The back nine at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club takes you back up to the clubhouse and teeing off with perhaps the best view of any 10th hole in Asia. It’s a difficult Par which tempts you to take on way more than you should. You’ll need to play this hole a few times before you can even beging to work it out. The 11th at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is a nice little Par 3, deceptively difficult, and even more of a challenge if the wind is blowing, there’s trouble (cliff) left, and a bailout area right, but an up and down from there is no picnic as the green has some tricky breaks and slopes.
The 12th is one of our favorite holes at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, strong driving hole and great approach shot which makes you think. You’ll most likely only have a short iron in your hand but going at the Pin if it’s cut ont he left portion of the green is only for the brave, or some would say stupid. Best play is to aim for middle right side, regardless of where the pin is. 13 is a long par 4 with an intimidating tee shot and difficult approach with what will almost certainly be a fairway wood or hybrid. 14 is a relatively straight forward par 3 playing slightly downhill. Take the time to head over to the right side of the tee box to check out the views. 99 times our of a hungry it’ll be hazy but if you’re lucky enough to play on one of those clear days, it’s something to admire.
The 15th hole at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is a great little Par 5 that doglegs right at almost 90 degrees. If you can take on the dogleg, you can be left with a middle iron, but the beauty is you need to hit a great golf shot, not a perfect golf shot, but a great one. Miss it right and you’ll be reloading, tug it left and you’ll also be reloading. You can even hit 3 wood and still have a chance of reaching with an iron. Even if you’ve got a fairway wood there’s not too much trouble around the green unless you really spray it. This is one of our favourite holes in Hong Kong. 16 is a ho-hum Par 3, it’s straight foward but everytime we play it someone manages to hit one in the not-so-obvious hazard guarding the right side of the hole.
The 17th at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is an annoying little Par 4 up the hill. We say annoying because it’s around 300 yards and we’ve yet to make a Par. The play is a long iron/hybrid off the tee leaving yourself with a short iron into those elevated green. You could hit driver, but there’s absolutely no reason to unless you’re extra long and can drive the green, or extra short. Like many holes at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, it makes you think on every shot and there are many ways to play the hole.
Finally, Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club has one of the most hated and loved golf holes in Hong Kong. It’s a dogleg left that can leave you with a flip wedge in your hand or a 3 wood, depending on how much of the dogleg (and trouble) you think you can cut off. This is maybe the best risk-reward golf hole in Hong Kong and perhaps in all of Asia. One day you can make what will feel like the easist birdie or eagle of your life, the next you could take a 10.
For the front nine review of Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, please click here.
