Sheshan Golf Club
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 Interactive map of Sheshan Golf Club | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2004 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Events hosted | WGC-HSBC Champions 2005–2018 |
| Website | Sheshan Golf Club |
Sheshan Golf Club (simplified Chinese: 佘山高尔夫俱乐部; traditional Chinese: 佘山高爾夫俱樂部; pinyin: Shéshān gāo'ěrfū jùlèbù) is a private golf club in Shanghai, China. Designed by Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth (Nelson & Haworth), the 18-hole golf course has a par of 72 and spans almost 7,200 yards (6,583 meters).[1]
The club hosted 14 of the 15 annual WGC-HSBC Champions from 2005 to 2019,[1] except in 2012.[2] Sheshan was named the second and third best golf course in China by Golf Digest in 2024[3] and 2022, respectively.[4] It was also recognized as the 2020–2021 Platinum Club of Asia-Pacific and gained five-star private club status.[5] The course is known for its challenging layout, featuring water hazards, tree-lined fairways, and elevation changes.
The Sheshan Golf Club, opened in 2004, spans approximately 360 acres and is lined by over 60,000 trees, including Yulan Magnolia, ornamental Osmanthus, and a 1,000-year-old Ginkgo.[6][7] Golf course architect Nelson & Haworth references the Donald Ross course, Oak Hill, as the inspiration for the design "with downhill tee shots and approach shots to elevated greens."[8]
In July 2010, Sheshan Golf Club's initiation fee was $240,000.[9]
It hosted the HSBC Champions between 2005 and 2019,[1] excluding only 2012, when the Champions were held at Mission Hills Golf Club in Guangdong.[2] The tournament became a World Golf Championship (WGC) event in 2009.[10] Participants included golfers such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and Lee Westwood.[11] In 2013, WGC-HSBC Champions became both an official European Tour and PGA Tour event with an elevated purse of US$8.5 million,[2] the highest in East Asia.
In October 2019, Golf Week listed the "top 20 most difficult holes on the 2018-19 PGA Tour," saying Sheshan had three of the top 15 most difficult holes. According to data, the most difficult was the par-4 ninth hole, while the course also had the most difficult par 3 and par 5 on the Tour.[12]
A January 2021 article by Golf Magazine named Sheshan eighth in terms of the most difficult golf courses, saying it "has some brutally difficult golf holes, including this demanding par-5, which requires three shots for most Tour pros".[13]
WGC-HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a professional golf tournament held annually in China, sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours (Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and Sunshine Tour) and the China Golf Association. Inaugurated in 2005,[14] the HSBC Champions has a purse of US $8.5million,[2] the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Initially held as the HSBC Champions from 2005 to 2008, the tournament was designated a World Golf Championships event in 2009.[10] In 2013, the WGC-HSBC Champions became an official PGA Tour event and a member of the FedEx Cup schedule.[15]
Played in November, it is the fourth tournament on the WGC calendar, with the other three being the WGC Mexico Championship, WGC Match Play, and the WGC St. Jude Invitational.[11] The field consists of top-ranked players from the six major tours and the China Golf Association, as well as leading money winners from the respective sanctioning tours and winners of major championships and the other World Golf Championships tournaments.
The WGC-HSBC Champions were cancelled in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17] As of 2023, the WGC-HSBC remained in contract with the PGA Tour,[18] but the Champions have not been played since being cancelled.[11]
