Bali

Indonesia

Bali Golf & Country Club closed in 2012 for a major renovation, twenty years after it first opened for play. New owners, Narendra Interpacific, wanted to develop hotel and accommodation on the property so the original course architects, Nelson & Haworth, were brought back in to completely renovate the layout.

To make room for the new hotel and villas the clubhouse was moved further inland and holes one to ten were repositioned. The 17th was changed from a par four to a par three and the 18th hole was also reconstructed.

Sand was mined on site to rebuild tees, greens and fairways, cutting down the cost of shipping this material in from elsewhere. All the lakes were relined and interconnected and new deep wells were drilled to maximise the usage of water on the course.

The final touches were then applied, as described by Neil Haworth: “Waste areas and bunker complexes were made more dramatic, green surface contours were softened to make putting fairer and trees were removed to open up views of the South China Sea and Mount Agung.”

The outward half is routed through hills with lush tropical vegetation flanking the fairways. Stone walls have also been incorporated into the design to terrace the fairways and tee boxes, affording golfers the sensation of traversing the type of rice field landscape that’s so typical of the Bali countryside.

The back nine is laid out on more level terrain, holes weaving around coconut trees and lakes. The 17th, one of the signature holes on the course, is a dangerous par three to encounter so late in the round as stray tee shots to its island green will be severely punished, potentially ruining a good score.

Bali National

Asia

Bali Golf & Country Club closed in 2012 for a major renovation, twenty years after it first opened for play. New owners, Narendra Interpacific, reopened the golfing facility in 2014 as the rebranded Bali National Golf Club.

Western India

India

Bombay Presidency Golf Club was established in 1927 and it currently plays to a par of 70 over a total yardage of 6,148 yards. It’s been described as offering “classic golf on a tight site” which is certainly true if you look at an overhead image of the modern day course, completely hemmed in by housing on all sides – indeed, a road runs through the layout, cutting off a number of holes from the rest of the course.

Peter Thomson is credited with an upgrade of the layout during the 1970s but Nelson & Haworth carried out a more recent renovation in 2009, when tree-lined fairways were sand capped and new drainage installed on what is largely a flat site. As part of the upgrade, greens were also rebuilt in a “push-up” style with new Platinum Paspalum grass used for the putting surfaces.

The layout opens and closes with demanding par fives though the toughest long hole on the course is encountered at the 508-yard 4th, where water lurks as the fairway veers right towards a back-to-front sloping green. There are six par threes on the card, three on each nine, with water coming into play on the first two short holes, the 189-yard 2nd and 186-yard 6th.

Bombay Presidency

Bombay Presidency Golf Club was established in 1927 and it has been described as offering “classic golf on a tight site”...

North East France

France

Built in the 17th century for the Maréchal de Créqui, the magnificent Château du Champ-de-Bataille castle and its formal gardens lie between the small villages of Le Neubourg and Sainte-Opportune-du-Bosc in the Eure department of Normandy.

The golf course in the southeast portion of the property is a Robin Nelson design, built in conjunction with landscape architects Thierry Huau and Herve Rosset, with fairways carved through dense woodland when the estate was developed in the late 1980s.

Measuring just over 6,000 metres and playing to a par of 72, the course is set in an out-and-back fashion which only allows golfers to return to the clubhouse after playing the 18th. Highlight holes include the water-laden par three 5th and tough par four 13th.

 describes the course as follows in this edited extract:

“This hilly course is a beautiful stroll through the woods, where some magnificent trees leave enough room for decently-sized fairways. The bland first and last holes, originally inspired by French-style gardens, have been replaced by a couple of holes designed by J.M. Rossi.”

Champ de Bataille

Continental Europe

Co-designed in the late 1980s by Robin Nelson and Thierry Huau, the course at Golf du Champ de Bataille occupies a hilly woodland site to the south of Rouen in Normandy. Jean Manuel Rossi has since redesigned the layout.

All Areas

China

Genzon Golf Club, or the Zhengzhong Golf Association, was originally established in 1995 as the CITIC Green Golf Club, with members playing on an 18-hole layout. A decade later, new owners took over and they called in Neil Haworth to expand the old course into two 18-hole tracks, named A and B.

