Kunming · Anning · Tournament heritage
昆明玉龙湾高尔夫球会
A mountain course with elevation changes throughout the round — and a tournament story spanning PGA TOUR China, the Yunnan Open and the European Challenge Tour.
Local insight from Colin, a Yunnan-based golfer who has played this course. About the guide.
The course
Yulongwan Golf Club sits among the wooded hills of Taiping New Town in Anning, west of central Kunming. Lee Schmidt’s 18-hole, par-72 layout follows the contours of the mountainside, with changes in elevation throughout the round. Lakes, exposed rock and sculpted bunkers give the holes a varied and distinctive setting.
The terrain is part of the challenge. Downhill views can make a target look inviting, while sloping lies and changes of level ask you to think carefully about club selection and the next shot. It is a course to play with a plan, taking time to judge the slopes as well as the yardages.
Its reputation was established on the professional circuit: Yulongwan hosted the PGA TOUR China Yunnan Open in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the China Tour’s Yunnan Open in 2017, and two separate international tour events in 2018.
The character of the round
Elevation changes are a recurring feature at Yulongwan, shaping the views, the lies and the decisions from tee to green.
Photo: Yulongwan Golf ClubFrom the archives
Yulongwan was part of PGA TOUR China’s inaugural 2014 season. The Yunnan Open returned in 2015 and 2016, producing victories for Gunn Charoenkul, Josh Geary and Dou Zecheng. In 2017, Geary won the Yunnan Open again on the separate China Tour.
In April 2018, the Belt & Road Colorful Yunnan Open brought the European Challenge Tour to Yulongwan in an event co-sanctioned with the China Tour. PGA TOUR Series-China then returned in June for the Kunming Championship. Those were distinct tournaments, with different champions.
| Year | Event / tour | Champion | The story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Yulongwan Yunnan OpenPGA TOUR China | Gunn Charoenkul | An opening 61 set the tone. Charoenkul finished on 263, three strokes ahead of Zhang Xinjun. Archive ↗ |
| 2015 | Yulongwan Yunnan OpenPGA TOUR China | Josh Geary | Geary made a decisive eagle at the tournament’s par-5 16th and beat Charoenkul by one stroke — his third win of the season. Archive ↗ |
| 2016 | Yulongwan Yunnan OpenPGA TOUR China | Dou Zecheng | The 19-year-old finished birdie–birdie–birdie for 261 (−23), winning by three and becoming the tour’s first four-time winner in one season. Archive ↗ |
| 2017 | Yulongwan Yunnan OpenChina Tour | Josh Geary | A second Yunnan Open title: Geary closed with 64 for 259 (−25), seven strokes clear of the field. Archive ↗ |
| Apr 2018 | Belt & Road Colorful Yunnan OpenEuropean Challenge Tour + China Tour | Kim Koivu | A closing 64 secured Koivu’s first professional title by four strokes. The event ran from 12–15 April with a US$350,000 prize fund. Archive ↗ |
| Jun 2018 | Kunming ChampionshipPGA TOUR Series-China | Motin Yeung | Yeung finished at −19, then birdied the first playoff hole — tournament 18, normal-play hole 9 — to beat Callum Tarren and Joseph Gunerman for his first professional victory. Archive ↗ |
Choose your tees
Compare the tee options across all 18 holes. Distances are in yards.
