from Vietnam Golf Magazine
January 2016
Our journey into Cambodia was the first time most of us had crossed into Cambodia for a round of golf. Good fortune had allowed us to experience five quality courses over a four-day period (26-29 November).
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| Vietnam Golf Magazine January 2016 |
Flying with Cambodia Angkor Air we made our way from Hanoi to Phnom Penh with a short 20-minute stop in Vientiane. Once in Phnom Penh we were met by Mr. Tamai Tsuguhisa, who would serve as our guide throughout the time in Cambodia. (Mr Tamai is the Branch Office Manager for Southern Breeze Travel and Tourism).
After customs and immigration in Phnom Penh, we were shuttled straight from the airport to our scheduled dinner at the Hua Ham Restaurant and then across to the Pacific Hotel where we would spend the next two nights.
Early on Thursday morning, we made our way to the Garden City Golf Club for our 8am tee time. The club opened to the public in April 2013 with a vision of being the best international standard golf course in Cambodia.
Garden City’s signature hole is the sixth, a long 439 yard par-4 with water entire left side of the fairway, with another lake on the right in front of the green. Accuracy and distance are required to get par on this hole.
Perhaps one of the more challenging holes on the course was the ninth, a long 444 yard par-4. One of the hole’s unique aspects is a blind lake on the right side of the fairway which makes it difficult for most golfers to reach the green in regulation.
After the round we returned to the Pacific Hotel for a few hours and prepared for our “Dinner Cruise on the River”. Boarding in Sisowath Quay, the 2.5 hour tour took us along the Tongle Sap river to its junction with the Mekong river. Along the way we enjoyed cocktails and dining along with a wonderful evening view of the Phnom Penh riverside.
Our Friday morning round was at the Royal Cambodia Phnom Penh Golf Club. Though rather flat, this international standard 18-hole golf course provided a good challenge due to it’s numerous bunkers and water hazards.
Laid-out amongst rice paddies and coconut palms, the designers ensured that each hole at Royal Cambodia Phnom Penh GC is unique, which made us “first time players” rely more on the exceptional caddies assigned to us.
With a late afternoon flight scheduled to Siem Reap, we had a quick lunch before heading to airport. Flying with Angkor Air on an ATR 72, the domestic flight took a total 45-minutes.
On arrival in Siem Reap, we had a quick dinner at Neary Khmer Restaurant and over to the Ta Phrom Hotel where we would stay for two nights.
Saturday was another early morning, with an 8am round on the world renowned Angkor Golf Resort. Stepping out of the shuttle, we were warmly greeted David Baron (Director of Golf), his staff and dozens of their friendly, smiling caddies.
Designed by UK’s legendary Nick Faldo, Angkor Golf Resort is the premier golf course in Cambodia and one of the best in Asia. The par 72, 7279 yard championship course is a good test for all golfers and requires strategic play on every hole.
The final 3 holes are perhaps the most challenging at Angkor. The par-5 sixteenth is a long 588 that is likely not reachable in two shots for most players. The angle of the green together with the water on the left of the hole pose a real challenge for those wishing to get their approach shots close.
The seventeenth is the longest par-3 on the course and plays to a green guarded by water on the right. The hole requires a very well hit accurate tee shot, particularly when the pin placement is in the back of the green.
The 440 yard par-4 eighteenth is one of the best finishing holes in the region. The hole is a slight dogleg to the left with water along the left side, affecting both the tee shot and the approach.
In the afternoon, we stopped at the Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club for a view of the course. Mr. Kim Bong Ok (Director) and Ms. Eng Salao (Marketing Manager) met us on our arrival and arranged several carts for our course tour. The layout features generous palm lined fairways and makes good use of the native surroundings. There are meandering creeks crossing several of holes along with excellent greenside bunkering.
Sunday marked our final day in Cambodia. We departed the hotel at 6:15am for an early tee time at Phokeethra Country Club. The facility is Cambodia’s first international standard golf course, and offers guests the best of modern golfing while also maintaining a refined ambiance of an exclusive country club.
Upon arrival we were greeted by Mr. Robert Turvey, Golf Operations Director, his golf-management staff and caddies. Making our way through the clubhouse and onto the first tee, I was surprised by the high-level of service we received.
Phokeethra’s challenging layout features water on all but one hole, but perhaps the most unique and challenging hole is the closing eighteenth. This lengthy par-5 requires two shots to carry water, with the final shot into an island green. For almost all golfers it requires a three-shot minimum into the green.
After the round we made a visit to the infamous UNESCO Angkor Archaeological Park, containing the magnificent remains of both the Temple of Angkor Wat and the Bayon Temple. Covering more than 400 km2, including forested area, the remains date back to the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, ranging from the 9th to the 15th century.
Following the Angkor tour, the group returned to Siem Reap International Airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City on Angkor Air. We’d like to thank Mr. Tamai Tsuguhisa at Southern Breeze Travel and Tourism for arranging this tour and for helping it flow along smoothly.
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