FEATURE | CLUBHOUSES
THE BEST 19TH HOLES WHAT MAKES THE PERFECT CLUBHOUSE? PAUL MYERS SELECTS HIS FAVOURITES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
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hat does a clubhouse tell you about a golf course? A lot? Something? Or not much at all? There are probably as many views on this question as there are clubs in a golf bag. But I would argue strongly for the former; in fact, not just “a lot”, but everything. Why? Well, a clubhouse is – or at least should be – the heart and soul of every golf club. What you see there – at the bag drop-off, entrance, reception, locker rooms, restaurant and pro shop is invariably reflected on the course itself. I liken it to the old computer terminology, WYSYWG – What You See is What You Get. Every time I arrive at a course, especially one I haven’t played before, I apply the WYSWYG test in the clubhouse. And 90 per cent of the time those impressions gained off the course remain after the game is over. If you take a tour of golf courses in Thailand and Vietnam as an example, you’ll find the best courses invariably have the best clubhouses. The clubhouse is, after all,
Thai Treat: the wonderful waterfront clubhouse at Thai Country Club in Bangkok 74
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a reflection of each owner’s commitment to the whole golf experience. If he or she is prepared to spend money on the clubhouse, they’re almost always equally prepared to spend it on greens, fairways, gardens and general maintenance. The same cannot always be said of courses in China. Mainland clubhouses are almost invariably vast and grandiose – and many resemble shopping malls such is their reliance on retail sales to drive income. One gets the impression that at many, course maintenance comes rather lower down the order of importance. Last year, two of Thailand’s better known courses received awards for the quality of their clubhouses HK GOLFER・SEP 2013
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BEST OF THE REST Elsewhere in Thailand and Vietnam, other outstanding courses with great clubhouses include: Black Mountain, Hua Hin. It’s perhaps not surprising that one of the topranked courses in Thailand would also have one of the best clubhouses where you can eat, drink and enjoy the course views from an open bar, restaurant and relaxation area. Riverdale, Bangkok. This relatively new course in Bangkok rates as one of the best public facilities in the city. Its low-slung clubhouse provides commanding views over the course.
Clockwise from above: the award-winning clubhouse at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin; the “birdwing” 19th at Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course; Montgomerie Links’ modern clubhouse sits at the club’s highest point; Danang Golf Club at night; the revitalized coffee shop at Kau Sai Chau 76
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– Banyan Golf Club near Hua Hin was judged to important visitors can relax and enjoy themselves. have the best 19th hole in Asia-Pacific, with Thai Trip Advisor lists Banyan as the number one tourist Country Club in Bangkok coming in a close second. attraction in Hua Hin. A lot of people come out for Are these the two best courses in the region? That’s food and beverage and for the total experience.” a subjective question. Certainly, they’re A large L-shaped outdoor/ right up there in the top echelon. indoor bar restaurant area In Thailand and provides wonderful views What I like about the clubhouses at these two courses, and many others, is over the course to the Vietnam you’ll that they almost demand you stay and Burmese Mountains, and set find the best soak up the atmosphere rather than in another pod, Mulligan’s is courses invariably an Irish bar with direct access simply arrive, play golf and leave. Surely this is an important formula for success from the course itself. As have the best for both private and pay-for-play clubs? modern and appealing as clubhouses After all, the aim must be to encourage Banyan is with its distinctive people to stay longer, to spend money Thai-ness, Thai Countr y in the clubhouse and therefore enhance the Club’s fortress-like terracotta clubhouse, partly business’s financial viability. surrounded by water, is different altogether. Banyan Golf Club’s traditional Thai-style Catering mainly for members, the Peninsula Hotelclubhouse is striking from all angles. You don't owned property is meticulously maintained, with quite get the sense of its architecture at the a distinctive “club” feel. Here, in the men’s locker entrance, but from the course and at the front of room, Tiger Woods has his name on the No 1 the building there’s no mistaking you’re in a Thai locker in recognition of his win in the 1997 Asian clubhouse in Thailand. Set in several linked “pods”, Honda Classic, the first tournament held at the Bangkok-based architect Smith Abayawat created facility. If food is your fancy, Thai CC’s buffet is hard a design that the club’s general manager, Stacey to beat, while service and attention is what you Walton, says will never age. would expect in a top hotel. With modern Asian“The design gives visitors a true Thai golf, influenced furnishings, comfortable lounge areas leisure and dining experience,” he says. “Banyan and an outdoor patio overlooking the course, this is a resort course, not a members’ facility, so it’s is a clubhouse experience of the highest quality. HKGOLFER.COM
Siam Country Club, Pattaya. The “birdwing” clubhouse at the Plantation Course, one of two layouts at this highly rated Pattaya club, is one of the most striking in Asia. Danang Golf Club, Vietnam. Another modern clubhouse that interacts seamlessly with the superb Greg Norman-designed course. The open restaurant at the front of the building is the perfect place to relax after a game. Montgomerie Links, Vietnam. Also a modern design, the clubhouse is set on a high point a few hundred metres from the entrance to the property, ensuring great views over the layout. A café/restaurant at the front provides excellent interaction with the course.
OUT WITH THE OLD Obviously we’re biased but we believe Hong Kong has arguably the finest collection of clubhouses of any major city in Asia. The Hong Kong Golf Club boasts two wonderful colonial-era establishments that breathe history, while Shek O Country Club’s terrace overlooking the Tathong Channel has become a favourite venue for enjoying a few post-round libations. First-time visitors to the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club are simply in awe of the views and top-notch locker rooms, and Discovery Bay Golf Club impresses with its comfortable patio and extensive menu. The Thai-inspired 19th hole at SkyCity Nine Eagles, meanwhile, serves up a spectacular array of Southeast Asian delicacies. Kau Sai Chau’s clubhouse has always been functional as opposed to glamorous – which as a highly utilized public facility is absolutely right – but ongoing renovations to the main building have transformed the preand post-round experience here. Locker rooms have been modernized, the golf shop is undergoing a thorough overhaul and the main coffee shop / restaurant has been smartened up significantly. It’s no exaggeration to say that, once complete, the clubhouse will match the island’s three outstanding courses in terms of quality. –Alex Jenkins
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