Tripp Davis Completes First China Project


Tripp Davis and Associates has completed work on their first golf course project in China, the Eco-City International Country Club, located in Eco-City within the metropolis of Tianjin. The occasion was marked this week with a soft opening of the 18-hole course, extensive practice facilities and clubhouse. Tianjin, the fourth-largest city in China, is the largest coastal city in the north and is but a two-hour drive from Bejing.

Golf architect Davis spent two years investigating potential projects in China before partnering with developers, Keppel Land China. "We were selected for the Eco-City International Country Club project from a list of the world's top golf course architects largely because of our dedicated approach to being hands-on during construction and our commitment to quality," said Davis.

"I personally have made 20 visits to the site, my senior golf architect Gary Brawley made another 10, and our staff shaper Jason Gold was on site for 10 months, which allowed us to carefully handcraft our work there. I could not be any prouder of our first golf course in China and the collective efforts of the development, design, construction and grow-in teams."

Eco-City International Country Club course is surrounded by Ying-Cheng Lake, and the site occupies low land marshes near the Bohai Sea. In order to provide stimulating contrasts to the otherwise flat landscape that afforded views of the extensive water frontage, Davis created bold bunkering to present strategic and visual definition.

"Eco-City is a big course with strategic fairways and greens set on subtle yet thought-provoking angles that gives the average player a lot of room to navigate and multiple options from which to choose," adds Davis. "However, the lines the better player must take in order to score well are relatively strict and demand good shot-making."

An official grand opening of Eco-City International Country Club is expected in May 2014.