CHINA The World, Tianjin

Phil Mickelson spent a lot of time in China last year, playing a little golf and tending to some high-visibility golf projects.

Mickelson hasn’t had a particularly successful design career in the United States –- he’s co-designed just one course, at Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, and his other commissions haven’t gotten off the drawing board -– but that hasn't stopped him from landing two jobs in China.

Both of the contracts were inked by Shining Star Investment Company, Ltd. (a.k.a. Xingyao Investment Company, Ltd.). Shining Star has hired Mickelson to put his name on an 18-hole golf course at its colossal World planned community in Tianjin, the sixth-largest city in the People’s Republic, and on a 45-hole project in Kunming, a rapidly emerging golf destination.

Mickelson has called the World the most impressive project he’s ever seen, and he may not simply be blowing smoke. The World (in Chinese, Xingyao Wuzhou) is a unique, futuristic “floating city” that spreads over more than 11,000 acres. It’s mostly water, with island-like land areas that are meant to resemble the earth’s continents.

The World could eventually become home to 70,000 or more people, and it seems destined to become a global tourist attraction. It’ll have all the essentials -– houses, hotels, shopping areas, eateries, a conference center -– as well as the world’s largest indoor ski area, the world’s largest indoor water park, and replicas of landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower.

The course at the World is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010. While not exactly a replica course, Mickelson has said that its design was inspired by great holes from courses around the world.

“When you go from one hole to another,” he told the Singapore Business Times late last year, “it looks like you’re on a totally different golf course.”

In Kunming, as part of a to-be-named project, Mickelson plans to co-design three courses: a championship-worthy track, a resort-style course, and an 18-hole, par-3 course for kids that will be part of a golf academy he’s designing with Rick Smith.

“We are looking at doing this at other areas throughout China, to help grow the game of golf,” he said in an interview that appeared at the PGA Tour's website.

Do you think it's really about the kids?

Mickelson is co-designing his Chinese courses with Joe Obringer, who's worked in China for several years and has a satellite office in Kunming. In his interview with the PGA Tour, Mickelson said that he and Obringer are “looking at doing some other projects” as well.