Sunshine Golf Club

「陽光高爾夫球會」可說是昆明高爾夫社區的模範，它建立起「買別墅送球 證、球場品質比照PGA水平」的操作模式。以球場襯托社區價值，以社區會員制來維持球場的尊貴與稀有性。 初到陽光的人，必定會先對它的練習場大為驚奇，長度超過300碼、寬度起碼也有200碼，兩邊沒有任何的人工護網，量你怎麼打也不會飛出去。我到訪的那天是星期一清早，練習場關閉維修，只見十幾位工人耙沙坑、修草邊、剪草地，簡直是維護正式球場的陣仗，真羨幕平常在這兒練球的球友。 我回到可以綜觀全場的會館，在落地窗旁望著遠處的金殿後山與明鳳山。山嵐帶著雨天的水氣，漸漸地飄下第9與第18洞的球道；看來，我來到陽光的第一次是看不到陽光了。 趁著雨勢漸歇，我跟著桿弟準備下場挑戰雨中的陽光。儘管有些倉卒，我還是被Robert Trent Jones Jr.的設計所感動。清楚的球道動線，讓你在雨天中方便行進；梯台與球道並未積水；倒是果嶺速度因為水氣減慢了，讓我推起來順手許多，第1洞差點還推進Birdie（博蒂）。

跟我在雨中奮鬥的桿弟表示，10月以後就沒雨了；不過壞消息是，雨沒了，蕈類大餐的季節也結束了。來到昆明不多吃點松茸，是入寶山而空手回。桿弟繼續說著，5、6月是水果的旺季，桃、李、紅花（小蘋果）垂手可摘……，好吧！明年再回來。眼前是435碼的par 4第3洞，球道是右狗腿設計，在球道左側的遠處有一個鐵塔，那是你的瞄準方向。別以為直切右狗腿或打一點右弧球可佔到便宜，右側是出界且球道就是往右傾斜，順著坡下去就是一個沙坑。這個沙坑就是我右弧開球的落點，幸好靠著推桿才保住Birdie。 前9洞令你印像最深刻的可能是141碼、Par 3的第7洞；它是個大下坡約是 從5層樓高往下打，果嶺的前緣、右側都緊貼著水塘。想上果嶺並不難，只是一些靠水的旗位，可能不下水也不是很好接近。我本以為4呎的Birdie是垂手可得的，卻溜了出來。倒是第8洞一個30呎下坡帶左轉的Birdie，硬是灌了進去。 陽光的果嶺令人又恨又愛。不到1個半小時，我已經站在第9洞球道準備打第3桿。看看右側山坡上的大別墅，要是能住在這裡，每天看著美麗的球道，打球不必出去，真是方便極了。可能你也會想知道，此地的別墅價格約在20至70萬美元之間，早已銷售一空，就等等那第2期的住宅型方案吧！ 帶著37桿的意外成績，讓我有些不安地進入後9洞；好像該發生什麼事了，像是開球歪入長草區等等。第11洞是3桿洞，果嶺設計類似第6洞都是中間內凹式；球上了左邊或右邊、旗竿如果插在中間，那麼上下坡帶S型轉折的路線，可能比你考駕照還難應付。 一時手氣順，到了第13洞的開球後似乎也用完了，我在這個洞的第3桿與差點1的第14洞開球，終於見識到陽光難纏的長草區，兩個洞就花掉了3桿。其中的398碼第14洞，開球先是面對一個大上坡，任何150碼外不在球道上的球，幾乎沒有機會打上高懸掛在山壁邊的果嶺，Birdie算是很不錯的成績。聽說因為會員反應太難，開球的落球點斜坡應會剷平一些。 陽光的最後4洞已到了別墅區的邊緣，由於居高臨下，球道本身也是大幅度的上下坡。第15洞410碼Par 4開球大下坡，打180碼即可；第16洞369碼Par 4，第2桿大上坡、果嶺很小，加兩號打也很難攻上去；第17洞192碼的3桿洞，需越過一個大山谷；第18洞545碼Par 5，開球是大下坡，須帶一點右弧球，不過這一球開過之後，這4洞的大奇航也告一段落了。如果你也能抓隻Birdie當紀念，也算不辜負這最好的據點。 風雨中的陽光，卻讓我打出最陽光的成績。 www.SunshineGolfClub.com

