Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia (Lakes)

Founded by the then Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia to “foster social consciousness, goodwill, community spirit and healthy living through active sports and recreational participation,” Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia certainly embraces those ideals by way of its tennis and squash courts, Olympic-sized swimming pool and 36-hole golf complex.

Built on the site of an old palm oil plantation, the golfing element at this sporting facility was originally established as a 27-hole layout in the late 1980s and an additional nine was added soon after to form two 18-hole courses, called “The Hills” and “The Lakes”. The latter is recognised as the tougher of the two tracks, with water hazards coming into play on all but a handful of the holes.

The 181-yard 2nd has been called the “second most difficult hole in Malaysia” by a local golf magazine in 2007 and it’s easy to see why it attracted such an accolade because a rather intimidating expanse of water lies between tee and green on this long par three.

The 459-yard 10th is another feature hole on the card, voted one of the “Super 18 holes in Malaysia” by another local golf publication in 2012. Here, lakes on either side of the palm-fringed fairway threaten the tee shot before a blind second shot is played towards the green.

The 142-yard 15th, nicknamed “Beauty and the Beast,” completes a trio of formidable holes on the Lakes course and water once again pressurises the tee shot from an elevated position to a lake-fronted green that’s flanked on either side by menacing bunkers.