Asia's Emerald Isle

Victoria Golf & Country Resort ****

The respected British architect Donald Steel built Victoria at Digana, 15 miles east of Kandy, in 1999. Located on a former coconut plantation, the courses features fairly narrow fairways lined with giant palms. At over 1,500 feet above sea level, the course offers fantastic views of the Mahawelli River and the Victoria Reservoir.

Measuring 6,945 yards from the back tees and playing to a par of 73, the course is quite a test with some severe undulations making accurate clubbing a must. Although only 14 years old, the course has settled in well – perhaps a little too well in places; the sheer growth of vegetation has found its way into many of the playing corridors and, as a result, this otherwise splendid course would benefit significantly from some thoughtful pruning.

Signature hole status at Victoria has been given to the par-4 sixth. At 473 yards on the card the hole looks a beast, but fortunately the tee stands some 45 yards above the fairway and thereby reducing its playing yardage. The drive must finish short of a water ditch and then your approach must avoid a large Mara tree and a long bunker guarding the green.

My personal favourite, though, is the 12th, a mid-length par-3 whose plateau-like green is beautifully framed by mountains, dense jungle and a sprawling Mara.

Victoria, a fully fledged resort with a range of accommodations on offer, will play host to the 14th SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic, an amateur tournament open to golfers from around the region, from 23-27 October.

In the old days, your transport options for getting to this remote if spectacular club were limited to two rather unappealing choices: a six-hour ride on a cramped, non air-conditioned train or a minimum four-hour drive up a windy – and at times terrifying – mountain road by car. Now, thankfully, you can fly: the SriLankan Air Taxi service from Colombo to Victoria is incredibly scenic, and the landing – which takes place on the adjacent reservoir – is especially thrilling for those unaccustomed to seaplane travel. The flight itself only takes only 40 minutes, making it potentially possible to be standing on the first tee within an hour and a half of landing in the country.

Par: 73 Yardage: 6,537
Greens Fee: US$52-62
Architect: Donald Steel
Contact: www.golfsrilanka.com