Cambodia isn't known for golf. There are only 6 or 7 courses in the country either near to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. They are all aimed at the travelling tourist as they are all resort courses.
The Angkor course opened in 2007 and I played it on Friday 14 December. A short tuk tuk ride to the course just out of Siem Reap. You get delivered to a buggy area just inside gates where buggies take you to the clubhouse. It's a fantastically luxurious clubhouse with its own Blue Pumpkin cafe ( we went in several Blue Pumpkins which are excellent ).
As you can see from the map above each hole on the course has water running along it. Sometimes not really in the eyeline, other times right in vision . The course is immaculately kept . Loads of green staff tidying , cutting, even sweeping up leaves on the grass! Fairways were incredibly well manicured and not the fluffy grass of Thailand. Fairway grass was quite short. No rough to speak of. Missing the fairways was never too bad except for being out of position and usually having to contend with some trees and huge bunkers.
First hole. Green up by the biggest tree. Bit daunting if you hit right to left on the first tee. And 400 yds so you don't get an easy start.
These 2 ladies were sweeping up the leaves of the course and putting into those bags!
A typical approach shot. Greens were generally protected on all sides. If the water was close by then Faldo used water on 1 side and a bunker on the other. If not then bunkers both side.
My caddy crossing the bridge to 15. Long hole and having avoided water left side you had to hit over it and avoid the cavernous bunkers. As you can see by my caddy carrying the rake I hit it in the green side bunker.
Once agin I hide King Cobra hire clubs - regular shaft - and played ok. I hit a lot of fairways. The fairways were sandy and damp so not much carry on the ball. Iron shots let me down a bit but the course was 6,666 yds so a lot of 2nd shots were 170-200 yds having to negotiate green side water and bunkers. But I managed to hit 84 which was the top side of my target.
Cost $115 green fee, $33 caddy and buggy.
On my score the golf course gets an 8.0. I'll come and play again if we come back to Siem Reap.
Not sure about the economics though. Only 25 golfers played the day I did , 50 the day before. Faldo is designing a new course near to Phnom Penh as part of a $150m development which is not going to be in the reach of your average Cambodian for a while. Obviously someone thinks it works.
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