| Hole | Par | S.I. | Black | Gold | Blue | White | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 576 | 545 | 517 | 470 | 454 |
| 2 | 4 | 5 | 455 | 425 | 398 | 366 | 328 |
| 3 | 3 | 15 | 192 | 192 | 165 | 163 | 145 |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 560 | 525 | 525 | 447 | 402 |
| 5 | 3 | 17 | 156 | 130 | 114 | 106 | 93 |
| 6 | 4 | 7 | 426 | 399 | 399 | 326 | 271 |
| 7 | 5 | 9 | 560 | 521 | 521 | 467 | 436 |
| 8 | 3 | 13 | 214 | 198 | 184 | 157 | 125 |
| 9 | 4 | 11 | 422 | 410 | 403 | 371 | 287 |
| OUT | 36 | — | 3,561 | 3,345 | 3,226 | 2,873 | 2,541 |
| 10 | 4 | 12 | 415 | 393 | 372 | 358 | 335 |
| 11 | 4 | 4 | 456 | 429 | 409 | 364 | 331 |
| 12 | 5 | 6 | 544 | 524 | 498 | 481 | 465 |
| 13 | 4 | 16 | 377 | 359 | 342 | 293 | 240 |
| 14 | 5 | 8 | 599 | 572 | 546 | 480 | 453 |
| 15 | 3 | 18 | 160 | 135 | 135 | 108 | 102 |
| 16 | 4 | 10 | 435 | 409 | 409 | 349 | 324 |
| 17 | 4 | 2 | 468 | 449 | 449 | 387 | 354 |
| 18 | 3 | 14 | 168 | 158 | 152 | 143 | 120 |
| IN | 36 | — | 3,622 | 3,428 | 3,312 | 2,963 | 2,724 |
| TOTAL | 72 | — | 7,183 | 6,773 | 6,538 | 5,836 | 5,265 |
Distances in yards across five tee sets. Black, Gold, White and Red follow the club scorecard; Blue follows the club’s official illustrated yardage book (6,538 yards). Some yardage-book distances differ from the scorecard. Use the current club scorecard and tee markers for play. Open the club’s illustrated yardage book.
Inside the round
Holes 6, 8 and 9 on the front nine; 14, 17 and 18 on the back nine. Explore official hole plans and photographs from Play Yunnan Golf.
The six highlighted holes use normal-play numbering and feature photographs by Play Yunnan Golf. Some tee distances on the illustrated hole plans differ from the scorecard figures displayed here.
The green sits beside a lake, with water influencing both the line in and the room for error. Choose a tee shot that leaves a clear approach, then favour the broadest part of the putting surface.
This substantial par 3 changes character with your tee choice: 214 yards from Black and 157 from White. Bunkers guard the green; judge the carry and aim for its centre.
Hole 9 in normal play was the tournament’s 18th: a dramatic downhill par 4 with a drop of almost 50 metres from tee to green. Motin Yeung birdied this hole in a playoff to win the 2018 Kunming Championship. At 422 yards from Black, it rewards a well-judged tee shot and a controlled approach.
A sweeping left-hand par 5 with a pronounced downhill section and an elevated, bunkered green. It measures 599 yards from Black. Decide where to lay up before taking on the approach, especially from an uneven lie.
The penultimate hole asks for two committed shots. Water runs along the left side of the driving corridor, with bunkers around the green. At 468 yards from Black, tee selection makes a substantial difference.
A par 3 across water to a green projecting into the lake, with bunkers shaping the target. The setting makes a fitting finish to a mountain round. Judge the carry carefully and choose a target that gives you room to miss.
Official club profile · Official hole-by-hole yardage book · 2015 PGA TOUR China recap · OWGR · 2018 Challenge Tour final-round report · 2018 Kunming Championship report. Prices and access arrangements are confirmed for your date.
Plan the journey
The golf club is opposite Lakeview Resort Hotel (昆明玉龙湾湖景酒店), in Taiping New Town, Anning, west of Kunming. Arrange your outward journey and return pickup around your tee time; the drive depends on your hotel and traffic. A private transfer can be requested with your enquiry.
A driving range and golf academy are on site. Allow time to warm up, and choose a tee suited to the mountain terrain. Discuss carries, changes in level and local lines with your caddie. Club rental is available; request it in advance.
Bring sun protection and a light layer for Kunming’s highland conditions. During the wetter months, roughly May to October, carry waterproofs and allow flexibility for showers. Elevation changes and slopes make careful distance judgement useful in any season.
For your driver
Head to the golf club opposite Lakeview Resort Hotel. Show your driver the Chinese club name and the hotel landmark.
Play Yunnan Golf
Tell us your date, group size and preferred time of day.
Request a round ↗