GOLF TRAVEL
Broadening Horizons These five destinations might not be synonymous with golf in the same vein as Bangkok, Hainan and Kunming, but they offer alternative and no less appealing landscapes in which to play, writes Alex Jenkins
A Player’s Guide
Qingdao Northern Delights
James Liu/Tiger Beach Golf Links
Home to Tsingtao, China's biggest and most successful brewery, this former German concession in the northern province of Shandong hosted the sailing events during the Beijing Olympics – but it's golf that we're interested in and this place comes up trumps, except perhaps during winter when the temperature drops significantly and the chance of snow is very real.
Sand and Sea: The par-4 seventh hole at Tiger Beach Golf Links near Qingdao, one of Asia's most unique courses 44
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next door to Danang Golf Club. Incorporating numerous water hazards and large, modernstyle bunkering, it would be stretching the truth to suggest this was a links in the true sense of the word, but it's certainly a high quality track, one which features firm fairways and large, wellmaintained putting surface. Despite occupying very similar land, the Dunes and Montgomerie Links are very different courses but they complement each other and it is this balance that makes Danang such a fine destination. The only real caveat to the place is getting there. There has been talk of reinstating a direct flight to Danang from Hong Kong but this has yet to materialise. It's a shame because although transiting in either Ho Chi Minh City of Hanoi is straightforward enough, Danang, with its fine hotels, top-rate beaches, growing bar and restaurant scene and great golf, would only be a 90-minute flight away, as opposed to the four hours it currently takes to get there.
The most famous course in the area – and one of the most unique in Asia – is Tiger Beach Golf Links (tigerbeach.com), an hour and a half's drive north of the city. China's purest links course, this seaside layout is the work of Beta Soong, Tiger Beach's millionaire owner who also owns the highly respected Silport Club to the west of Shanghai, who was inspired to recreate the type of courses he enjoyed on several trips to Scotland. The results are astonishing. Built in 2000 on sandy soil and facing the full force of the Yellow Sea and its brutish winds, the course, with its pot bunkers and kneehigh fescue rough looks – and plays – like the real deal. There's even a replica of the Swilcan Bridge at the par-5 fourth and goats can be seen grazing in the rough. Memorable doesn't even begin to describe it. Because of its proximity to the Korean peninsula (Seoul is only an hour's f light away), Qingdao has a large Korean expatriate community, the majority of who like nothing more than to tee it up. As a result, a number of new courses have sprung up in recent times. The best of these is Shi Lao Ren Golf Club (sodogolf.com), an immaculately presented modern-style track on the water's edge just 20 minutes from town. James Liu/Tiger Beach Golf Links
Getting there: Dragonair (dragonair.com) flies direct to Qingdao daily (Flying time: 3 hours, 10 minutes). Where to stay: Five-star offerings at the Shangri-La (shangri-la.com) and InterContinental (ihg.com), while Tiger Beach Golf Links has 22 basic rooms on-site. Need to know: Qingdao International Beer Festival takes place between 11-16 August, 2012 46
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Danang Seaside Specials
The central Vietnamese coast is booming, with hotels, resorts and, latterly, golf courses all going up at – for Vietnam, at least – unprecedented pace. Danang is the hub of this new development and it is here, just 15 minutes from the airport and within easy reach of ancient Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where you'll find the fabulous Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club (danangolfclub.com). Designed by Australian Harley Kruse during his employment with Greg Norman's architect ural business, t he Dunes is an intriguing – and wonderful – cross between a pure links and sandbelt course. Rampaging through sand hills and surrounded on all sides by sparsely vegetated scrubland, this is as natural a course as you're ever likely to play in Asia; ignore the Indochina War-era pillbox next to the 17th tee on the edge of famed China Beach, and you could forgive yourself for thinking you were playing Kingston Heath or one of the other great Melbourne courses. Make no mistake, the Dunes is a thrilling course – but one that is very playable by almost all level of golfer. Lost balls are a rarity; low scoring, on the other hand, is confined to those who can avoid the magnificent fairway and greenside bunkering while at the same time mastering the slopes on the contoured greens. Colin Montgomerie has put his name to a number of courses in Asia but the best of the bunch is the Montgomerie Links Vietnam (montgomerielinks.com), which is located right HKGOLFER.COM
Getting there: There are no direct flights between Hong Kong and Danang at present, so a transit in either Ho Chi Minh City (Flying time: 2 hours) or Hanoi (1 hour, 45 minutes) is required. Vietnam Airlines (vietnamairlines.com) operates numerous daily flights to Danang from both cities (1 hour). Where to stay: Just 10 minutes from both courses
lies the stunning all-villa Nam Hai (thenamhai. com), arguably Vietnam's finest resort hotel. Another sophisticated option is the hip Fusion Maia Resort (fusionmaiadanang.com), which boasts one of the most talked about spas in the country. Need to know: Most nationalities require a visa to enter Vietnam. Danang is one of three airports – the others being Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – that process visas on arrival for certain nationalities. Visit vietnamconsulate-hongkong.org for more information.