Any golfer who visits the Sunshine Golf Club will recognize how amazing the unique driving range is. The length of the course is longer than 300 yards and the width is at least 200 yards. Although there is no protective net around the course, it is impossible for you to strike the ball out of the boundaries. I paid a visit to Sunshine early one Monday morning, when the driving range was closed for maintenance. I saw several people raking the bunkers and cutting and trimming the edge of the grass. They were putting as much care into the range as a real golf course. The golf players who get to practice at this club are very lucky indeed. I went back to the club’s hall, from which I could view the entire course, from the mountain of the Golden Temple and the Mingfeng Mountain in the distance. It started to rain in the area of the ninth hole and the Howe. It was ironic that the sun did not appear for a while during my first visit to Sunshine. Once it finally stopped raining, my caddie and I were ready for the range’s challenge. I was impressed by the design, which was created by top golf course designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. The moving line of the fairway was so clear that it enabled us to play well even during the cloudy day. There were no pounds around the tee and the fairway. The speed of the green slowed down, however, because of the hydrosphere, and it was easier to push. I almost hit a birdie with my first stroke. My caddie had told me that there is no rain after October. However, the bad news is that if there is no rain, the gill fungus season also finishes as well. If you don’t eat tricholoma matsutake when you visit Kunming, it is analogous to visiting a cave full of treasure and going home empty-handed. The caddie continued to tell me that if you visit in May and July, you will find lots of fruits on the market, including peach, plum and small apples. Well, I guess I’ll have to come back next year, then.   The third hole of Par 4, which is 435 yards away, was in front of us, and the fairway veered right, in the shape of dog’s leg. There was an iron tower on the left of the fairway, which was the direction I aimed for. If you think a clean or fade may hit, then you are wrong. The right side of the dog leg was out of board, and the fairway leaned toward the right side.

The most impressive hole might be the seventh hole of Par 3, which was 114 yards away. It was downhill, and about five stories high. There were ponds in front of, and at the right side of the Green. It was not difficult to access the Green, but it was also not easy to reach those pins around the ponds. I thought the birdie, which was four feet away, should be easy to hit, but I did not succeed. I did hit the eight hole, however, which is 30 feet away with a left turn.

In one hour and a half, I was standing on the fairway of the ninth hole getting ready to hit the third strike. There were villas on the right side of the hills. I thought about how wonderful it would be if I could live here, watch the beautiful fairways, and play golf every day. The price of the villas are around US$200,000 to US$700,000 and the houses which are currently in the first phase of development have already been sold out.

I was a bit anxious to start the in-course with a score of 37 strokes. I felt like something should be happening, such as roughing. The 11th hole was similar to the sixth one: it was a three-stroke hole, and was shaped like a groove. The pins were located in the middle, and if the ball was to the left or the right side, then would have been even more difficult to handle the S-shaped route than passing your driving exam.

My good luck wore off after the 13th hole. The third strike on the 13th hole and the handicap 1 of the 14th hole drive gave me a good sense of Sunshine’s true difficulty. I used three strokes for only two holes. The 14th hole, which is 398 yards away, was located on the hill. It is almost impossible to hit the Green on the hill if the ball is not on the fairway or if the ball is out of 150 yards. Thus, a birdie could be a good score.

Sunshine’s last four holes were near the villa area. Since I was looking down from a distance, the fairway was on the sloping hills and the green was small, it was very difficult to hit the 16th hole of Par 4, which was 369 yards away on uphill. The 18th hole of Par 5, which was 545 yards downhill, should be hit with a slice. After that strike, however, my golf journey came to an end, as well.

Finally, I got a shining score on the rainy Sunshine.(Translation by 李琴Amy LI)