When we are still trying to digest the madness of the Sunday session we experienced at the Masters de Augusta, the Volvo China Open is upon us, a DP World Tour tournament that marks the third event of the Asian Swing, the penultimate opportunity to gain positions and qualify for the PGA Championship and an event that allows us to get a closer look at a gem that remained hidden in Shanghai.
We are referring to the Enhance Anting Golf Club, a course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. that has been well-received by the players discovering it for the first time this week. We could almost speak of love at first sight. It is located in the heart of the populous Chinese megacity and has a very good design, especially its greens. The shots to the flag can be very demanding this week. After that, of course, it will depend on how the Tour wants to prepare it and the pin positions they choose.
The Enhance Anting Golf Club is not Augusta, but it does have some similarities and, above all, it has a course finish that suggests we might experience an ending as fun and exciting as last Sunday’s between Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. The difference, which is not insignificant, lies in the fact that what is at stake is not the same.
The fairways are generous. It is not a narrow course and allows players to relax, but beware of mistakes because they can be costly. It is not a design that intimidates from the tee at first glance, but gross errors almost always result in a lost or unplayable ball. This is because the protection of the fairways on both sides consists of hairy links-style bushes that swallow balls as if there were no tomorrow. We will see more cautious players using a 3-wood on some tees to avoid these dangers when the drive landing areas are narrower.
The greens have immediately impressed the players. They are in very good condition, the ball rolls very well, and they have good movement. If they keep them firm for the week, they will provide a lot of play. The course has a lot of lurking water and several greens are guarded by a lake. Shots on the water side have to be very precise, as the greens often end with a very steep slope and balls that are too close end up getting wet without remission. It will be interesting.
The finish of Enhance Anting is going to provide a lot of play. We insist that it will depend on the pins and preparation, but in principle, it ends with three holes that can turn the tournament around like a sock. First is a very powerful par 3 of about 180 metres, hole 16, then comes a par 4 of 303 metres to the entrance of the green with water that will offer a lot of fun for the spectator. It can be played short with an iron to a fairway on the right, and also, the more daring and long hitters will aim for the green. That is to say, there can be a significant swing of strokes, from an eagle for those who hit the perfect tee shot, to a double bogey or worse. The same goes for hole 18, a par 5 where you can easily make an eagle or end up ruining a scorecard with a double bogey.
In this video, you can get an idea of what we are talking about regarding the bushes that protect the fairways and the slopes towards the water, as well as hole 17…
That being said, the Volvo China Open is not the Masters, let’s not be mistaken, but it is also going to provide a lot of play and we are going to have a good time discovering a course that had never been seen on the DP World Tour and whose highlight until now was the 2024 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship which, interestingly, ended with a victory for Wenyi Ding. It is inevitable to place the promising Chinese golfer as a serious candidate for victory this week, as well as Rasmus Neergaard Petersen, who returns to the DP World Tour after his first stint on the PGA Tour with good results that have allowed him to secure the American card.
Additionally, we have twelve Spaniards in the Volvo China Open: Ayora, Chacarra, Campillo, García Heredia, Del Rey, Larrazábal, Manu and Nacho Elvira, Cabrera Bello, Moscatel, Cantero, and Hidalgo. The Armada, in full. Only China, with 38 representatives, and England, which has 13, surpass us in number.
