Mission Hills Blackstone: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The Brian Curley course routed across black lava rock on Hainan has spent 2025 and 2026 under the DP World Tour spotlight as host of the Hainan Classic. Here is where Blackstone stands in 2026, how access works, and how to play it.
Photo via Google.
The news: a tour stage on the lava rock
The Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Haikou opened in 2010 as the flagship of a vast complex on Hainan Island, a Brian Curley design of roughly 7,800 yards and par 73 that was blasted and shaped out of fields of black volcanic lava rock. It made an impression from the start, but for 2026 the headline is that the course has become a regular fixture on the global golf calendar.
Blackstone now hosts the Hainan Classic on the DP World Tour. England's Marco Penge won the inaugural edition in April 2025, and the 2026 Classic was played in March, with the resort using its Vintage Course alongside Blackstone over the first two rounds for the first time. That tour exposure has lifted the course's profile sharply with travelling golfers, and it is the single best reason to put Hainan on a 2026 itinerary.
The course, and the Haikou complex around it
Blackstone does not stand alone. Mission Hills Haikou is one of the largest golf complexes on earth, and Blackstone sits at the centre of it as the course every visitor wants to play. Its character comes from the volcanic ground it is built on: dark lava rock walls frame the fairways, the bunkering is dramatic, and the contrast between black stone, white sand and green turf gives the course a look found nowhere else in golf.
The smart way to understand Hainan is as a resort destination rather than a single round. Blackstone pairs naturally with the other Haikou layouts and with the wider Mission Hills group, and a stay lets you play more than once and see how the course changes with the trade wind. The full detail sits on our Mission Hills Blackstone course page, with its stablemate covered on the Mission Hills Olazabal page.
How to play it in 2026
Blackstone is a resort access course and welcomes visitors and resort guests, with tee times booked in advance through Mission Hills Haikou. A caddie is included with every round in the Mission Hills format, which suits first time visitors finding their way around an unfamiliar and demanding layout. Carts are widely used given the scale of the property and the heat, so plan your round to the conditions.
The sensible 2026 trip stays onsite, plays Blackstone at least once, and adds the neighbouring courses over a few days. Green fees here move with season, package and resort guest status, and Hainan rates have shifted in recent seasons, so treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking. For the wider picture see our China green fee trends for 2026 and the guide to the best time to play China.
Our take
Our take is that Blackstone is the most compelling reason to make the long trip to Hainan. It is a genuine modern original, a course whose setting on the lava fields you will not see anywhere else, and the arrival of the Hainan Classic confirms it can stand up to a strong professional field. For the resort golfer it offers spectacle and a real test in equal measure.
For 2026 the advice is to give Hainan several days, base yourself at Mission Hills Haikou to unlock the easiest access and the best rates, and build the trip around Blackstone with the other courses filling out the schedule. It sits comfortably among the headline resorts in our roundup of the best golf resorts in Asia and the best luxury golf resorts in Asia.
Plan your Hainan and China golf trip
From Blackstone and the Mission Hills Haikou courses to a wider China itinerary, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, working the right channels, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed the Blackstone Course and when did it open?
The Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Haikou was designed by Brian Curley of Schmidt Curley and opened in 2010 as the flagship of the Haikou complex on Hainan Island. It is a par 73 of roughly 7,800 yards from the back tees, routed across fields of black volcanic lava rock.
Can visitors play Blackstone, and how do you book?
Yes. Blackstone is a resort access course at Mission Hills Haikou and welcomes visitors and resort guests, with tee times booked in advance through the resort. A caddie is included with every round in the Mission Hills format, and the smart play is to stay onsite and combine Blackstone with the other Haikou courses.
What is the news at Blackstone for 2026?
Blackstone now hosts the Hainan Classic on the DP World Tour. England's Marco Penge won the inaugural edition in April 2025, and the 2026 Classic was played in March 2026, with the Vintage Course used alongside Blackstone over the first two rounds for the first time. The tour spotlight has lifted the course's profile with travelling golfers.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, tournament history and access verified June 2026 from club, tour and golf travel sources; conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.