, author Darius Oliver has this to say about Genzon (A):

“The highlight of the course is the routing and the clever use of the lake within the design. With the exception of the first three holes, the opening 12 essentially loop counter-clockwise around the outside perimeter of the property, before doublibg back and playing clockwise along the northern bank.

Interestingly, the 15th, 16th and 17th occupy an island within the lake, while the 18th returns to the clubhouse along its eastern shore. There are a couple of long transition areas here, but the flow of holes is good and creates the sense of this being the natural way to manoeuver through the property.”

The 20th edition of the Volvo China Open was held at the club in 2014 then the tournament returned five years later, becoming the first event to be hosted in a new four-year deal with Genzon Golf Club, which recently became the first Chinese venue in the burgeoning portfolio of European Tour Properties.

Genzon (A)

Neil Haworth redesigned the original 18-hole layout at Genzon Golf Club in 2008, creating two new 18-hole tracks, uninspiringly named A and B. Six years later, the A course hosted the Volvo China Open, an event won by France’s Alexander Lévy.

Originally established as the CITIC Green Golf Club, Genzon Golf Club changed hands in 2005. Neil Haworth then extended the old 18-layout into two 18-hole courses, named A and B, with floodlighting installed on the back nine of the latter which also features wildly undulating fairways and a mountainous backcloth.

Genzon (B)

Designed by the Nelson & Haworth partnership, the course at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club was voted the 9th most spectacular course in the world by one golf magazine. It's an early new millennium layout situated at 3,100 metres above sea level, making it the highest course in all of Asia, and measuring 8,548 yards it's said to be the longest par 72 layout in the world.

The Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses

 with the following edited narrative extract:

“At this altitude, distances can be reduced by 20% due to the thinness of the air so eight and a half thousand yards translates into 6,400 yards or thereabouts, making length less of a factor than you might think. That said, high handicappers are well advised to play from the more forward tees, especially at the signature 5th, which at 711 yards is thought to be the longest hole in the game!

The course really comes to life on the back nine with a series of demanding doglegs flanked on all sides by mountain pines. As a totally innovative piece of golf, Jade Dragon ranks up there with the very best.”

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Hong Kong

The three public courses on the uninhabited island of Kau Sai Chau were created with funds from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and they were developed with the intention of meeting the ever-growing demand for golf in the area.

 and South layouts were first to open in 1995 and, for over a decade, these two courses more or less satisfied the golfing needs of pay-and-play golfers in Hong Kong.

Eventually, with demand outstripping supply, a new East layout was unveiled in 2008. Within three years, this 54-hole facility had welcomed its two millionth customer, as the three tracks operate at an astonishing 80% of capacity, catering for 160,000 rounds annually.

The following article has been reproduced with kind permission from the Nelson & Haworth firm of architects:

“The East Course at Kau Sai Chau is one of the very few public courses in the world that enjoys ocean views off every hole. Situated on an island off the popular Hong Kong village hangout of Sai Kung, the course is the most recent addition to the public golf facility of Kau Sai Chau, a facility owned and operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The site for the golf course occupies a very dramatic, steep and rocky site that overlooks - and at times juts into - the waters of the South China Sea. The design and construction of this golf course was one of the most technically demanding projects that Nelson & Haworth has been involved with.

Key challenges beyond the island location included construction in rock, severe terrain, limited water supply, stringent environmental constraints and conditions, retention of an existing and operating golf course.

The many challenges were addressed and solved as they arose, and sometimes involved some unconventional solutions including a drainage system designed by the consulting engineer Ove Arup that prevents water discharge into the ocean and returns all storm water to irrigation lakes for re-use.

Despite its somewhat severe location, construction of the course involved moving only about 800,000 cubic metres although most of this was rock and had to be moved without damaging retained native areas.

The length of the golf course was limited due to the site constraints and although relatively short by modern standards the course difficulty varies widely depending upon the ocean breezes – and it is often very windy!”

Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau (East)

The East is the third course at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau and it was designed by Nelson & Haworth in 2008. Occupying a dramatic site, it’s one of the few public courses in the world with ocean views from every hole.

The Dragon course at Lake Hill Golf Club is located at Jianshan in eastern China and it was the first course to open at the club in 2007. Robin Nelson designed the layout which measures a whopping 7,600 yards from the tips.

