The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula (East)

Overview: The East Course at The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula is a coastal layout on Hainan’s South China Sea shore, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Phil Smith. Its character comes from the meeting of broad sandy landforms, coastal vegetation, marshy ground and exposed ocean views. The routing does not depend on one repeated visual trick; instead, the dunes create changes in elevation, direction and perspective as the round progresses. Wide corridors can make the course look inviting, but the combination of wind, sandy hazards and green-side contours asks for careful decisions. It is a course where the landscape supplies much of the drama and the best strategy is often shaped by the day’s breeze.

History: The Dunes was developed on land that had previously been used as a watermelon plantation, and Weiskopf and Smith created two complementary 18-hole courses for the Shenzhou Peninsula resort. The West Course dates from 2010, while the East Course followed in 2012. That distinction matters because the two courses are often grouped under one resort name even though their opening dates are different. The East Course’s design is rooted in the peninsula’s natural sand base and coastal setting, with the routing taking advantage of dunes, wetlands and the shoreline rather than imposing a conventional inland parkland pattern.

Did You Know? The East Course’s 16th is known for a tiered fairway that climbs toward a view of the South China Sea. It is a useful example of how the course turns a natural-looking landform into a strategic feature: the hole is memorable not only for its scenery, but also for the way elevation changes the player’s view and decisions.