Set out across reclaimed land on Chongming Island in the estuary of the mighty Yangtze River, the two 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed layouts at Lanhai International Country Club (named Links and Forest) were first unveiled within twelve months of one another, starting in August of 2011.

Shortly after the Links course hosted its third edition of the Lanhai Open on the PGA Tour China professional circuit in 2016, new club owners decided to completely renovate the course and rebrand it as Yangtze Dunes. Eight kilometers of cart paths were removed, eighteen new sets of tees installed and several holes re-routed as part of the process to reduce the walking distances between holes. Blow-out bunkers and sandy waste areas were also introduced to enhance the link credentials of the course.