“The Dragon course at Lake Hill, a 70-minute drive from Shanghai, is among the longest courses in eastern China. But while this alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of most amateurs, anyone considering a visit should not be put off. his might be a full-bore championship course, but with five sets of tees for each hole there is something for all levels of golfer.

Lake Hill is to be found close to the Qiantang River, famous for having the world’s largest tidal bore, and everything here is on a grand scale. Landing areas are wide, raised greens highly contoured, but it’s the enormity of the bunkering that catches the eye. Huge swathes of brilliantly white sand are everywhere, presenting visually striking hazards, obviously best avoided, but never spoiling the fun of a round at the Dragon.”

Lake Hill (Dragon)

Laos

Lakeview Golf Club in Vientiane City is a 2016 creation from the Nelson & Haworth design firm, where the architects have used the spoil from digging a series of man-made lakes to create mounding and several raised greensites to generate interest on this pancake flat site.

Lakeview Vientiane

Lakeview Golf Club in Vientiane City is a 2016 creation from the Nelson & Haworth design firm, where the architects have used the spoil from digging a series of man-made lakes to create mounding and several raised greensites...

New South Wales

Australia

Macquarie Links sits in a gated golf and residential setting less than hour from Sydney city centre. Laid out on a prime piece of property between Ingleburn and Macquarie Fields, the estate was developed by the Monarch Investments Group of Companies.

Construction on the 375-acre site began in 1996 and the course opened for play five years later with open, forgiving fairways routed across a gently rolling landscape that features indigenous bush, native grasses, mature gum trees and wandering creeks.

Macquarie Links is marketed as an Australian version of a Scottish links but, in truth, the only design aspect that comes close to matching a Caledonian seaside course is the quality of the sand traps, with some fine examples of pot bunkers dotted around the course.

The inward half is considered to be tougher than the outward half and the two par threes on the back nine are real crackers. The 188-yard 11th (“Billabong”) plays across a ravine to the green and the 232-yard 15th (“Sheepdip”) demands pinpoint accuracy or a score of four or more is likely.

Macquarie Links

Oceania

Macquarie Links is marketed as an Australian version of a Scottish links but, in truth, the only design aspect that comes close to matching a Caledonian seaside course is the quality of the sand traps...

Guam

The course at Mangilao Golf Club was created by the Nelson and Haworth design partnership in the early 1990s and – even though the area is prone to seasonal typhoons, high humidity and searing temperatures – the scenic splendour and lush natural beauty of the course make it one of the most popular golfing destinations in the Pacific.

Mangilao was constructed over difficult terrain, with fairways laid out on a barren stretch of coral that required the installation of an irrigation scheme created through a number of brackish wells.

The “Out-course” front nine are very open (allowing for the strong trade winds that often blow) and three of these holes have small lakes incorporated into the design. The “In-course” back nine drop some 400 feet down to the ocean with a wonderful set of coastline holes laid out from 11 to 14.

The much-photographed par three 12th invites a brave tee shot across a small bay to a putting surface perched on top of a rocky outcrop. The exposed green has had to be rebuilt several times over the years due to typhoon winds and waves that occasionally devastate the island. Such is the degree of difficulty at this spectacular hole, the club awards a special certificate for tee shots that find the green first time!

Course architect Robin Nelson wrote the following article

: "Guam is home to one of the greatest ocean par threes in the world: the 12th at Mangilao, which measures 188 yards from the tips and 99 yards from the forward tees. Its beauty is only surpassed by its story.

The peninsula upon which the 12th green rests was very difficult to discover, even with the best topographic maps. The terrain was so rough that even crawling through the vegetation was impossible. It was only after helicopter reconnaissance that we found it, but once the hole was identified, the rest of the course was designed around it.

During the grow-in later that year, Typhoon Yuri hit and wiped out everything, including cart paths, irrigation lines, trees and concrete thrust blocks. The decision was made to rebuild the green, knowing that these storms could hit every ten years or so. The green’s infrastructure was rebuilt in reinforced concrete, and a par three 19th hole was built out of harms way so that its sod could easily be used to rebuild the 12th green quickly.

