New Course in Inner Mongolia Planned


Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design has been hired to create Batu Bay Golf Club in Inner Mongolia, China. Dana Fry, a principal in the firm, will oversee the project.

The golf course is perched on a bluff overlooking Batu Bay reservoir and will be an 18-hole layout built on sand dunes. The course will be open to guests staying at the adjacent Banyan Tree Hotel. The owner-developer is Oriental Holding Group based in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.

"Batu Bay has the chance to become one of the world's great courses due to the excellent soil conditions, natural sand-scrub vegetation and awesome views of the reservoir," Fry says. "It has a Sand Hills (Nebraska) or Bandon Dunes (Oregon) feel to it."

The layout will be isolated; it's reached via a three-hour drive from Ordos, and is bordered by hundreds of acres of sand dunes on a hill above the large reservoir. Native scrub vegetation covers the entire site now; there are virtually no trees anywhere on the property.

The project is currently in the planning stages, with construction scheduled to begin in May 2013 and the course opening in late summer 2014. The closest airport is Yulin Airport in Yulin City, Shanxi Province, an hour drive away.

About the Batuwan Tourism Region

The Batuwan Tourism Region is in Wudinghe Town, Wushen Banner, where two bays are formed by the Salawusu River, flowing from the northwest. Legend has it that ages ago there lived a Mongolian family named Batu; thus the name "Batuwan." Batuwan is a national AAAA-class tourism area and known for its natural beauty. By taking the "Bright Pearl" painted boat, visitors can enjoy the exquisite scenery on the two banks of the reservoir.

About Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design

Dana Fry and Jason Straka announced in 2012 the formation of their golf-course design partnership, Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design. After having worked together for nearly 20 years, they have brought their collective design experience and client dedication to their new venture.

Although the pair collaborates on all projects, Fry resides in Hong Kong, China, while Straka remains in the United States. In addition, the company has associates based in Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Beijing, China; and Porto Alegre, Brazil. For more information, visit www.frystraka.com.