Nirwana Bali - Closed

In the words of Greg Norman: “When I first saw the site, I was immediately taken by the dramatic location, the fascinating local culture and the rolling hills covered with rice paddies. I was determined to keep all these features while building a golf course that would challenge even the world’s best. I’m proud to have played a part in developing this world-class golf course.” But is Nirwana Bali Golf Club that good? Let’s find out from James Spence, author of: The Finest Golf Courses of Asia and Australasia.

On its completion, the trip to Nirwana Bali from the tourist towns of Kuta and Kegian felt like somewhat of an expedition but as villa development marches northward from Seminyak to envelop the rice fields of Krobokan and Canggu, the formerly remote lands surrounding the Tanalot temple are getting closer to town. To the benefit of all visiting golfers – the developers secured a glorious stretch of coastal land with views of the temple of Tanalot.

You approach the sea for the first time as you play the sweeping dogleg par five 6th. But there is no view from the tee and the hole has such a pronounced curve that you almost play away from the green with the tee shot. From the high point on the fairway you look down to the green, with bunkers left and right. The shore is not far from the surf itself and the overlapping action of the wind, contour, sun and water make the 6th green one of the most difficult surfaces to read in Asia.

The most photographed hole is the 7th. You play across a small beach to a green cut out of the shoreline cliff, just a few hundred metres from the rocky outcrop on which Tanalot sits. From the blue tees this is a stout hit with a medium to long iron with all the incentive to play right of the flag. Most tee shots come up short.

Nirwana Bali is of that ingenious subspecies of golf courses, a course that looks more difficult than it plays. Being from the design stable of Greg Norman, there are plenty of his trademark do-or-die shots required, most of them on the back nine. The drive and second shot on the 10th, the second on the 11th, the tee shots on the 12th and 13th all bear the mark of great whiteness. Pitched just on the edge of the possible for a resort course, it will always be remembered fondly on account of the atmosphere and views. Almost all its holes are excellent and it has three of the best par threes, two of the best short par fours and one of the best longer par fours in Asia.

Nirwana Bali update: In 2015 it was announced that an new six-star luxury resort, part of the Trump Hotel Collection, would be developed at Nirwana Bali, but in May 2017 plans to build a new hotel and associated Trump Tower angered locals before construction had started. It was reported that the Balinese would “demolish” the hotel if the development did not respect local building laws, whereby local legend warns that anyone who builds higher than a coconut tree will anger the gods.

The Nirwana Bali course (opened in 1997 and designed by Greg Norman Golf Course Design) closed in July 2017 for a complete revamp under the architectural stewardship of Phil Mickelson. However, for one reason or another, the project remains halted.