Less than one year after that, Typhoon Omar hit and totally destroyed the green, but because of the planning, the concrete infrastructure, and the 19th hole, we were able to get the green back into place and playable in three weeks."


Tom Doak visited Guam in 2017 and commented as follows: "I really wanted to like the course because I met Robin Nelson at our Archipalooza event in 2001, and his story of twice having to rebuild the par-3 12th over an ocean cove after typhoons scoured it clean will always stay with me. The hole he worked so hard to complete has now outlived him … it’s a bit reminiscent of the 3rd at 

, but shorter and prettier, with its green sticking out a bit further onto a point."

Mangilao

The much-photographed par three 12th at Mangilao Golf Club invites a brave tee shot across a small bay to a putting surface perched on top of a rocky outcrop.

Hawaii

The original golf course at the Mauna Lani Resort was an 18-hole layout called The Classic, designed by Homer Flint and Raymond Cain, and it was first unveiled to the golfing public at the start of the 1980s.

A decade later, Robin Nelson was called in to split the course in two then add another nine holes to the initial nines, forming the 6,913-yard North and 6,938-yard 

 layouts, both of which play to a par of 72.

The South is probably the better known of the two courses, thanks to it hosting the televised Senior Skins Game between 1990 and 2000, an event that Raymond Floyd managed to win five years running from 1994.

The North requires a little more shot-making skills as it winds around the private properties on the resort, playing through stands of kiawe trees and black lava formations, where feral goats help to crop the native grasses alongside the fairways.

The four par threes are memorable here but the 132-yard 17th is a cut above the others, played from a series of elevated tees into an amphitheatre-like green at the base of a lava bowl, making this hole a photo opportunity not to be missed.

Mauna Lani (North)

North America

The original 18-hole course at the Mauna Lani Resort opened for play in 1981. A decade later, it was split in two with a new 9-hole circuit added to each nine to form the North and South courses.

The Mauna Lani Resort features two 18-hole golf courses of almost equal renown — the North and South — but the latter may be more ingrained in peoples’ memory than its counterpart due to its role in the annual Senior Skins Game, which was held there from 1990 through 2000.

In particular, the memory might go to No. 15, a par three that plays 190 yards across a small bay to a clover-shaped green, with bunkers on every side. Calling that the most photogenic hole might do a disservice to No. 7, which plays 210 yards alongside a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Although these and the par four No. 13 merit mention for their prime locations, the rest of the course does due diligence while traveling along the black rock of the ancient Kaniku lava flow. The North Course may be more famous for its instance where some of the black rock serves as a bunker island, but those who land in the fairway trap at No. 10 may find themselves blocked by rock as well.

The course makes a full 18-hole loop, finally returning to the clubhouse — which it shares with the North Course — after the final hole.

Mauna Lani (South)

Golfers who remember watching the televised Senior Skins Game at this venue during the 1990s will know just how spectacular the South course at Mauna Lani Resort really is.

Philippines

Mimosa Golf and Country Club could easily have been named Phoenix as it quite literally rose from the ashes that fell from Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The former US air base at Clark Field was severely damaged by fallout from the erupting volcano – causing its abandonment and subsequent return to the Philippine authorities – and it would take several years before the landscape returned to anything near normality.

The government decided to rejuvenate the local economy by developing the property as a Freeport Zone and resort area, commissioning the respected architectural firm of Nelson and Wright to shape the recreational aspect of the project with a 36-hole golf facility. Amazingly, only one year after work began on such a devastated site, 27 of the holes were ready for play.

Routed around thousands of old mimosa rain trees that survived the volcanic blast, the 18-hole Mountain View course plays to a par of 72 with an overall length of 6,782 yards while the Acacia & Lakes layout measures up to 6,546-yards, also with a par of 72.

Architect Robin Nelson commented as follows:

"There was an existing 18-hole course on the site at the current Mimosa Golf Club, built by the American Military at Clark Airbase. When we got involved, the Americans had already left the Philippines. The June 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo had covered the course with thick lahar (volcanic ash), rendering the fairways and greens useless. A group of local golfers banded together to bulldoze the material off the playing areas and brought back to life some of the grass by means of water trucks and hoses.

