Blackstone Course at Mission Hills

This brute of a course is the centrepiece of the Mission Hills complex and the best of its 12 courses – if you define ‘best’ by the most challenging. The course is built on black lava rocks and its 7,808 yards carves its way through jungle vegetation, wetlands and mature lychee trees – with multiple elevation changes throughout.

Although designed for tournament play – it has already hosted a series of professional events, including the World Cup of Golf – the good news is that you don’t have to play every inch of it: the forward tees, coupled with the generous fairways, make this an entirely accessible challenge for the mid-handicapper, who might otherwise give up the game through frustration or exhaustion!