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Yao's return to action

Thursday, 17th July 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

The big reveal: Yao Ming is back.
The big reveal: Yao Ming is back.
Yao Ming made his return to competition tonight, in China's Stankovic Cup game against Serbia. Yao, recovering from a fracture in his foot, did not start and played only about 12 minutes. He scored 11 points in his first pre-Olympic tuneup, and China won 96-72. Yao shot 7-of-10 from the free throw line and grabbed four rebounds.

Center Wang Zhizhi was China's top scorer with 18 points. The first Chinese player to play in the NBA, Wang's opportunities will likely dwindle once Yao returns to full strength, forcing him to come off the bench. Yi Jianlian was the team's third leading scorer with 14.

Team China is on an 11-0 win streak, but they have been aided by a competition of mediocre opponents (compare to what they will face in the Olympics) and home cooking from the officials.

Image: Tom Sports

Tags: basketball, Stankovic Cup, Yao Ming

China's top 10 golf courses: Kunming is king

Thursday, 17th July 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

Kunming's Spring City Golf & Lake Resort
Kunming's Spring City Golf & Lake Resort

US-based Golf Digest magazine has released its annual list of what it considers to be the China's top ten golf courses. According to the magazine's editors, if you're looking for China's best courses, forget Shanghai, Beijing or Shenzhen – go west to the laid-back city of Kunming.

The laid-back city of Kunming in southwestern China's Yunnan province took three of the top six spots on Golf Digest's list, here are the results:

1. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort (Lake course), Kunming, Yunnan province

2. Spring City Golf & Lake Resort (Mountain course), Kunming, Yunnan province

3. Sheshan Golf Club, Shanghai

4. Shenzhen Golf Club, Shenzhen, Guangdong province

5. Tiger Beach Golf Links, Haiyang, Shandong province

6. Lakeview Golf Club, Kunming, Yunnan province

7. Jian Lake Golf & Country Club, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province

8. Trans Strait Golf Club, Fuzhou, Fujian province

9. Pine Valley Golf Resort & Country Club (Old course), Beijing

10. Mission Hills Golf Club (Norman course), Shenzhen, Guangdong province

Kunming ended up beating out the big coastal cities with the top two courses – both at Spring City Golf and Lake Resort. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, Spring City's Lake course was named best in China, beating out Spring City's other championship course, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Mountain course.

Kunming reappears at the number six spot on the list with Lakeview Golf Club, which has been the site of the Yunnan stops of the Omega China Tour as well as the Faldo Series Asia.

Shanghai's Sheshan Golf course rounded out the top three.

Shenzhen is the only other city with multiple courses in Golf Digest's top ten – Shenzhen Golf Club was named number four, while Mission Hills Golf Club's Greg Norman-designed course came in tenth.

Image: Spring City Golf & Lake Resort

Related articles:

Lu Wins in Kunming, Young Amateurs Shine

Golf Emerging in China, and an Emerging Chinese Golfer

Tags: Faldo Series Asia, golf, Golf Digest, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Jian Lake Golf & Country Club, Lakeview Golf Club, Mission Hills Golf Club, Omega China Tour, Pine Valley Golf Resort & Country Club, Robert Trent Jones Jr, Shenzhen Golf Club, Sheshan Golf Club, Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, Tiger Beach Golf Links, Trans Strait Golf Club, Yunnan