+66 (0) 88 867 2867
Conveniently located just 20 mins from downtown Phnom Penh, close to the airport, Grand Phnom Penh Golf Club, a championship-calibre 18-hole golf course from designer Jack Nicklaus. It's a very pleasant parkland-style course with generous fairways, undulating green and a number of forced water carries. Often tricky wind conditions mean that scoring well at this private members' club is a real challenge. It's a shame the off-course facilities aren't up to par.
After the pretty gentle par-4 opener, things toughen up with the par-5 2nd, which has danger all the way down the left side in the form of two massive waste bunkers and a lake. The 6th is the pick of the par 3s, requiring a carry of around 180 yards over water into a shallow green protected by a lone bunker in front, and that's followed by another long par 5, this time with water all the way down the right. A large bunker right on line just short of the green should deter all but the longest hitters from attempting to get on in two.
After the turn, there's another excellent par 3 in the form of the 11th, where again you face water from tee to green and a huge bunker wrapped around the putting surface, which is tough to find in blustery conditions. The 12th is a right-angled dogleg requiring a long drive over water, the first in a run of holes that will fill you with trepidation if you're struggling off the tee, with four of the next five holes requiring water carries off the tee.
The longest hole is the 17th, a 645-yard par 5 where you play over water to a narrow fairway that gently doglegs around another of those massive waste bunkers towards a distant green, while the final hole is a 456-yard par 4 where your final approach must flirt with a watery grave and find the small gap between twin bunkers just in front of the green.
The imposing clubhouse is still under construction (and actually has been for many years, with no end in sight), so away from the course the facilities are temporary in nature, so the first impression isn't great. You check in at a small kiosk, while the locker rooms are across a road in what appears to be a residential property. They've seen better days, too. There's no restaurant to speak of, although snacks are available at the kiosks on each nine.
Despite the facilities being a let-down, there's an enjoyable round to be had here, and if you've played the top four courses in Phnom Penh already and want something a little different, Grand Phnom Penh Golf Club makes for a great choice.
+66 (0) 88 867 2867
