Rolling it in Rangoon

Myanmar Golf Club **1/2

This city course says something about the colonial history of the country as it was set up in 1947 as a place where locals could get in the swing. With golf entrenched in the city in the first half of the 20th century, and locals initially not allowed to play such clubs as the then Rangoon Golf Club, the former Burma Golf Club was opened in reaction as a place for all to enjoy. Such a policy remains to this day.
This natural and beautiful looking course follows the lay of the land with varying degrees of undulation ranging from gentle to extreme along the cowgrass fairways. The greens are largely elevated with the small bunkers protecting them filled with coarse, heavy sand. Highlights on this tree-lined layout include the 332-yard 7th, which features a semi-island green, and the longer 15th, a dramatic water-laced dogleg right hole that encourages long hitters to cut the corner with a booming drive.
Ninth Mile, Pyay Road, Yangon
Contact: (95-1) 661-702, 665-531
Green fee: US$22

Best of the Rest

With the country’s capital shifted to Naypyidaw in 2006, even the city’s military golf courses will welcome visitors who pitch up for a game, space permitting. City Golf Resort (Thiri Mingalar St, Insein Township, Yangon; 641-342), or YCDC as it is known, features the Silvery and Pondy layouts, both designed by Chan Han. While the resort claim is an exaggeration with the run-down clubhouse, the two 18-hole courses play just fine with their good finishing holes. Silvery, which opened in 1994 and hosted the 1997 Myanmar Open when Thai great Boonchu Ruangkit lifted the trophy, has wide fairways and a good closing stretch starting with the 144-yard, par-3 16th island hole. Pondy, which it names implies features more water, is more of a championship layout with a hilly back nine, a lot of up and down and uneven lies. A round at either course is US$30.
Mingalardon Garden City (Highway 3, Mingalardon Township, Yangon; 639-395) is Yangon’s newest course in the east of the city. The 21-hole club, including three full-size holes for practice and teaching purposes, has soft-opened holes 10 to 18 at the resort-style facility with the full layout scheduled to open by year end. The US$12 million course, designed by Chan Han, features nine lakes, a prevalent wind and its signature 5th hole, a par-5, which features a winding green-front creek, not unlike the famous 13th at Augusta.
Other clubs includes the beaten Okkala Golf Resort (Waiza Yan Tar Rd, Yangon; 572-302) where a round is US$20, the Defense Service Golf Club (Kha Yae Pin Rd, Yangon; 635-449) and Bayint Naung Golf Club (Bayint Naung Rd, Yangon; 683-463).