The Americans left the base in November 1991 after the eruption earlier that year. We completed our work in 1994 with 27 holes and the final 9 was added shortly thereafter. The huge Rain Trees (or Mimosa Trees) formed many of the new fairways, but there were no entire fairways that can be considered part of the original course. The 18th on the Mountain Course is probably the closest resemblance to an original hole, but it was lengthened, recontoured and bunkers added.

The course was fun to design and build because we were actually starting from scratch with a number of magnificent trees and terrain. A number of older corridors were connected and/or expanded, and very few trees were removed. In addition, for a number of years, whenever a rain event would occur, a "secondary eruption" - a very small spewing of the volcano would occur which would lightly dust the course with fine ash and, once watered in, would serve as a nice topdressing!"

Filipino developer Filinvest acquired the property in 2016 and appointed Nelson & Haworth to formulate a master plan for renovating all thirty-six holes at the club. Four holes on the Lakeview course were rerouted to accommodate a new shopping centre but all the other fairways remained intact. A number of greenside bunkers on the Mountain View layout were removed to allow a running approach shot with the remaining sand hazards rebuilt using new bunker linings. Greens were also reconstructed and these new putting surfaces are now more heavily contoured than the smaller original greens.

Mimosa (Mountain View)

Mimosa Golf and Country Club could easily have been named Phoenix as it quite literally rose from the ashes that fell from Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

Alaska

The 18-hole Hill and Creek courses at Moose Run are situated at the foot of the Chugach Mountains and together they comprise the northernmost 36-hole golf complex in the world. The Hill layout is named after the rugged terrain on which the front nine is laid out whilst the Creek takes its name from the Ship Creek that wanders alongside a number of the holes.

 and it opened as a 9-hole layout in 1952, expanding to a full 18-hole layout three years later. Constructed with small greens but with relatively open, forgiving fairways, it’s an ideal course for learners and high handicappers.

On the other hand, The Creek is a challenging Robin Nelson design that debuted in 2000 as the longest layout in Alaska (at 7,324 yards) and it features the state’s longest hole (measuring all of 640 yards) at the par five 11th. Two of the fairways, at 6 and 11, are routed through reclaimed gravel pits and they’re considered by many to be two of the most attractive holes in The Last Frontier state.

Moose Run (Creek)

The Creek course at Moose Run is a challenging Robin Nelson design that debuted in 2000 as the longest layout in Alaska (at 7,324 yards) and it features the state’s longest hole (measuring all of 640 yards) at the par five 11th.

Morocco

Designed by the Canadian duo of Neil Haworth and Stéphane Talbot, the course at PalmGolf Ourika is situated to the south of Marrakech, close to the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains, and it first opened for public play in the late summer of 2015.

The course measures a mammoth 6,692 metres from the back tees, with holes routed around a 180-acre residential site. Wide, generously proportioned fairways are bounded mainly by large, sandy waste areas, affording the layout a desert ambience – though six lakes also come into play during the round.

Constructed by the Palmeraie Development Group and operated by Troon Golf, this plush new 18-hole operation is the perfect complement to the 27-hole Robert Trent Jones Snr-designed sister venue at Palmeraie on the other side of Marrakech.

The greens were built with Penn A-1 Bent grass and Riviera Bermuda was used for tees and fairways. There are full concrete paths throughout as it’s the first cart-only golf club in Morocco, and each buggy is equipped with a global positioning system to assist golfers with their club selection and strategy.

“We are extremely honoured to welcome this new course to the PalmGolf Morocco family,” said Stéphane Talbot. “It is our goal to create an extraordinary experience for our members and guests by offering them excellent service, facilities and superior playing surfaces.”

PalmGolf Ourika

Africa

Designed by the Canadian duo of Neil Haworth and Stéphane Talbot, the course at PalmGolf Ourika is situated to the south of Marrakech, close to the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains...

Puakea Golf Club began its life as a nine-hole golf course, but critical acclaim and commercial success drove ownership to bring back designer Robin Nelson to add a second nine during 2003.

The course plays over what was once a sugar plantation on the island of Kauai, with remnants of its former use still in sight. Your eyes will be more attracted to the natural beauty of the holes in front of you, however. To one side, you’ll be treated to views of the blue Pacific from various points across the park, while the volcanic mountains that created the island will almost always be evident on the other side.

