TRAVEL | SRILANKAN AIRLINES GOLF CLASSIC
Golng
Eden
Feeling more than a little perturbed by the state of his game, Duncan Forgan travels to Asia’s Emerald Isle to participate in the popular SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic.
Alex Jenkins (Victoria and Royal Colombo)
The dramatic sixth hole at Victoria Golf and Country Resort near Kandy (above); Royal Colombo’s colonial-era clubhouse (opposite) is one of the most agreeable in South Asia Photo credit: Alex Jenkins (Victoria and Royal Colombo) 64
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alling like a droplet off the face of India, Sri Lanka’s otherworldly beauty has moved many visitors to tears down the centuries. Known to Arab traders as Serendib – fitting source material for the word ‘serendipity’ – and British colonists as Ceylon, the island nation, with its tropical bounty of paradise beaches, jungle clad mountains and tumbling waterfalls, is as visually stunning as any on earth. Like others before me, I am in thrall to the country’s jaw-dropping physical attributes. However, it is the reliably unkempt state of my golf game as much as the verdant mountain
scenery at Nuwara Eliya that is currently threatening to bring on the waterworks. Located at an altitude of 6,000 feet amidst the highest mountains in Sri Lanka, the course at Nuwara Eliya was built by a Scotsman way back in 1889 for the British servicemen and officials who used the town as a cool retreat from the sweltering lowlands in colonial times. This particular Caledonian interloper, however, is singularly failing to do justice to his golf-obsessed forefathers. “You need to slow your swing down,” says my aging caddie who is showing signs of being mortally offended by my crash-bang-wallop approach to the game even by HKGOLFER.COM
Like others before me, I am in thrall to the country’s jaw-dropping physical attributes. However, it is the reliably unkempt state of my golf game as much as the verdant mountain scenery at Nuwara Eliya that is currently threatening to bring on the waterworks. the second hole. What is doubly galling is that the ‘spotter’, a second veteran caddie deployed to keep track of errant shots whom I deemed an unnecessary luxury at the outset of the round, is currently one of the busiest men in town. The scattershot nature of my game is providing cause for consternation. At least, I console myself, I am stinking the place up in a thrillingly different golf destination. On the face of it Sri Lanka is not the most obvious place to bring your clubs. Currently there are only four courses, Nuwara Eliya, Royal Colombo, Victoria Golf and Country Resort near Kandy and the new Eagles’ Golf Links at Trincomalee. Meanwhile, the hilly topography of the island may make for some eye-catching vistas but it also contributes to some fairly tortuous journey-times. Nevertheless, the high standard of the four existing courses allied to the feeling that Sri Lanka’s time as a world class tourist destination has arrived serve to make a compelling case for the country. “Things are good here now,” confirms Sunil, my driver, the following day, as we make our way from Nuwara Eliya back down through a succession of venerable tea plantations towards the city of Kandy where I am to showcase my appalling game in the SriLankan Airlines HKGOLFER.COM
Golf Classic. Showing remarkable cool as he guides the car around a switchback corner, narrowly missing a three-wheeler making its way ponderously in the opposite direction, he continues: “We are at peace and we live in a land of plenty.” Looking around me at the cathedral of lush greenery in the mountains, it is not difficult to see why ordinary Sri Lankans like Sunil might have cause for an optimism that is not always easy to come by in the developing world. The vicious civil war that pitted Tamil separatists in the north and north-east against the country’s Buddhist Sinhalese majority for over thirty years is now over – ending in bloody but comprehensive victory for the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. With this newfound stability to fall back upon, Sri Lankans of all creeds can get on with the business of prospering in a near Edenic country blessed with abundant natural resources. Yet wh i le t he fo c u s of it s people i s undoubtedly on the future, visitors don’t have to mine too vigorously to catch a glimpse of the country’s fascinating past. That’s especially true of Nuwara Eliya, wh ich revels i n it s ‘preser ved-i n-a spic ’ colonial trappings. HK GOLFER・FEB 2014
