Choose Yunnan golf courses by your overnight base and the kind of round you want. Kunming offers the widest choice for a short golf holiday. Add Dali for Cangshan and Erhai scenery, Lijiang for a higher mountain setting, or Tengchong for a separate western-Yunnan stay. Qujing is another distinct choice; it is not a spare round to squeeze between Kunming and Dali.
This guide compares twelve clubs and resort venues, including the two different courses at Spring City. Start with the course shortlist, then arrange hotels, transport and sightseeing around the accepted tee times. A course introduction does not guarantee visitor availability, a particular green speed or a current package price.
Updated 2 November 2026
Which part of Yunnan fits your trip?
For four or five nights, keep one region as your main base. Moving hotels with golf bags takes usable time, even when the cities are connected by train. A longer route works best when the transfer itself has a clear place in the holiday.
| Region | Choose it for | Planning consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Kunming, Yangzong Lake and Anning | Several course styles without an intercity tour. | Choose the actual side of Kunming before the hotel; these venues are not all adjacent. |
| Dali | Cangshan foothills, Erhai views and old-town time. | Give the Dali stay its own nights rather than commuting from Kunming. |
| Lijiang | A mountain golf setting combined with old-town sightseeing. | Allow for the higher elevation and individual suitability before adding a round. |
| Tengchong | A separate golf and nature break in western Yunnan. | Build around Tengchong transport and accommodation, not the Kunming–Dali–Lijiang sequence. |
| Qujing | A highland course alternative outside the main western route. | Plan the road transfer and overnight base specifically for the visit. |
Kunming: compare the courses before choosing your hotel
Kunming is a city and a wider golf region. A central hotel suits city evenings; a lakeside resort can suit two rounds at the same property. An Anning course belongs to a different transfer plan. For the detailed booking checklist, read our Kunming golf guide.
Spring City: Lakeview and Mountainview are separate rounds
Spring City sits beside Yangzong Lake in Yiliang. Its official golf page identifies two 18-hole courses: the lakeside Robert Trent Jones Jr. design and the Jack Nicklaus mountain design. Choose both when you want contrasting rounds without changing your resort base.
The Lakeview course follows the lake and asks you to think carefully about approach shots. Mountainview uses undulating higher ground and broad mountain-and-water views. Neither the photograph nor a resort booking identifies which course you will play: the written reservation should name it. Historical rankings are tied to their award year, so use the layout and logistics to make your decision.
Kunming Lakeview at Dianchi: a different “Lakeview”
Kunming Lakeview Golf Club is beside Dianchi, separate from Spring City’s Lakeview course at Yangzong Lake. The club’s own course information describes an 18-hole, par-72 Nick Faldo layout. Water and bunkers are part of its strategic character. It is a useful choice when you want golf alongside Kunming city time or a separate Western Hills outing.
Write “Kunming Lakeview / Dianchi” or “Spring City Lakeview / Yangzong Lake” on a booking request. The Chinese name and course pin help prevent a driver, hotel or tee-time request being sent to the wrong place.
Yulongwan / Jade Dragon Bay: the Anning-side option
Yulongwan lies in the Taiping area of Anning. Its operator describes an 18-hole mountain course designed by Lee Schmidt. Consider it when you want an Anning-based stay or a distinct course outside the Dianchi and Yangzong Lake clusters. Do not confuse Jade Dragon Bay in Kunming’s wider area with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in Lijiang.
Other Kunming clubs: match the landscape to your priorities
These venues add variety beyond the best-known resort pair. Ask for the exact operating course and visitor arrangements before committing to a hotel or transfer. The comparison describes the course setting; it is not a promise that every layout is bookable on your dates.
