65 the line of play, in the approach area, it is lined with local stone – which is used again to great effect on the final three holes. The tiered green has a false front, defended by large and deep bunkers on each side. Fairway width and contour combine to deliver multiple options for play. Phillips highlights the fourteenth as another example of this: “It’s a hole that has good dimension and a bit of mystery to it, like a hole you might find on a links course. There’s a strong ridge that runs across the landing zone that’s higher on the left and lower on the right. You can either play up short-right to see the top of the pin, or you can drive left over the top of the ridge where the green surface becomes visible.” The fourteenth green sits on the bank of a large lake, alongside which the fifteenth, a par four that can play 497 yards from the back tee, also plays. The final three holes give the course a mighty crescendo. First, the wee downhill par-three sixteenth plays to the course’s smallest green, hanging over a creek. Hit it short and you’ll be in the water, but long lies the hole’s only bunker, a snarling hazard ready to punish those who take too much club. “The slight diagonal green along the creek poses a challenge not unlike the short twelfth at Augusta, where anywhere on the green is a good result,” says Phillips. The par-five seventeenth plays back up towards the lake, with the specimen tree providing the ideal line. The green angles along the lake edge, with the creek cutting across the approach. Good players will need a decent drive to get home in two. Those who favour a lay-up, will still find themselves faced with a demanding short approach. “As many courses in this region do, we didn’t want the eighteenth to finish on a lake.” says Thawley. Instead, the hole plays uphill off the tee, with the clubhouse visible on the horizon. The approach shot plays back downhill, this time with the creek cutting directly across the front of the green and the surrounding ground rising to the clubhouse, providing a natural grandstand finish. From a landscape point of view, the owners’ desire to deliver an experience that is distinctly Thai is achieved primarily through the planting. As the newer trees mature this will only be heightened. But special mention should also be made of the structures around the course. There must be 30 elegant bridges spanning the meandering creek, most impressively at the seventeenth, between tees and fairway. The absolute highlights, though, are the traditionally styled tea houses. Stop at them all, for a moment of reflection and to take in the long views across the course. Take time at the sixteenth to enjoy the courtyard and water feature, and a moment of meditation before throwing yourself into that thrilling finishing stretch. GCA Photos: Jason Michael Lang The eighteenth green marks the end of a closing stretch of three holes – pars of three, five and four – with putting surfaces that sit just above the creek “ When you have a blank slate, the challenge is to create variety and uniqueness”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=