Mission Hills, Shenzhen and Dongguan, China

You've seen the Olympic birds nest stadium. You've seen the Great Wall. Well now we have Mission Hills, near Hong Kong. This place has 12 courses, designed by 12 'world renowned golf legends'. they are Niklaus, Norman, Annika, Els, Vijay (1st name terms?)Faldo,Olazabal, Duval,Ozaki, Leadbetter, Pete Dye and Zhang Lianwei (need both names?)

Theres night Golf, Beach bunkers, Jungle, Mountain peaks rock walls and the worlds toughest island green. Nick Faldo's course is to be Asia's premier tournament course. The Ernie Els course looks a bit like South Africa? What is that all about? Surely when you go to China you want to see China? The other day I noticed a Dubai Course was designed with a Mediterranean theme. Surely theres enough culture, style and identity in Dubai and China to keep their courses looking like the country they are in? Are there any south China Sea courses in the Algarve?

I must add that Olazabal has at least made a study of Golf Course design while out of action, confined to a wheelchair in from 1994. I wonder if you can tell the difference when you play it. Let me Know.

The Ryder Cup 2008. It Did Its Job For Poulter

Was Tiger missed? Was Monty missed? Did Faldo mess up his couples or his order? Did the USA biased crowd have an impact? Is it sporting? Do the victors care? Whatever. I thought it was about time the US won as I said in my Valhalla blog. Its just not good for the tournament if the Europeans win all the time.

Whichever side of the Atlantic you were cheering from, or whether you listened on BBC Radio 5 live, or watched it on Sky, the Ryder Cup did as it always does; created a wave of new interest in the game and produced some new heroes. There was so much coverage of the wild card choice of Ian Poulter, before the tournament kicked off, that his excellent contribution to the European effort can only spell one thing; I feel the setting up of the Ian Poulter Designer Golf Course Company and Website.

Poulter already has the golf gear designer website and shop,all in a lovely pinky hazy background colour. Now I give him a lot more credit for that design, and definitely the colouring of this range of designer pro gear than, say, The Lily Allen range at New Look. He's got more flair and personality than most at Valhalla. Some lucky Golf course somewhere will soon be advertising The Poulter

WORLD DOMINATION Golf by Numbers

Golf is the most lucrative sport of all.

Stats According to The Independent

6.5 Million Dollars = Vijay Singhs, top of US PGA money list, 2008 winnings.

53 Billion Euros = annual value of golf in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

6.2 Billion Dollars = Spent on golf products in US every year.

18,000 = New golf villas and apartments built in Europe in 2006.

76 Billion Dollars = Gross annual value of golf in the USA every year.

769 Million Dollars = Tiger Woods earnings in 10 years to 2007.
He felt he could afford to take a break this year.)

16,000 = 18 hole golf courses in the USA

35,000 = Golf courses in the world

160 = New golf courses in Europe in 2006

The Tiger Woods, Dubai September 2009

Well if you are going to make use of the pro golfer designer name you have hired you may as well use it to the full. It is billed as 'A private Golf Community, the vision of its namesake' Hmmm. There is a very honest description of the input of the great visionary though; He talked about some of the things he liked most about other courses and the whole design team visited a few, but then they go on to say that Tiger has been very 'hands on'. Now, this could mean anything, but I am pretty sure thats about Tiger giving the nod to designs that are put in front of him. So does it work? If you are looking at golfing holidays are you more likely to book this.If you are buying an off plan villa within a golfing community, are you going to choose The Tiger Woods Dubai over another? Or will it come down to cost, cost of flights, facilities, potential rental income from holiday letting. Does the fact that Tiger Woods Inc. has had a hand in design and has been paid for his name mean quality is quarenteed. Or when you get there, will it be full of name droppers, with status anxiety? Its not going to make your handicap any lower you know.

Having said all that, the hotel, the palaces, the residences and the course would do for me thanks.

Augusta, Georgia, Exclusively by Alastair Mackenzie with Bobby Jones

Augusta is the most exclusive and revered golf courses in the world and therefore does not need the design skills of Greg Norman to promote it. Membership is by invitation only and the only pro golfers in the list of 300 members are Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and John Harris. This fact is mentioned in the history of the club, along with other illustrious members such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Dwight D Eisenhower, though there are plenty you need never have heard of. With joining fees and annual fees set realatively low, it is the TV rights to the clubs own tournament which allows such exclusivity; there are no plans to invite female members, though they do allow female caddies. Thats OK then.

The course was designed by one of the owners (Bobby Jones) and the Scottish architect Alistair Mackenzie, along the lines of St Andrews; there were few nasty obstacles and wide fairways originally, but over time, rough, bunkers and trees have been added.It was opened in 1931 and is the home to the Masters, every year.

