – including Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Fred Couples and Faldo on numerous high-profile projects – and boasts four ASGCA members (Lee Schmidt, Brian Curley, Grant Haserot and Andy Raugust).
Producing demanding yet beautiful and enjoyable courses, Schmidt-Curley strives to create golf experiences that stir the senses and elevate golfers’ appreciations for the land and the game. By balancing classic golf course architecture with ever-changing contemporary technology, Schmidt-Curley places an emphasis on site-adaptive courses, memorable and enjoyable for all levels of play and always designed for cost-efficient maintenance and operations.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381 (cell)
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Communications
703.761.1444
sreynolds@billycaspergolf.com