Manila Capital Crackers
It seems ridiculous to suggest that the capital of the Philippines is an undiscovered destination for the travelling golfer, but it's certainly true that Manila doesn't rank high on the list of places that many would consider going with the sole intention of teeing it up. Quite why this is is difficult to gauge but it's fair to say that unlike, say, Thailand, the Philippines hasn't exactly been proactive in terms of marketing its golfing venues, of which there are many. This is a shame because Manila could well have the finest selection of courses of any capital city in southeast Asia. Golf is not new to the country. The game is thought to have been played here as early as the
Tom Harack/Mandarin Media
Surprises in Store: Tiger Beach's replica Swilcan Bridge (this page) makes an appearance at the par-5 fourth hole; the 18th at Danang Golf Club (right) provides a wonderful finish to a quite stunning finish
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centrepiece of a residential community, although sensibly the houses are set well back from the fairways and are seldom in view. Deep arroyos and a number of man-made lakes are the main obstacles to avoid at this agreeable members' club. There are at least another eight or so clubs in the Manila environs that are worth a visit – including the wonderfully scenic Mount Malarayat Golf & Country Club near Lipa City – but we'll end this whirlwind tour at Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club and its two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses. The pick of these, the Masters Course, has twice been voted by Asian Tour professionals as "venue of the year" and is a gloriously manicured layout that places an emphasis on strategy. Getting there: Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific. com) and Philippine Airlines (philippineairlines. com) operate numerous direct flights between Hong Kong and Manila per day (Flight time: 2 hours). Where to stay: The Peninsula (peninsula. com) and Shangri-La (shangri-la.com) are two excellent options in Makati. Need to know: Many private clubs in Manila require visitors to show a valid proof of handicap upon registration.
Siem Reap Temples and Tees
Alex Jenkins
There can be few places that rival Siem Reap for combining high-quality golf with highquality sightseeing. The incredible temples of Angkor are of course Siem Reap's main attraction – and the number one reason why foreigners visit Cambodia – but the town's two courses themselves are well worth the trip alone. The first course to have been built here, the Sofitel-managed Phokeethra Country Club (phokeethragolf.com), which opened for play in 2007, has hosted the Cambodian Open, an Asian Tour event, on two occasions and is a fun place to play. As is typical with most resort courses, Phokeethra isn't a monstrously difficult test, but with water featuring on all but one of the holes there's enough trouble here to keep things interesting. Course conditioning and on and off-course service is first-rate, as are the resort's practice facilities. Phokeethra is also one of the few courses in the world that is itself home to a significant archaeological find. Within its grounds stands a magnificent 11th century Khmer Empire 'Roluh' bridge. The bridge, which was renovated by Phokeethra, has now been declared a UNESCO preservation site 48
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and its image is used as the club's logo. A stronger challenge – and one of the finest courses to have opened in southeast Asia in recent years – awaits at the Nick Faldo-designed Angkor Golf Resort (angkor-golf.com), which is conveniently situated just five kilometres from Siem Reap's airport. Like Phokeethra, this is a low-lying site but the six-time major champion and his design team have sculpted a riveting and scenic test, one that is splendidly bunkered. Wallto-wall paspalum grass provide fabulous playing surfaces, while the water-laced par-4 18th provides a fitting conclusion to an undeniably good golf course. Getting there: There are no direct flights between Hong Kong and Siem Reap; the favoured option is to transit in Bangkok and connect with one of five daily Bangkok Airways (bangkokair.com) flights (Flying time: 1 hour). Another option is to fly with Vietnam Airlines (vietnamairlines. com) via either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Where to stay: Siem Reap is not short of luxury retreats: award winners include the 107-room Hotel de la Paix (hoteldelapaixangkor.com) and La Residence d'Angkor (www.residenceangkor.com). The FCC Angkor (fcccambodia.com) is another excellent option and offers stay and play packages.
