American architect Cynthia Dye has won another new course deal in China. Dye and her firm have been appointed to design an eighteen hole course as part of the Guilin Sports, Tourism & Leisure Centre development in the city of Guilin in China’s far south.

Due to the recent government restrictions on golf course developments, the project's owner, real estate developer Guilin XinChang Investment Group, took its time and dedicated substantial resources toward selecting the architect to design its first golf course.

“The client hosted a very competitive selection process over a period of 18 months. I feel honoured to have my team and our conceptual master plan chosen from among the many first rate designers presented during the lengthy and detailed design charrette,” said Dye. During the design competition, Dye's new client visited and reviewed many existing golf courses in China and the United States in order to determine the architect that best matched its vision.

The development will include the golf course, an internationally flagged hotel and conference centre, a separate natural hot spring day spa and approximately 100 custom villas.

Distinguishing features of the resort community will be its setting within the interlaced Karst Mountains, a rare and distinctive geological feature that is a major attraction for tourism to the Guilin area. These features form a natural backdrop for the golf course which itself is routed through a series of natural springs that will serve the golf resort and spa facilities.

Dye said: “Of all the properties that I have walked in my lifetime, this is the most surreal setting. The interplay between the small mountains, refracted light in all directions and the natural water features has given a wonderful opportunity to create something special here.”

Under the central government's tourism plan, the project has been given approval to move forward. Golf construction is scheduled to begin in July.