| Club / venue | What distinguishes the setting | What to settle first |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Golf Club / 阳光 | A rolling mountain-and-hillside layout, with natural terrain and water features. | The round, visitor tee time and hotel pickup; avoid relying on an old airport-transfer estimate. |
| Kunming Country Golf Club / 乡村 | Wooded terrain, elevation changes and a contrast between tighter and more open holes. | The course pin and buggy arrangements; “Country Club” alone is not a precise pickup destination. |
| Qianglin Golf Club / 强林 | A Dianchi-area layout with water influencing shot selection; older material may call it Wanda. | The current club name and reservation details so an old name does not misdirect transport. |
| Kunming OCT / 华侨城 | A Yangzong Lake-area venue with mountain and lakeside course names in circulation. | Which named layout is actually operating and included; do not assume a 36-hole description means both are available. |
| Jialize / 嘉丽泽 | An open wetland setting, with water, bridges and broad skies. | The booking name, accepted tee time and transport plan; allow a dedicated visit rather than treating it as central Kunming. |
Dali: Canghai golf and a slower cultural stay
Canghai Golf Club sits near the Cangshan foothills and the Three Pagodas area, with Erhai to the east. It suits a stay that combines a round with Dali’s old town, villages and lakeside time. Mountain and sea-view course labels appear in course material; request the exact layout in the proposal rather than simply asking for “Dali golf.”
Keep the round on a Dali day. If arriving from Kunming with clubs, allow time for the station transfer, hotel arrival and equipment handling. Non-golfers can spend the day around the old town or choose their own excursion. That is more comfortable than asking them to wait at the clubhouse for the entire round.
Lijiang: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and altitude
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club lies in the Ganhaizi area, with a mountain setting that differs from Kunming’s lake courses. It appeals to travellers who want that setting as part of a Lijiang stay. It also requires more thought about elevation, exposure and the pace of the wider trip.
Do not schedule an important round immediately after a rushed arrival at altitude. The NHS altitude guidance explains that rapid ascent raises the risk of illness. If you feel unwell, do not go higher; worsening symptoms require descent and medical help. Discuss personal suitability with a clinician when relevant. A golf cart reduces some walking but does not remove the effects of altitude.
A course visit and a mountain cableway excursion are separate bookings. Do not assume a golf reservation includes scenic-area transport or every attraction nearby. Leave time for the old town, a restful evening and a weather-related change of plan.
Confirm which Lijiang venue the quotation means
Keep the exact club name, Chinese name, clubhouse entrance and date together. A notice published by China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment on 22 October 2018 described violations involving a venue it named Lijiang Ancient City Lakeside International Golf Course and the Lashihai wetland reserve. The report recounted an earlier order to stop operation and said the named course had resumed before the 2018 inspection. This is a historical account of that named venue, not a current operating-status notice. It does not establish that the Ganhaizi venue called Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club is the same course, or tell you whether any course is open today. A quote that says only “Lijiang golf” is not enough to identify your round.
Before paying a deposit, ask the current named operator to confirm in writing the exact course and full clubhouse pin; whether visitors can play on your date and which identity document the booking requires; the confirmed tee time and 18-hole layout; how golf bags will fit in the transfer vehicle; the pickup and return point; and the rescheduling or cancellation terms if weather or course operations change. Check the course’s own current contact rather than assuming a similarly named venue or a scenic-area ticket includes access. If the exact course and date-specific guest access cannot be confirmed, keep Lijiang as a cultural stay and arrange golf at a separately confirmed venue. Do not commit a non-refundable night solely for an unconfirmed tee time.
A Yulong County public-safety account describes the wider Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic area as ranging from 2,800 to 5,596 metres. That is a broad scenic-area range, not a measured golf-course elevation. Treat it as regional context only: the club’s exact playing elevation and the medical significance for an individual require separate confirmation. The existing NHS altitude guidance remains a sensible health reference; seek individual medical advice where relevant.
Four days and three nights: a Lijiang golf option with room to adapt
Keep one Lijiang hotel base and count arrival and departure separately from a playable day:
| Day | Plan | Keep flexible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · arrive | Reach the hotel, settle clubs and confirm the actual clubhouse pickup point. | Do not attach a fixed tee time to an arrival transfer or a rushed high-altitude start. |
| 2 · round or local culture | Play only after the exact course, date and return transfer are confirmed. Otherwise choose a town visit such as Lijiang Old Town or Baisha. | Allow the non-golfing companion a separate plan and meeting point; do not assume access to the club or scenic attractions. |
| 3 · flexible day | Choose one cultural or nearby outing, or use this as the weather and rest buffer. | Keep cableway or high scenic-area visits separate from a full round; check each attraction’s own access and weather notices. |
| 4 · depart | Leave time to collect clubs and reach the confirmed station or airport. | Do not schedule a same-day intercity connection immediately after a round. |
For a course-specific Lijiang checklist, see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf guide. This regional comparison does not promise that a named course, transfer, rental set, caddie arrangement, meal or room is included. Ask for a written, dated quote with those items and the disruption terms itemised; prices and services are confirmed only for the agreed proposal.
