Bali
The Island of the Gods has been on the golfing traveller’s radar since the opening of one of southeast Asia’a best layouts - Nirwana Bali Golf Club - in 1997. This Greg Norman seaside design, which is attached to the five-star Pan Pacific Resort, gallops across rice paddies and through dense jungle. The crashing surf of the Indian Ocean comes into view on many of the holes, most memorably at the par-3 seventh, where a crisp mid-iron is required to carry waves and beach to a well-guarded green. To the left of the putting surface sits the island temple of Tanah Lot, where the devout wade out at sunset in their hundreds amid faintly orange, billowing clouds of incense.
To add to the Zen-like atmosphere of the place, the resort offers an array of spa packages, including traditional Balinese healing therapies, although many golfers opt for the simply named Sport Massage, an invigorating treatment that promises to ease any muscle soreness in time for the next day’s round.
www.nirwanabaligolf.com
www.panpacific.com
Bangkok
To say that Thailand is well prepared for the tourist who comes with their clubs in tow would be something of an understatement: with nearly 300 courses, the vast majority of which are open to visitors, the Land of Smiles is rightly known as the golf capital of Asia. Indeed, one recent report suggests that by 2016, Thailand will have overtaken Spain as the world’s most popular golf tourism destination.
While Bangkok itself remains an allure, those in the know head to the coastal resort town of Hua Hin, a two-and-a-half hour drive away, where a handful of the country’s top courses can be found. Chief among these is the Swedish-owned Black Mountain, a challenging yet eminently enjoyable track that has become the winter base for several European and Asian Tour stars.
Luxury is the name of the game here, which is evident by the club’s full-service spa, a fantastic spot to enjoy an aromatherapy massage in the most tranquil of surroundings.
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