GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
An aerial view of the luxurious Empire Hotel and its Jack Nicklausdesigned course
The
Sultanate Courtesy of the Empire Hotel
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Swing HKGOLFER.COM
Expansive bunkering awaits at the Empire
Brunei might not be everyone’s first choice for a trip with clubs in tow. But if you’re looking for laid-back experience on firstrate courses, this tiny nation, a short flight from Hong Kong, certainly merits attention, writes Duncan Forgan.
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old Dire Straits chestnut, “Sultans of Swing”? After all, the only reason my game was in any kind of shape was due to the number of lucky assists I had been getting from compliant jungle branches. Or so I though until I enquired as to his reasoning. “People used to say that the monkeys on this course had been trained to help the Sultan [of Brunei],” he explained. “Whenever he hit a shot into the jungle, they would catch the ball and throw it out. Perhaps they think you are him!” While that theory might be debatable, there’s no disputing the appeal of a largely uncharted golfing frontier that combines stunning scenery and flawless hospitality with cannily designed courses that never fail to provide an enjoyable experience. Even for those unable to count on simian assistance. South East Asia has long been a favoured destination for discerning and budget-conscious golfers. Thailand and peninsular Malaysia are both overflowing with top-quality tracks and Cambodia and Vietnam are also seeing increasing amounts of traffic. Brunei’s courses, however, still lie tantalizingly off the beaten track. Wedged between the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo, the third largest island in the world, Brunei’s popular image is one of cash-rich monarchs, glittering goldHK GOLFER・JAN 2015
Courtesy of the Empire Hotel
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h e p o s s e s sio n o f a g o o d nick na me may not be prerequ isite for gol f i ng immortality, but it certainly helps to build up an aura. Jack Nicklaus, of course, was known as “The Golden Bear” during his three decadelong prowl for championships and most other greats have had a catchy label foisted upon them at some time or another. Arnold Palmer was “The King”, Ben Hogan “The Hawk” and “The Ice Man”, while Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, Ernie “The Big Easy” Els and Phil “Lefty” Mickelson have been among the game’s preeminent figures in recent times. Unlike t hese luminaries I have never previously had an alter ego during a long and not particularly illustrious career – apart, perhaps, from when the name “Psycho” stuck after a temper tantrum in a pot-bunker at North Berwick’s 16th hole. So I was more than a little suspicious when my playing partner, Phua, started calling me “Sultan” midway through our round at the fabulous Ronald Fream-designed course at Royal Brunei Golf and Country Club. I hadn’t been playing badly, but neither had my shot making been good enough to stand any kind of regal comparison. Perhaps he was cleverly forming a golfing analogy along the lines of that
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Courtesy of Golfplan (Royal Brunei); Courtesy of the Empire Hotel (Empire)
domed mosques, strict prohibition of alcohol sales and … well, very little else. More learned travellers would perhaps refer to the tiny state’s hefty chunk of virgin rainforest. Golf, however, doesn’t normally get a look in. When I told friends I was visiting, their initial envy was replaced by incredulity when I mentioned that I was there to play a round. “Who goes to Brunei to play golf?” was the general consensus. I had to admit that I didn’t know. After playing four courses in the Sultanate, I not only now know the answer to that question – Koreans, lots of them. I can also attest to the sheer conviviality of the experience. Carved through vividly emerald jungle, the manicured fairways of Brunei’s courses are lined by impossibly brightly-coloured wildflowers and rough that merges into snake-infested undergrowth. Water hazards abound, with a number of layouts characterized by networks of muddy lagoons where resident crocodiles guard against any Van De Velde moments. There’s no such thing as a tropical links, of course, but the South China Sea makes an appearance at many of the courses – its aquamarine stillness going some of the way to soothing the pain of my many misguided shots. The golf on its own would be reason enough to visit. Factor in the legendary friendliness of the locals, the tremendous Malay cuisine and the sumptuous accommodation available at fivestar resorts like the Empire Hotel and you have a destination that could stake a fair claim to be one of the region’s most underrated golfing prizefighter. I kicked my whistle-stop tour off amidst the palatial surroundings of the Empire Hotel, which provided a regal retreat after some less than majestic golf. This marble-laden wonder was conceived by the Sultan’s disgraced playboy brother Prince Jefri, who was sent into exile by his sibling after misappropriating billions of dollars in his previous role as minister of finance. Regardless of his misjudgments, Jefri’s monument to excess is undoubtedly impressive, as is the Nicklaus-designed course, which is attached to the hotel. The layout is as testing as you would expect from a Nicklaus course. It has hosted the Brunei Senior Masters on the European Senior Tour on several occasions and the closing two holes, a spectacular dogleg to an elevated green and a snaking downhill finale, are fit to conclude any course. However for a truly unique Brunei experience, the Royal Brunei Country Club wins my vote as the top draw – the encroaching jungle imbuing each hole with a sense of splendid isolation. It’s just you and those balltampering monkeys. Brunei, it has to be said, is possibly not for everyone. Although the golf is very good, the 60
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off-course action could best be described as somnolent. Banter is also slightly limited on the course. Brunei operates under a tolerant, but strict, Islamic system. Therefore, there is no sale of alcohol and public consumption of booze is banned. Male golfers used to the attentions of young female caddies will also be disappointed. Those looking for a laid-back experience without the frenetic pace of other countries in the region will, however, find much to love. Although Brunei Golf and Country Club was my favourite, I prospered most at the Empire course where I produced a towering performance entirely out of keeping with my usual form. On the signature hole, the 15th, a 549-yard par-5 that stretches along the beach, I killed a 7-iron stone dead. “You’re never a 24-handicapper,” remarked my playing partner Dougie. First a Sultan, then a world-beater. ‘I could grow to like this place’, I thought.
From top: the Ronald Fream-designed Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club; the golf clubhouse at the Empire Hotel
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