|
|
| |
|
|
| A slight dogleg to the right. The
left side of the lake comes into play for the tee shot and the right side of the
lake is in play for the second shot. The third shot is difficult as well. |
| |
| |
| A good
par 4 that looks like a big lake surrounding the green and the fairway. The view
from the elevated tee is super. |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| A straight par 4 that is separated
by trees. The shapes around the green are pretty. |
|
| |
| A gentle
downhill, dogleg to the right. A long hitter can reach the green in 2, but the
key to success is how to manage the pond in front of the green. There is also
a hazard behind the green, guarded at the back by borders which have the South
China Sea as a backdrop. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| A sharp dogleg to the left, an excellent
par 4. You do not need to drive more than 250 yards. The second shot is sharply
downhill with the green 14 meters (50 ft.) lower. The green is 50 yards deep with
he ocean in the immediate background. This hole was awarded 2nd place by Asian
Golf Monthly’s 2002 Best Par 4 in Asia (excluding Japan). |
|
| |
| A signature
hole over a sea inlet. The double-tiered green is deep and it features a bunker
to the left. The left of the bunker rocks cascade down to the sea. Because it
is very beautiful, the view will take away your breath. This hole is awarded 4th
place by Asian Golf Monthly 2002 Best Par 3 in Asia (excluding Japan). |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| A dogleg to the left with the seashore
on the left of the hole. The big and deep fairway bunkers are well positioned.
|
|
| |
| A long
par 5, slightly uphill. The fairway becomes narrower as it gets closer to the
green, so it is difficult. |
| |
|
|
| |
| A straight long hole. It features
the undulation fairway. |
| |
|
|
| A neat par 3. The bunkers guard the
wide green well. |
| |
|
|
| A long par 4 which it is not reachable
in 2 unless you are a truly long hitter. The hazards on the left side of the fairway & green come into play for the second and third shots as the fairway becomes
tighter. It offers a magnificent view of the clubhouse from the tee. |
| |
| |
| The
9-hole Forest Course is relatively short compared to the first 18 holes but it
plays away from the sea and is as equally interesting a golf challenge as its
seaside sister. The course is built in a good location in the forest. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| It takes 45 minutes from Singapore
to Bintan by ferry. The club has a Club Med and it takes 5 minutes by car from
the Club Med where I stayed. The rooms in the Club Med are just an average but
I was happy to have delicious buffet lunches and dinners with free wines &
beer everyday. Also it was pleasant to see the staff shows held every night. I
was able to see the course from the ocean side by using kayak after a 20-minute
ride from the Club Med beach. The course and Bintan Lagoon Resort – Jack Nicklaus
Course (25-minute kayak paddling) adjoin each other. While paying, I ran across
an iguana stalking the fairway. I t was my first time to see one except for in
a zoo. The US Golf Magazine
used to nominate this course as one of the 100 top courses in the world. (I am
not sure that the course was actually one of the top 100 courses). Now, of 2003’s
100 top courses in the world, three courses chosen from Asia are all in Japan.
The 35th is Hirono GC, the 75th is Naruo GC, and the 80th is Kawana GC – Fuji
Course. Gary Player has designed 200 courses around the world, about 30
of them in Asia. There are Kai
Sai Chau Public GC - North Course in Hong Kong, Manna CC in Japan, and Sand
River (深圳砂河) GC, Zhaoqing (肇慶) R&GC
in China, Puerto Azul B&CC, Orchard G&CC - Player Course in the Philippines
and Sriracha GC in Thailand.
|
| |
The course seen from teh sea