The holes themselves will not quite get down to the ocean, however there are still heroic shots to be had, include par threes that cross jungle valleys and water hazards. Where there aren’t natural hazards to cross, Nelson added an abundance of bunkers, large and small. Although the walk won’t be easy due to occasionally lengthy trips between holes, Puakea is still relatively playable, coming in at less than 7,000 yards.

Unfortunately, Puakea has remained closed since the onset of COVID-19, however has not yet made any suggestions that the move is permanent.

Puakea

Originally established as a 9-holer on an old sugar cane plantation, the course at Puakea Golf Club was extensively redesigned and extended by Robin Nelson before it re-opened to the public as a daily fee facility in 2003. Unfortunately, the golf course closed until further notice in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New York

It is easy to forget all the other sizable cities in New York outside of the Big Apple and its metropolitan area, but there are quality public-access facilities to be found in cities like Rochester as well. Ravenwood Golf Club is often hailed as the best public option in New York’s third-largest metropolis.

The course came from the pen of Robin Nelson, an architect better known for his work in the Hawaiian islands and other international locales. Ravenwood, for its name and its location in a part of the country known for its forests, sits on a relatively wide-open piece of property off of the New York Thruway.

He pulls out all the stops at the closing par five that, for its lack of trees, feels anything but wide open. Players will need to pinpoint a drive between two enormous fairway bunkers, and do the same between three smaller sand hazards during the second shot (there is little chance of getting home in two on this long hole). Still, the third shot is even tighter despite its short distance, as one of the smallest greens on the course sits within a natural amphitheater, and four bunkers guard access to the final putts of the day.

Ravenwood

Situated at Victor, in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, the popular public access course at Ravenwood Golf Club, designed by Robin Nelson, extends to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees.

Québec

Canada

The 36-hole golf complex at Club de golf de la Valée du Richelieu celebrated its golden anniversary in 2015, half a century after its Le Verchères course was first unveiled. Founding members didn’t have too long to wait for the appearance of a second 18-hole layout as the longer, more difficult Le Rouville course made its debut in 1967.

Located less than an hour’s drive from downtown Montreal in the suburb of Sainte-Julie, Richelieu Valley has hosted a number of important national championships down the years, none more so than the Canadian Open. Lee Trevino won the first Open played here in 1971 and Tom Weiskopf claimed the second, just two years later.

The course was redesigned by Neil Haworth in 2012 when he added new tees and fairway bunkers and reshaped all eighteen greens, elevating putting surfaces and installing deep greenside traps. Par threes at the 4th and 6th are feature holes now but the best is kept until the back nine, especially at the 12th and 14th, where the greens sit on either side of a lovely little pond.

The new signature hole is regarded as the 390-yard 16th. It requires a slight fade off the tee towards the bunker and flat part of the fairway, then an approach that has to carry a water hazard onto a very narrow green. It’s a tough hole where it’s reckoned around half of all golfers will end up in the water or in sand at the back of the putting surface.

Architect Neil Haworth commented as follows:

The original design brief was to rebuild all eighteen green complexes with a generous multi-million dollar budget. However, we came in under budget so we rebuilt all the fairway bunkers as well and adding some pro tees and lots of forward tees.

The routing basically stayed the same although we tried to add more variety as all the par fours seemed to be the same length and the par threes played the same length. A couple of lakes were enlarged slightly for better visibility of the water.

The members are very happy and the club is too as it has been able to sell close to a hundred new memberships without discounting, which in today’s market is an exceptional achievement.

The tournament hosted the PGA Champions Tour Montreal Championship in 2013 and I spent a day with Paul Vermuelen of the PGA who said, "the back nine of the Rouville course is truly spectacular and should be on everyone's bucket list”.

Competitor Rocco Mediate, in particular, also had nice things to say: “The golf course is cool. Good par threes here, really good set of par threes. Good driving course, great second shot, just a good golf course. Whoever did the redo did a fantastic job. Good old school golf course.”


Richelieu Valley (Rouville)

Host to the Canadian Open in 1971 and 1973, the Rouville course is the premier layout at the 36-hole Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu.

Central Thailand

Thailand

The golf course at Royal Hills Resort & Spa is a new millennium creation by Nelson & Haworth which is set at the feet of the Khao Yai mountains where a good mix of long and short holes are routed through a valley interspersed with streams.

