Golf Escapes 2009 - (Page 75) FACTFILE Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. Malaysia Time difference: GMT +8 Getting there: Direct flights to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, take about 12 hours and are operated by Malaysian Airlines (0870 607 9090; www.malaysiaairlines.com) from London Heathrow, and by Air Asia X (0845 605 3333; www.airasia.com) from London Stansted. Getting around: Flights from Kuala Lumpur go to many points in Malaysia including Penang (45 minutes), Langkawi (1hr) and Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah (2hrs 30). Fly-drive holidays are possible with self-drive rental cars. Climate: Malaysia has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 21-32°C. Tropical rain can occur at any time, but typically lasts no more than an hour. The heaviest rains are usually from November to March. Tourist information: Tourism Malaysia: 57 Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DU; 020 7930 7932; email info@tourism-malaysia.co.uk; www.tourismmalaysia. gov.my. Tourism malaysia offers an unsurpassed experience. It is truly Asia – and truly breathtaking. These are the regions where you can find some of Malaysia’s best golf courses: Peninsular Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malaysia’s capital serves up a treat for golfers with outstanding courses close to the city. Among its stars is the Saujana Golf & Country Club, just half an hour from KL. Together with luxury 360-room resort The Saujana, the club is laid out on 160 acres. It features two Ronald Fream courses and has hosted championship events including the Malaysian Open. The 6,971-yard Palm course has been lauded as Malaysia’s top course, and its par-3 2nd hole named the toughest hole in Malaysia because of the gaping, jungle-filled ravine that golfers have to hit over from the elevated tee. The course has been nicknamed “The Cobra” for its fearsome bite, while the slightly shorter Bunga Raya course has been dubbed “The Crocodile” for its lurking water hazards. Last year saw the opening of The Club at The Saujana, a 78-suite makeover of the resort’s Club wing costing over $17 million. Also near KL is The Mines Resort & Golf Club, situated next to a lake which was once the world’s largest open-cast tin mine. The Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course hosted the 1999 World Cup, won by Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara, and the Women’s World Cup in 2000. Golfers who want to make the most of their trip can even play at night on several floodlit courses. They include the East course at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & County Club, which has two courses just 10 minutes from the city centre. Among other floodlit venues are Kota Permai, by Ross Watson, and the 27-hole Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, known as GSAAS. It was co-designed by five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson and its signature hole, the 2nd on the Sultan nine, is called The Dragon. Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers at night. Other golf courses around Kuala Lumpur include the Tropicana Golf & Country Club, by Graham Marsh, and the Jumbo Ozaki-designed Templer Park Country Club. West Coast The Mines hosted the 1999 World Cup. There are courses along the length of the West Coast. Some of the best ones are on or around island holiday favourites Penang and Langkawi. Close to the Thai border, tropical paradise Langkawi boasts the Golf Club Datai Bay, carved out of dense jungle and with several holes giving jaw-dropping views over the Andaman Sea. Wildlife including monkeys, iguanas and sea eagles can be seen from the course, which is close to celebrated Langkawi hotels The Datai and The Andaman. The Gunung Raya course opened on Langkawi in 2001. Robert Trent Jones Jr designed the relatively short but challenging Bukit Jambul Country Club course, with views of wooded hills and over the island. Kristal Golf Resort is on a former oil palm and rubber plantation on the mainland, close to the bridge to Penang. Its highlight is the stretch of holes from 14 to 17, lined by water. Golf ESCAPES 2009 75 John and Jeannine henebry shangri la hoTels and resorTs http://www.malaysiaairlines.com http://www.malaysiaairlines.com http://www.airasia.com http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my
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