FINNA GOLF
Every golf course designer craves a prime chunk of real estate on which to build a masterpiece. Having said that, it is not always easy to integrate man-made ingenuity with natural beauty.
It is to the credit of former Open champion Peter Thomson and his design cohorts Michael Wolveridge and Ross Perret that they have done such a stand-up job with the land at Finna Golf.
Located just a short hop from Taman Dayu, Finna shares a similar gilded location in the cool foothills of the nearby mountains. However, the holes here tend to run across the terrain rather than up and down it, which makes for a different challenge entirely.
Another refreshing novelty is the complete absence of man-made water hazards – the river that winds its way in front of the green at the lovely par-5 10th is the only place (apart from rice paddies) where your ball could meet a watery fate.
Other highlights are myriad. On the opening nine holes, standouts include the fifth, an eye-catching par-3 played over rice paddies to an elevated green, and the sixth, a testing par-4 which plays uphill through a funnel of trees to a hidden green.
If anything the second nine is even more picturesque than the first. The aforementioned 10th is a visual highlight as well as a golfing one, while the short 12th plays back down a gentle hill to a small green cut into a narrow valley of land between rainforest and rice paddies.
The closing stretch is played over a more open stretch of land, while the tight dogleg 18th puts you back on the straight and narrow after a period of leniency.
The facilities at Finna are a fitting adjunct to the golfing experience. Villas are spacious and luxurious – some have their own pools – while the helpful staff are happy to arrange tours of the surrounding area and to Mount Bromo, an active volcano that is one of the most visited attractions in Java.
Finna Golf & Country Club Resort
Par: 72 Yardage: 6,938
Designed by Peter Thomson, Michael Wolveridge and Ross Perret (1994)
Contact: www.finnagolf.com; +62 343 634888
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