Described as the "crown jewel" at the Mission Hills Resort Haikou on Hainan Island, the 18-hole Blackstone Course is one of ten on this spectacular 350-acre golf complex. The courses, which were all designed by Brian Curley of the firm Schmidt Curley Golf Design, weave through a striking landscape of mature trees, thick jungle vegetation, and expansive lakes and wetlands.

The dominating site characteristic of the cart and caddie only par 73 Blackstone Course is the bed of lava rock which has been incorporated as an integral element of the design by weaving irregular lines of turf and rock, eliminating the typical hard-line edge of most courses. The lava bed is also incorporated into forced carries creating a dramatic contrast and the lava rock walls and village ruins created years ago remain as a testament to the site's past.

The naturally rolling terrain sees dramatic elevation change and great care was taken during construction to find as many natural holes as possible to avoid cutting the rock and to preserve the magnificent Lychee. Difficult, long at over 7,800 yards, and with risk/reward opportunity at the final holes, the Blackstone Course is proving to be one of the premier tournament courses in the world today.

The golf courses at Mission Hills Resort Haikou, part of the twelve courses that constitute the storied Mission Hills Golf Club - the "World's Largest Golf Club", are serviced by a massive lavish clubhouse connected to the main hotel complex. Overlooking the finishing hole of the Blackstone course, it houses three restaurants, retail outlets, various luxury amenities, and facilities to accommodate major tournaments.

Image(s) published courtesy of The Travelling Golfer.com, Planet Golf.com