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The golf course, which is spread-eagled around the town centre, is the most obvious manifestation of its time-warped persona. It is, however, far from a relic and holds its own as a modern test. There’s certainly a quirkiness about it. The proximity to public life necessitates several road crossings and more than a little confusion with non golf-savvy locals over ‘right of way’ privileges. Despite these eccentricities, it presents many compelling challenges. The tall trees and thick foliage that crowd the fairways make accuracy paramount, especially on rollercoaster holes such as the par-4 14th and the sixth, an epic par-5 that finishes up on a green measuring close to 10,000 square feet. The whiff of nostalgia is even stronger at the nearby Hill Club where I am spending the night. Founded even before the Golf Club in 1876, this former male-only bastion for gentlemen tea-planters takes pride in its anachronism. While females are admitted these days, a strict dress code still applies so I am resplendent in the requisite jacket and tie as I take my seat underneath a stuffed boar’s head in the dining room for my evening meal. The food, a resolutely old-school roast pork loin with roasted vegetables and thick gravy, isn’t wholly top notch, but the clubby ambience – check out the billiard room, the giant roaring hearth in the dining room, and threadbare red carpets direct from the 1920s -- make this a fascinating place to lay your head for a couple of nights. Next morning I begin the day the Sri Lankan way with a breakfast of curry mopped up with egg hoppers (bowl shaped pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk with a delicious runny egg deposited in the middle) before setting off back down the hill towards Kandy. Although it is the country’s second largest city, Kandy has the feel of an overgrown provincial town. Secret side roads transport you quickly from busy street markets bustling with three-wheelers and women sporting colourful saris to peaceful temple complexes shaded by giant coconut palms. Spiritual attractions like the Temple of the Sacred Tooth – Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – pull in the pilgrims but I am here to worship at the city’s alter of golf, the Victoria Golf and Country Resort, situated around a 40-minute drive out of town.
Like the course at Nuwara Eliya, the Donald Steel-designed layout here isn’t without its quirks. There are only 12 bunkers on the entire course for example. However, when it comes to stimulation and exhilarating beauty, the course is more otherworldly than eccentric. With the giant Victoria reservoir and the Knuckles mountain range providing the backdrop, the setting is immaculate. And so are many of the holes. The pick of the bunch is the 6th which is played from an elevated tee more than 100 feet above the fairway. Other highlights are myriad, but for me the pinnacle of the round was the par-5 15th. The sweeping grandeur of the hole which sweeps its way along the perimeter of the reservoir was reason enough to salute its merits. The fact that it yielded my only birdie in 54-holes of golf made it even more notable. While it is never a chore to be out on the course at a venue as enjoyable as this, the view from the terrace 19th hole makes a postround libation a must. Tomorrow I will head back to Colombo for one final round at the excellent Royal Colombo, which will turn out to be another fine test despite extensive repair work being carried out on its greens. For now, however, I’m content to observe a box-office sunset while beads form rivulets on an ice cold bottle of local Three Coins beer. This time, however, the tears are wholly welcome.
THE SRILANKAN AIRLINES GOLF CLASSIC Sri Lanka may still be in its infancy as a world-class golf destination but there’s no denying the support the Royal and Ancient game is getting from the country’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines.The airline has put its weight behind promoting the nation’s golf options, most visibly through its annual staging of the SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic, which has become one of the best-loved amateur events in south Asia.The 14th installment of the tournament took place at the stunning Victoria Golf and Country Resort in Digana, Kandy, from 23-27 October and proved to be another memorable outing for a brand that is attracting increased participation from golf lovers around the world.On this occasion, over 170 amateur golfers from 15 nations across the globe flew into Sri Lanka especially for the four-day event.This year’s tournament attracted golfers from the US, Australia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Malaysia, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, China, India, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Dubai, Pakistan and Italy. The international contingent was joined by over 50 Sri Lankan golfers, taking the total number of participants to around 220 players. The tournament was played on two consecutive days by each player and points were allocated for a player’s gross and net stableford scores over their two rounds. The overall winners of this year’s tournament were R Subramaniyam Sashi Humar of Malaysia who won in the men’s category with a score of 64 and Qin Ami who triumphed in the ladies’ category with a total of 50 points. “As the flag carrier, SriLankan Airlines has been actively promoting sports tourism to attract holiday-makers to the country,” said Sri Lankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena. “We are encouraged to enhance and make the Golf Classic grow, as it is drawing a lot of interest from golfers all over the world, who are always looking out for new challenging courses.”
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