Richard Castka/Sportpixgolf.com
Modern Marvels: Sherwood Hills (below), to the south of Manila, is one of the best Jack Nicklaus-designed courses in Asia; Sir Nick Faldo has produced a high quality and highly enjoyable track (right) near the temples of Angkor in Cambodia
late 1800s and the Philippine Open is the oldest national championship in the region, having started life in 1913. Filipinos are some of the most knowledgeable golfers around, and while many of the top courses – most of which are located off the South Luzon Expressway, within an hour's drive of the main business district of Makati – are private, a friendly email in advance of your trip explaining your purpose will more often than not result in a confirmed tee time. A personal favourite is Sherwood Hills Golf Club (+63 46 419 0578), an inland links-style track that thunders across pleasingly undulating terrain. The work of Jack Nicklaus's design company, Sherwood Hills is far more rugged in nature than the vast majority of Nicklaus courses and a tough test: impenetrable cogon grass and ravines often flank the generally wide fairways, making this a course the really wayward would do well to avoid. Sherwood finishes with two fabulous par-4s, the second of which leads you back to the splendid hacienda-like clubhouse. Stellar conditioning, beautiful landscaping and 27 holes of well thought out golf await at Sta Elena Golf Club (staelena.com). Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the course is built over a former sugar plantation and forms the
Need to know: The Khmer New Year holiday takes place between 13-16 April, 2012.
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Sri Lanka Old School
Island Living: Victoria Golf and Country Club (above) is the best course in Sri Lanka; tradition abounds at Royal Colombo Golf Club (below)
With only four courses in the entire country, Sri Lanka is not exactly a fully-fledged golfing destination. But the journey from the capital Colombo to Victoria Golf and Country Club, the island's finest track, in the central hill country is among the most adventurous anywhere. In the old days, your transport options for getting to the spectacular Donald Steeldesigned course were limited to two rather
unappealing choices: a six-hour ride on a cramped, non aircond it ioned t ra i n or a five-hour drive up a windy – a nd at times, terrifying – m o u nt a i n r o a d by car. Now, thank goodness, you can fly: the Sri Lankan Air Taxi service from Colombo to Victoria is incredibly scenic, and the landing – wh ich ta kes place on an adjacent Victoria reservoir – is especially thrilling for those who seldom travel by seaplane. The flight itself takes on ly 4 0 m i nute s , making it possible to be standing on the f irst tee within an hour of landing in the country. W h i le Vic tor ia , a mou nt a i nou s a nd wonderfully picturesque course perched on the edge of the aforementioned reservoir, is undoubtedly the class of the island, lovers of colonial-era clubs will get a thrill at both Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (negolf.lk), situated at a height of some 6,000 feet above sea level in the former British hill station of the same name, and the venerable Royal Colombo Golf Club (rcgcsl.com), in the heart of the capital. Both courses can at times be a little scruffy around the edges but that's hardly the point: these are two of the most traditional clubs in Asia, something that is weirdly refreshingly in a continent where the vast majority of courses are less than 20 years old. Getting there: Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) operates a daily flight to Colombo (with a stop in Bangkok), while Sri Lankan Airlines (srilankan.lk) flies three times a week (also stopping in Bangkok). Where to stay: The Earl's Regency (earlsregencykandy.com) in Kandy is a good choice and only 40 minutes by car from Victoria Golf and Country Club; for golfers visiting Nurawa Eliya the obvious place to stay is the St Andrew's Hotel (jetwinghotels.com), which radiates old world charm; CASA Colombo (casacolombo.com), right in the middle of the capital and less than 15 minutes from Royal Colombo, is a relatively new boutique hotel offering and highly recommended.
Alex Jenkins
Need to know: Be aware that Poya (the day of a full moon) is a public holiday and some courses will not be fully staffed. Bars are also closed (including those in clubhouses) during Poya and the drinking of alcohol is restricted to private areas.
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