The Beijing Grand Canal Golf Club is owned by Beijing Tourism Group and managed by the Grand Hotel, Beijing. The hotel can easily arrange tee times and transportation to the course. Situated along the Tongzhou Canal, the club is 30–40 minutes from the city center and conveniently close to the Third Ring Road, making it suitable for a round before or after a flight to Beijing Capital Airport (PEK). Rental clubs are available, and the large clubhouse—designed to evoke an imperial Temple of Heaven—offers restaurants, a pro shop and full locker facilities.
Designed by Peter Deng, the course presents a moderate challenge for golfers while providing a peaceful escape from the bustle of central Beijing. Well-kept fairways and thoughtfully placed hazards make for an enjoyable round for players of many skill levels.
Staff from the Grand Hotel escorted me to the course in an Audi A6L, where the course manager greeted me and quickly assigned a locker. I estimated four hours to complete 18 holes; the driver smiled and said he would return at 6 p.m., only three hours away. It turned out the pace of play here is brisk—I walked the entire course in three hours. My caddy for the day, Quin (pronounced “Chin”), immediately settled into his role, cleaning and placing my ball and reading greens with careful attention on every hole.
Hole 3 (199 yards, par 3)
After a disappointing second hole, I hoped to recover on the third. A sizable pond protects the line between tee and green, demanding a confident tee shot. My caddy debated club selection while gauging my tendencies; I chose a lower iron and surprised us both with a near-perfect shot that landed left of the pin and below the hole. Quin cleaned and set up the ball for my putt, reading the line with care. I didn’t commit enough to the stroke but managed a par.
Hole 4 (528 yards, par 5)
We finally caught the group ahead and waited on the tee as workers finished replacing sod on the forward tee. About ten laborers paused until I teed off. On a whim I joked with Quin about being a PGA pro from America, but the joke was lost in translation. Following Quin’s advice to cut the corner and slightly fade the drive toward the dogleg, I stroked my best drive of the day to the exact landing spot he’d indicated. The workers cheered—brief triumph. My momentum stalled when a 3-wood on the next shot sailed out of bounds left, producing a double bogey and reminding me that I am no pro.
Hole 7 (363 yards, par 4)
This dogleg left offered the first lesson in local pace of play. Attempting Quin’s suggested corner cut, I clipped some willow branches and rolled into a pond. My second tee shot found the rough of the neighboring hole, and I was soon joined briefly by another golfer who moved on quickly. My approach returned the ball to the playing surface but rolled off the left side of the green, leaving a chip and two putts for a bogey. Quin’s expression confirmed my performance was less than impressive.
Hole 8 (201 yards, par 3)
Hole 8 is tucked behind overhanging branches and requires a clear, focused shot from a concealed tee. Quin weighed a 5-iron versus a 4-iron; we chose the 4 and produced an unusually straight shot that landed below the pin. Quin teased a birdie, but two putts left us with a par.
Hole 12 (557 yards, par 5)
This long par 5 is among the course’s tougher tests, with out-of-bounds left and flowering pear and apple trees lining the right in spring. A pond short of the fairway demands an assertive drive; I carried it past the water and settled on the right. After pausing to take in the blossoms, my 3-wood left me around 115 yards out. A misjudged chip landed in the bunker in front of the green and, after struggling in the sand, I signed for a triple.
Hole 14 (171 yards, par 3)
For reasons I couldn’t explain I was playing the par 3s well that day. This hole features a large gully between the tee and green, but my shot held to land in front and bounce onto the putting surface, leaving a comfortable score.
Hole 16 (412 yards, par 4)
I ran into trouble on this straightforward hole after a drive that missed right and ended up among trees. Though I imagined a heroic recovery, Quin advised the safer punch-out, which I followed. My short game then betrayed me: a fat sand-wedge approach found the bunker, removing any chance of par and resulting in a higher score than hoped.
Hole 18 (417 yards, par 4)
The finishing hole asks you to favor the left-center of the fairway before a right-hand dogleg. I again erred and found the right-side rough near bunkers, but committed to a 3-wood to clear trees and reach the left portion of the green. The shot held on the left ridge, and a two-putt par closed out the round. Quin celebrated with a delighted fist bump—an appropriate finish to a varied day.
Beijing Grand Canal Golf Club
Hugezhuang, Tongzhou District
Beijing 101118, China
tel 86 10 8958 2988