Royal Hills

West Malaysia

Malaysia

Two of the Selangor founders, coffee planters John and Clem Glassford from Grantown-on-Spey in Scotland, were not to know that the club they helped to form back in 1893 would develop into one of the most elite golf societies in all of Asia.

From humble beginnings, the club moved to a prime spot near the city centre of Kuala Lumpur in the 1920s at the behest of the government, who built the members two 18-hole courses as compensation for the compulsory purchase of their original course.

 and New layouts were renovated by the club’s professional Tom Verity, who, along with a number of willing workers, ensured play would resume as quickly as possible after hostilities ceased.

Selangor attained its Royal status in 1963 and a couple of years later the final piece in the club’s golfing jigsaw was fitted with the construction of the 9-hole Sulieman course, giving the club a fantastic 45-hole facility.

Such is the clever design of the nines at Royal Selangor and their proximity to each other, members are able to play four different combinations in addition to the straightforward Old and New, so for instance, a West composite course uses the back nine of the Old and front nine of the New and so on for East, North and South courses. Indeed, when the club hosted the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia in 2016 (which Australia's Marcus Fraser won), it was played on a composite course comprising the front nine of the Old course and back nine of the New course.

Visitors should note that the use of caddies is compulsory when playing at Royal Selangor.

Both the Old and New courses were recently remodelled by the respected design company of Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth. Architect Brett Mogg from Nelson & Haworth commented as follows:

“One of the Asia’s most historical golf courses, The Royal Selangor Golf Club, has occupied its current site close to the centre of Kuala Lumpur since the early 1900s. Although the club occupies a lofty position in Malaysian and Asian golfing circles, its golf courses spiraled downward in prestige, due to a combination of deteriorating conditions and the inevitable comparisons with more modern golf courses throughout the capital.

Nelson & Haworth was engaged to completely renovate both New and Old Courses. The goal was to raise the quality, playing conditions and strategies of both courses, while respecting and building upon the traditional nature of the courses and their largely flat, tree lined character.

The renovation of RSGC involved the reconciliation of many conflicting issues and goals. Although the large trees that line the course embody the very soul of RSGC, they had also seriously choked down the course over the years and were largely responsible for the poor turf conditions. Many needed to be removed to improve playability.

The retention of most of the existing trees limited the available grading solutions as there was a need to "tie-in" golf course elevations at the tree line. This limit in grading solutions also presented a problem with solving the drainage problems of the course.

For the most part the existing routing was retained in order to limit the clearing of trees. However there were a small number of significant changes that have had a major impact upon the club. Large among these changes was the moving of the tennis courts from in front of the clubhouse to a less prominent position. This enabled golf to re-occupy the prime position in front of the clubhouse.”

Royal Selangor (New)

Such is the clever design of the nines at Royal Selangor and their proximity to each other, members are able to play four different combinations in addition to the straightforward Old and New...

Enjoying a very central position within the city of Kuala Lumpur, Royal Selangor Golf Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in all of Asia. It was formed in 1893 by a group of like-minded expatriate businessmen and the club now operates an extensive golf complex on land very close to the world famous Petronas Twin Towers.

The founding members played at Petaling Hill for over twenty five years before being forced to move to their present location when the government acquired their estate for use as a public park. Over a ten-year period, starting in 1921, work continued at the new venue – nine holes at a time – until a wonderful pair of 18-hole courses evolved.

Extensive renovations to the fairways were carried out after World War II as the Japanese army had used the grounds as a barracks, complete with airstrip, during their three and a half year occupation. Twenty years later, an additional 9-hole circuit was added, shortly after the club had been granted its Royal status, giving members a fine 45-hole golf establishment.

The New course fairways are routed around the front nine of the Old, affording the outward half an extra layer of seclusion and because the estate was originally part of a tree planting research facility by the Forestry Department, many mature Tembusu trees and man made ponds – legacies from the previous tenant – add greatly to the ambiance at many of the holes.

The Old course at Royal Selangor hosted the Malaysian Open between 1962 and 1986, then again in 2002, when Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth defeated Australian Stephen Leaney in a play-off after both had tied with a four round total of 17 under par.