The Masters course is known as the most beautiful golf course in the world, and its beauty is best seen in April, just as the Masters kicks off. They think of everything;the color of the drink napkins for patrons perfectly matches the grass - so if you drop your napkin it will not show on TV. The green theme continues with the Green Jacket worn by members and masters winners, a nice touch, as conceived by the other original owner, Clifford Roberts. Who needs celebrity pro designers?

St Andrews Scotland by Nature

Its Royal and Ancient, and it is the Home of Golf and the Governing Body that makes the rules up.Six members of the Royal family have been captains through the years, the most recent being the present Duke of York, who has had the time to practice.King James IV bought golf clubs at St Andrews in 1506 and written records suggest that golf was being played here long before that.

As a separate entity the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews remains as a private golf club with a world-wide membership of 2,400. But there are other clubs based at the fabulous St Andrews clubhouse, and it is also open to the general public. The club is funded by the cash from the Open Championship and the Amateur Championship, and because of the clubs stature in world golf, a win at St Andrews is the Holy Grail. The Scottish weather and the 112 bunkers make it an exciting venue... anything can happen.

There wasn't much course design going on when on May 14, 1754 , when 22 noblemen and gentlemen of Fife presented a Silver Club to be played for annually over the Links of St Andrews. The biggest contribution to golf course design has to be the 18 hole course. Previously there had been no standard number of holes, and St Andrews had been a 22 hole course, while most other British courses were 9 holes.

Another original feature is that the course can be played in either direction, clockwise or anti-clockwise, and originally the change in direction of play was a weekly occurance to allow recovery of the grass. Sundays are for picnics for the people. Can't see that happening at Augusta.

Valhalla by Jack Niklaus

Valhalla is the Ryder Cup Course this year and as I read through the news on the US versus Europe battle I was struck by the great and universal abilities of most top players over the years. It is well known that footballers are good at golf and snooker(hand eye co-ordination and all that) but little has been discussed on the Golfers ability to design a golf course. Is this the same sort of designing as Kate Moss and a Top Shop designer line. Of course they will know what they like or dislike about a course in the same way as Kate knows whether she doing Purple or stretch denim. Admittedly its easier to use a digger and some feed than sew a gypsy top from scratch, but how much did Jack really contribute to Valhalla? Well his website boasts Jack Nicklaus design has over 300 golf courses 'open for play' Hard to imagine how he found the time.But he's a golfing legend and thats all we really need to know.

Valhalla is in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and was opened in 1986 fulfilling the dream and vision of Louisville businessman and golf enthusiast Dwight Gahm. Jack Nicklaus was commissioned to build a course fit to attract the PGA Championship to Kentucky. Nice to be able to fulfil such dreams. This was acheived in 1992.

The Ryder Cup, every non golfers favourite tournament, begins on Thursday 18 September, with the opening ceremony, all covered by Sky of course. With Europe having won it on the last 3 occasion(with great sportsmanship and with the dignity of their wives in tact)it would be best for the tournament if the US won it this year.Thats what I shall be telling myself if we lose.

Jumeirah Golf Estates by Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Peter Dye

Typical of Dubai, this is a Golf Estate, with 4 courses incorporating the elements of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, designed by three well known golfers and a golf course architecht legend.Greg Norman sorted out the Fire and Earth. Sergio Garcia was the new boy to design and was given Wind? Vijay Singh dealt with the Water.I expect all three were pleased to have the design pro 'helping out'

They always have to do it bigger,bolder and better, but the truth is, it often works in Dubai. Its worked so well they have changed the name of the European Order of Merit to 'The Race to Dubai' and moved the European Tour Headquarters to the Fire and Water entrances as well. Apparently, its not about the money, but perhaps the year round training and performance facilities, will enable our European boys to compete with the US Golfers, who afterall, have had the benefits of Florida, Hawaii and Carolina for years. Its a similar flight time, its just that we are moving continent.

Celtic Manor, Wales, starring Colin Montgomerie and Robert Trent Jones (and the Roman Empire)

Celtic Manor has 3 courses and its Twenty Ten Course to be the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2010. Can you see what they've done there? But they still couldn't keep away from the Pro Golf Designer Course which they call 'The Montgomerie'by Colin Montgomerie.Can you see what they've done there? The Original Celtic Manor course was called The Roman Road Course, and thats because several Roman Roads cross the course.......
The most important fact about the Roman Road course is that it was designed by Robert Trent Jones, the most important course architecht EVER. He invented his own degree course as he went along, taking courses in surveying, horticulture and hydraulics amoungst other subjects, once ill health ruled him out of competitive Golf. It is said that the sun never sets on a course designed by Robert Trent Jones, which might be true. The furthest west I could find was Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course, Maui in Hawaii; the most easterly being in Chamonix in France. Then theres a massive clump in the USA. I wonder why Celtic Manor felt they needed another go at it!