Nuwara Eliya

Located close to Pidurutalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, the town of Nuwara Eliya sits at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, where the air is cool and fresh, faintly scented with cypress, wild mint and eucalyptus.

Back in 1899, amongst the established tea plantations on the narrow mountain passes, a golf course was laid out on an undulating tract of land, fulfilling the golfing needs of British servicemen and colonial tea planters alike.

Nuwara Eliya Golf Club is nestled into a valley, between the town and the surrounding forested hills and the golf course measures a modest 6,000 yards in length. It plays to a par of 71, with very tight, tree-lined fairways routed across a site extending to just over a hundred acres.

Stroke index 1 on the scorecard is the 539-yard 6th, a left doglegged par five which plays to the largest green on the course. A small stream slashes diagonally across the fairway in front of the putting surface, giving golfers cause for a cautious approach.

The 439-yard 14th is rated the toughest on the back nine. Starting out from an elevated tee position, the hole plunges to the left before rising again to a raised green that’s often only partially visible when playing an approach from the gathering left side of the fairway.