A New Beginning

Jansen’s courses are noted for their strategic interest, and this is certainly the case at Laguna Phuket. The course occupies a generally flat parcel of land but Jansen has raised many of the teeing grounds, which gives players a far better appreciation of what lies in store at each hole, while the fairways - and this is still a resort course after all - are refreshingly generous. As is the yardage, which comes in at comfortably under 7,000 yards. You won’t lose too many balls off the tee here which, importantly, helps with the pace of play, but low scores are far from guaranteed thanks to the newly constructed green complexes. In the main they are more contoured than the original putting surfaces and the way they are angled means there is always a preferred side of the fairway to be hitting approach shots from. Miss the target and you’ll likely be faced with a chip from one of the many run-off areas. But the firmness of the turf, combined with the undulations of the greens means you won’t be reaching for your lob wedge for each and every shot. Nor are you likely to be gouging flops from thick rough. This makes it fun and players who show imagination with their short game will flourish.

Jansen advocates a sustainable approach to golf course architecture (read his latest column in this issue to learn more about that) and Laguna Phuket reflects this philosophy. The tree removal programme has not only resulted in superior views of the surrounding area and wider playing corridors, the wood harvested has been used to woodchip vast areas of the rough and for the construction of on-course furniture - from benches, tee markers, steps and, most intriguingly of all, wood ties in the fairways and small, Thai-style boats that bob around in a number of the lakes.