Home to the oldest golf course on mainland China, the Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club is situated in Zhongshan, a short distance from the gambling hub of Macau. Given the era, the country and the designers involved, the two courses here could have been very disappointing but aren’t too bad all things considered. The club seems to do a nice job with the conditioning as well, which is crucial in a country where golfers are often more concerned about turf quality than design quality.

The newer Nicklaus course is on the more undulating site at Chung Shan, and features a solid collection of attractive holes. The sloping, pine covered areas are particularly impressive and well used by the Nicklaus design team on some of the longer par fours and fives. Down on the flatter ground the course benefits from more breathing room than the Palmer Course, making it the clear standout of the two tracks. Across the layout is a nice, natural looking collection of bunkers and green complexes, with only the occasional superfluity of sand. The restraint shown at times was admirable, and allowed for some simple but effective approach shot scenes, often into elevated areas.

This is an historic and important club in China. The golf isn't great here and it’s not the best Nicklaus course by any means, but both tracks at Chung Shan are pretty good. Given the quality of what else is available around the local area, they are well worth checking out if you are visiting with your golf clubs.