Recent reconstruction and remodeling by the respected design company of Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth resulted in the return of top flight golf to Royal Selangor in 2016, when the club hosted the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia. This event, which Australia's Marcus Fraser won, was played on a composite course comprising the front nine of the Old course and back nine of the New course.

Architect Brett Mogg from Nelson & Haworth commented as follows:


One of the Asia’s most historical golf courses, The Royal Selangor Golf Club, has occupied its current site close to the centre of Kuala Lumpur since the early 1900s. Although the club occupies a lofty position in Malaysian and Asian golfing circles, its golf courses spiraled downward in prestige, due to a combination of deteriorating conditions and the inevitable comparisons with more modern golf courses throughout the capital.

For the most part the existing routing was retained in order to limit the clearing of trees. However there were a small number of significant changes that have had a major impact upon the club. Large among these changes was the moving of the tennis courts from in front of the clubhouse to a less prominent position. This enabled golf to re-occupy the prime position in front of the clubhouse.

Royal Selangor (Old)

Recent reconstruction and remodeling by the respected design company of Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth resulted in the return of top flight golf to Royal Selangor in 2016...

East Malaysia

Located just outside Tawau on the south east coast of Sabah in eastern Malaysia, Shan-Shui Golf Club is acknowledged as one of the finest golf courses created by the respected design company of Nelson and Haworth. In fact, three years after it first opened its doors in 1997, the 18-hole layout was awarded the title of “Best course in Asia” by Golf Monthly magazine.

The course is set within a 365-acre former rubber estate with views of the Sulawesi Sea from the highest parts. The architects make the most of the site’s wonderful array of vegetation (including rare Honey Bear and Strangler Fig trees) and a meandering expanse of water named “Crocodile River”.

Two of the holes – the par five 5th “Sulu Split” and par four 15th, “The Creek” – have been ranked amongst the best in Asia with the latter receiving the accolade of one of the best golf holes in the world. The tee box for this hole sits on a ridge beside the Crocodile River. From there, tee shots must find a flat area within a cocoa plantation before an approach can then be played to a green that sits beneath coconut palms with a stream to the right.

Visitors should note that buggies are compulsory at Shan-Shui – not a bad idea if a hasty retreat has to be made when one of the crocodiles from the river decides to go on a wander!

Shan-Shui adjoins a tropical national park and despite its remote location, the 7,365-yard course played host to the Asian Tour’s 1998 Sabah Masters, which saw Scotland’s Simon Yates claim his maiden Asian Tour title.

Shan-Shui

Located just outside Tawau on the south east coast of Sabah in eastern Malaysia, Shan-Shui Golf Club is acknowledged as one of the finest golf courses created by the respected design company of Nelson & Haworth.

Shenzhen Golf Club is located to the north of Hong Kong on the edge of Shenzhen, southern China’s major financial centre. The original 18-hole course was designed in 1985 by one of Japan’s most successful golfers, Isao Aoki. Nelson & Haworth added a further nine holes in 2000 and the original Aoki layout was given a Nelson & Haworth makeover at the same time.

Now with three loops of nine holes – the original course comprises of the A & B loop – Shenzhen Golf Club is without doubt the premier golf course in the area, which is reflected by a wealthy Japanese and Korean membership. Host to the Volvo China Open in November 2005, when England’s Paul Casey carded a closing round 65 to set up a play-off victory over compatriot Oliver Wilson, Shenzhen is a true tournament challenge and can be stretched to an impressive 7,127 yards from the tips.

With Lychee trees lining the wide fairways, the challenge at Shenzhen arrives with the approach shot to the tricky and well-guarded greens. You’ll need a precise short game to score well at Shenzhen Golf Club, one of China’s must-play golf courses.

Shenzhen (A & B)

You’ll need a precise short game to score well at Shenzhen Golf Club, one of China’s must-play golf courses.

Shanghai is becoming a must-visit golfing destination as great courses are being built in the area to cater for not only visitors and Chinese members but also ex-pats who work in the numerous blue chip international companies based in the city.

Sheshan International

“What transforms a great design vision into a great golf course is our commitment to bring our experience to the site as often as possible. Critical to the process is communication between owner, architect and construction supervisors." Nelson & Haworth