Tengchong and Qujing: choose them as distinct stays
Tengchong: Gaoligong International
Gaoligong International Golf Club is associated with Tengchong’s Dongshan area. The setting combines rolling ground, woodland and the wider western-Yunnan landscape. Consider it when Tengchong itself is part of the holiday, with time for the area’s cultural and nature visits. Confirm each separate attraction and transfer rather than assuming they accompany a round.
Qujing: Jinyang / Kingyan Manor
The Jinyang venue in Qujing is described in the course material as a highland links-style layout. It is a different landscape choice from a wooded resort course. Treat the English variants “Jinyang” and “Kingyan Manor” as a reason to confirm the Chinese name, full address and booking contact together.
Neither destination needs to be added just to increase the course count. On a first Yunnan trip, choose fewer regions if your priority is reliable golf time and relaxed evenings.
How many days do you need?
Count arrival and departure separately from playable golf days. A five-day holiday with three rounds can also include sightseeing, provided the sightseeing follows the real tee times and the final day fits your flight.
| Time available | A practical structure | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days / 4 nights | Kunming-area arrival, three golf days and departure; divide nights between a resort and the city if useful. | A focused golf-and-sightseeing break with fewer bag transfers. |
| 7–8 days | Kunming plus either Dali or Lijiang, with an intercity day between golf bases. | A second landscape without trying to include every region. |
| 10 days | An example: four Kunming nights, two Dali nights and three Lijiang nights, then departure. | Time for cultural visits and companions as well as selected rounds. |
| Tengchong or Qujing extension | Add nights and transport specifically for that destination. | You want the region itself, not just one more name on the scorecard. |
The ten-day sequence is a planning example, not a fixed package. For the shorter option, our five-day Kunming golf and sightseeing tour combines three rounds with Stone Forest, the city and Western Hills. Compare that with the Kunming–Dali–Lijiang route guide before choosing a longer journey.
What should a golf quotation make clear?
Ask for one written list that connects the named course, date and services. A green fee alone is not the whole cost of a golf day.
| Ask about | Get the answer in writing | Why it changes the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds and tee times | Course name, number of 18-hole rounds and accepted start times. | A request is different from a confirmed reservation. |
| Caddie, cart and locker | What is included, cart sharing and whether any individual-use supplement applies. | A shared cart does not imply a private cart or a particular caddie language. |
| Clubs, shoes and tips | Rental availability, handedness, extra charges and gratuity arrangements. | Do not travel expecting suitable rental clubs without an arrangement. |
| Hotels and transfers | Actual room category, nights, pickup point and golf-bag capacity. | A city hotel and a course resort have different daily logistics. |
| Changes and weather | Maintenance, interruption, cancellation and rescheduling terms. | No destination has guaranteed uninterrupted play. |
Send passport details through the operator’s normal booking process when required, and confirm foreign-passport hotel check-in. If a form only accepts a Chinese identity number, ask for the proper overseas-visitor process. Never enter an invented number.
Make the trip work for the whole group
Tell us who plays, who does not, and whether everyone wants the same pace. Clubhouse lunch, a scenic stop and a separate city visit are different arrangements. Families and companions need their own realistic transport and meal plan rather than an informal promise to “join later.”
Pack layers, rain protection and sun protection. Share mobility needs, golf-bag dimensions, rental requirements and dietary preferences before the vehicle and hotels are chosen. For halal meals or allergies, discuss preparation and ingredients explicitly; a general vegetarian option does not establish suitability.
Plan your Yunnan golf holiday with Vero Trip
Send Vero Trip your dates and golf preferences, including party size, preferred regions, number of rounds, handicap or experience, room requirements and companion interests. We can then build the transport and sightseeing around a clear course request and a written quotation.
Browse Yunnan golf journeys for itinerary ideas. Choose the course combination first, then compare the complete holiday rather than a headline green fee.
