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Swing by Borneo

In the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo is a smorgasbord of some of the most disparate and challenging golf courses you are likely to find in one place

The azure waters of the South China Sea and the early-morning light, glinting off the striking dagger-like summit of Mount Kinabalu, frame a pretty picture, as the airplane banks into its final descent into the capital city of the Malaysian state of Sabah. The full panorama from the water?s edge pans across what looks like a modern city (albeit bereft of skyscrapers) to forested hinterland, sweeping all the way up to a mountain range. It?s an astonishing sight and one which vindicates the fairly long journey it has taken to get here from Delhi: five hours to Bangkok and half of that to Kota Kinabalu.

Over the last few years, Kota Kinabalu has evolved into a golf vacation hub in Malaysia. With as many as 12 championship courses, all of which open for the visiting golfer and with residential star-rated properties with top-notch facilities, Kota Kinabalu?s golf tourism is booming. The city?s repertoire of courses is rather diverse?championship layouts, resort links, an up-and-down mist-shrouded hill course, traditional old-world clubs?and you would be hard-pressed to play all.

The jewel in the crown in Kota Kinabalu?s golfing firmament, the Sutera G&CC, is a stunning amalgam of picturesque views and a world-class layout. It?s the perfect way to begin your golf odyssey in Kota Kinabalu because the experience is fool-proof: you can?t go wrong with 27 holes, eminently playable for golfers of all abilities, and with the best seats in the house to witness Kota Kinabalu?s famous sunsets. Three Nines?Lakes, Heritage and Garden?and night golfing facilities mean this course is the busiest in Kota Kinabalu. That also means that players can begin their rounds at dusk and wrap up 18-holes by 10 at night.

From the clubhouse, the first set is the Lakes Nine. It winds around the biggest lake and provides a fitting introduction to water hazards, which are, by far, the most common elements of golf courses in Kota Kinabalu. The Heritage Nine has sweeping vistas of the city with typical tropical shrubbery and trees marking the outer boundaries. The Garden Nine, as the name implies, has lush landscaping and foliage typical of the tropical rainforest in Borneo. The signature hole, the 24th, is part of Garden Nine and provides a stunning view over the South China Sea. It requires a precise drive between fairway traps and a challenging second shot to an undulating green, skirted perilously by the ocean.

The Nexus Golf Resort is the pick of the championship layouts in Kota Kinabalu and, unabashedly, a player?s course. This course can be good fun, but only if you play it off the right tees: trying to feed the ego by going at it from the tips is certain hara-kiri unless you?re a single-handicapper and in good nick. Nestled between a long sandy beach and a range of low hills, and armed with 12 meandering lakes, liberal bunkering and unpredictable ocean breezes, Nexus is pretty, but brutal. Consider the signature hole?the 188 metre par-3 12th?which actually offers the faint-hearted a cop-out in case they don?t have the nerve to go for the green. The direct route to the green requires a serious carry over water, though if you?re up to it, the green offers very makeable birdie opportunities. Coming after that stern test, most golfers fall prey to the beguiling bait of the par-5 13th, which, at 390 yards, seems a roll-over. It isn?t and there?s another water body to be negotiated if you decide to go for the green in two. Hook, line and sinker.

Set by the coast in Tuaran district and a 45-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu, the Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club is adjunct to the most luxurious property in the region?the Shangri La Rasa Ria. The proximity to the sea is used to good effect?bays, inlets and an assortment of smaller water hazards come into play in no less than 16 holes. The course, built on what was regrettably once a mangrove swamp, consists of the Mengkabong Nine and the Tambalang Nine?named after the two rivers, which abut the course and flow into the South China Sea. The Tambalang is visible on two holes, notably the signature 11th hole?a 170m par-3, which stretches across the river mouth and requires a precise middle-to-long iron on a gently sloping green flanked on either side by bunkers. Players actually have to hit a daunting drive over the riverfront, which comes into play on the par-4 13th. This isn?t an easy course by any stretch of imagination, and definitely biased towards the longer hitter. Besides stunning views of the landscape, expect a melange of animals in the gallery, including otters and monitor lizards.

The Mount Kinabalu Golf Club is a breath of fresh air. Literally. As you ascend the winding road towards the Pinosuk Plateau at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, the temperature drops sharply and the warm ocean breeze gives way to a mountain chill. Laid out at 1,500 m, Mt Kinabalu GC is the highest course in Malaysia and provides the most surprising playing experience you?d expect on a tropical island close to the equator. The back-nine underwent a complete renovation last year and is in stunning condition. You can?t be blamed for calling it a day after nine holes though, because the steep slopes make even that quite a workout?if you?re not in shape, then it?s best to take a buggy. The landscape is nothing short of dramatic and Mt Kinabalu provides the backdrop to most holes, which are flanked by the pristine jungles of Kinabalu Park. Playing here is as much about the golf as it is about the whole experience. And it?s one that?s best reserved for the end of your trip.

There are no direct flights to Kota Kinabalu and you?ll need to transit from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, or Singapore. Malaysia Airlines flies daily from all these destinations. Among the budget carriers, Dragonair and Air Asia operate regular flights to Kota Kinabalu. You?ll get more reasonable fares via Bangkok rather than Kuala Lumpur.

A golfer, Meraj Shah also writes about the game

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First published on: 25-05-2014 at 04:05 IST
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