"For this week's tournament, I have made several adjustments to my swing. There is significant improvement in my short game," said the 16-year-old An, a Shenzhen University student who is 153rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

"I was at this course in February for the national junior team training. It's really challenging, with lots of up and downs, and the distance is quite long. I'll choose to be more aggressive this week."

With rain in the forecast for the first two days of the tournament, but due to turn to sunshine for Saturday's final round, what the field will find is a revamped Oak Forest course that was closed from April to July for extensive upgrades. The par-72, 6,611-yard mountain course created by Malaysian designer CJ Tan has undergone extensive sanding across the entire layout to improve the quality of the fairways, while the smoothness of the putting surface on the greens has been enhanced through soil conditioning and fertilization.

The golf club is just one of the many attractions that the Wanning Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports wants to promote to the world. The city, situated on the east coast of island province of Hainan, features spectacular beaches, world-class resorts and an abundance of tropical scenery in a rainforest setting, among others.

"Our goal is to bring people closer to nature to enjoy the beauty of Wanning through its gorgeous views, and feel the vibrant atmosphere created by Wanning Women's Golf Open," said the bureau's chief official. "Cultural activities can be, and should be, integrated with sporting events, especially for a professional tournament like the one we have this week. We hope our efforts will make more people want to explore the city of Wanning."