The name
The unusual name owes its origins to Hong Kong, where the Royal Navy's China Fleet canteen morphed into a club with a new building between 1929 and 1941. During the battle for Hong Kong, the Japanese occupied the club, using it as their naval HQ. The club was extensively refurbished and returned to its former use after the Royal Marines and Royal Navy liberated the colony.
Because of the agreement to hand back Hong Kong to the Chinese in 1997, the search began for a suitable successor to the China Fleet Club, this time in the UK. The new China Fleet Country Club was formally opened by The Prince of Wales on December 5, 1991 along with the golf course. On November 30, 1992, the Hong Kong China Fleet Club closed its doors for the last time ready for the Chinese to take over Hong Kong.
The golf
Par 72, 6,551 yards
The course at China Fleet is the handiwork of Martin Hawtree. Over the opening exchanges you play up and down close to the Tamar estuary, often with room to manoeuvre. The 5th is then a cracking par 3 played across a valleyed inlet christened Skinham Creek, while the 7th is a short par 3 played over a wider valley to a surprisingly large green.
The short par-4 10th may be eminently gettable in certain winds, but the long, tough 11th is anything but, demanding a pinpoint approach from long range between trees and up to a raised green. The middle of the back nine is packed with interest from the long double-dogleg par-5 13th to the gorgeous downhill par-3 15th and the scarily tight drive on the par-4 16th between a lake on the left and the entrance drive on the right. I imagine many will have played it as a three-shotter with a good medal card going!
The accommodation
The country club at China Fleet lies just 15 minutes from Plymouth city centre and is set in 180 acres of beautiful countryside on the Tamar estuary at the point where Devon meets Cornwall. It offers a relaxed, informal, family-friendly feel, whether on the golf course, in the brasserie or lounge bar on in the leisure facilities. The self-catering four-star apartments are spacious and comfortable with plenty of light flooding in.
There is an excellent gym, a large swimming pool, complete with flume, a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing aqua spa and a range of seven racquet sports on offer, from tennis to squash, pickleball and much more. There’s also a Toptracer driving range where you can warm up and use the wealth of performance data to help refine your practice regime.
Best deal
At the time of publication in October 2024, golf breaks at China Fleet started from £109 per person per night based on two sharing, to include a stay in four-star apartment-style accommodation, as much golf as you would like to play, breakfast and full use of the pool and aqua spa.
