Bali National
Everything about the newly renovated Bali National screams quality. The former Bali Golf and Country Club reopened for business in 2013 after a multi-million dollar upgrade. While the sums spent on making it by far and away the most swish club on the island were substantial, the spectacular results justify the expense.
The course itself follows along very similar lines to the existing design, one that was deemed of sufficient quality to host major tournaments and feature in magazine ‘best of Asia’ lists. Significant tweaks, however, have been made. The fairways have been entirely returfed with paspalum grass to better cope with the salty groundwater in the low-lying areas of the course. The greens, meanwhile, have also been returfed with Bermuda TifEagle.
Other changes include new scalloped bunkering, the realignment of greens and lengthening of several holes to take the course up to over 7,100 yards from the back tees. The best thing about the revamp is that it has resisted the temptation to trick up the course unnecessarily. Rather it maximizes the potential of the original design.
The two nines at Bali National are completely distinct. The first nine holes turn away from the ocean and wind their way up, down and across the hilly Nusa Dua hinterland. Things get off to a fearsome start with a long uphill par-4 lined with a long waste bunker to the left and several other traps by the green. The course soon gets into a less penal groove however and obvious birdie opportunities present themselves at short but striking par-4s such as the second and the eighth.
The back nine, meanwhile, utilizes level coastal land and works through coconut trees and several manmade lakes. Great holes abound and the 17th, a near-replica of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, and the 18th, a short par-4 with a double water carry - both completely new holes - make for a grandstand conclusion. Special mention must go too to the conditioning of the course which, at the time of writing, was somewhere beyond immaculate.
US$170
Pages
Click here to see the published article.
