Golf in Bali

A decent nine holer for those looking for a quick game.

Open since 1972 but rebranded in 2004 with the addition of a driving range and clubhouse, the Bali Beach Golf Course is a decent nine hole course for those in the Sanur area after a quick golfing fix.

Set in a pleasing environment of tall mature trees and flowering hibiscus shrubs, it’s a well laid out par-36 course that’s a little heavy on the par-4s for the purists, with only one short and one long hole on offer. It’s fairly straightforward, with water hazards rarely coming into play, although there are enough bunkers to keep you on your toes and the wind can certainly be a factor, particularly on the par-3 2nd.

The newly opened clubhouse has a decent Indonesian restaurant and a pleasant bar, and the staff are friendly. Overall, not one for the connoisseur, but if you go with realistic expectations it’s a good option for a quick scratch of that golfing itch.

Bali Golf & Country Club – an enjoyably varied challenge on a championship course that offers some truly spectacular views.

Host of the 1994 Asian Dunhill Masters, an event at which Nick Faldo set a course record of 63 that stands to this day, Bali Golf & Country Club was recently rated in the top 5 courses in Asia by US magazine Fortune. It’s a well deserved accolade.

The course winds through three distinct sections: you tee off uphill, the fairways lined with hand-built stone walls and thick vegetation, and as you climb you are treated to some spectacular views of the Indian Ocean and, if the weather is fine, the stunning Mt. Agung in the distance. If you’ve successfully negotiated the epic 580 yard 7th, you’ll certainly have earned this treat. After the turn, you play through a coconut grove where palm trees as high as 100 feet can easily catch you out, and the round ends with two spectacular holes by the beach, where the cooling ocean breeze can be at once a blessing and a curse as you try to avoid the imposing 16 acre lake beside the 18th.

This is a course where you can choose the level of difficulty thanks to the range of tee boxes on offer – from the back tees you’ll have to be a magician to get anywhere near Mr. Faldo’s record, but play from further forward and the landing areas are much easier to reach, and even the longest holes don’t seem as daunting. Thanks to some excellent maintenance, you’ll rarely find yourself in the middle of the fairway but stuck in a divot, and the greens run fast and true. After your round, the elegant clubhouse is a perfect place to unwind with a beer or a massage at the Spa before a top notch meal at the open air restaurant. Given it’s a course you’ll want to play more than once, it’s handy to have a series of rentable three- and four-bedroom villas on site; those taking advantage of this can benefit from special green fees and priority tee times.

Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club – in the crater of a (thankfully extinct) volcano and as aesthetically spectacular as that sounds, this is a must-play course.

The journey to Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club may be a long one (a couple of hours from Nusa Dua and an hour from Ubud), but take our word for it, it is worth the effort. Nestled in the crater of a volcano in the Bedugul mountains, this is a simply breathtaking course. Even the drive up through the traditional villages, rice paddies, and into the mountains past Lake Bedugul is captivating. Open since 1974 and consequently benefitting from the fully mature trees that are often noticeably absent from newer courses, visually this is a course to behold, with indigenous flowers in bloom, creeks cutting through the course and the rim of the crater in the distance.

Aside from all this there is the small matter of the golf on offer, and thanks to some severe elevation changes, cleverly placed hazards and some memorable holes, Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club does not disappoint. On the 90 degree dog-leg par-4 3rd, a creek prevents you from cutting the corner and the opposite side of the narrow fairway is a mass of thick bushes – needless to say, accuracy from the tee is vital here, not least because your second must carry across water to a green whose use of Bent grass renders it lightning quick.

The choice of the 14th as the signature hole is more to do with aesthetics than anything else; this uphill 203 yard par-3 with a well protected green is indeed tough to par, but it’s the huge mountains in the background that really make it stand out. With all the hills it’s something of a relief that the round ends downhill, with a par-5 that will offer up birdies for those who can avoid the fairway bunkers.

Off the course, there are excellent practice facilities which include 3 putting greens, a chipping area and practice bunkers and a clubhouse which, though dated, is a pleasant place to reflect on your round with a drink. Japanese food is the order of the day but if you are in the mood for something local there are a variety of Indonesian restaurants just a 10 minute drive away on the banks of Lake Bedugul. Here you can also stay overnight in the club’s hotel, but they have really started to show their age and are overpriced for what is on offer. Despite this, overall this is highly recommended as a stop on your golfing itinerary.

Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club – a must play on to your Bali golf holiday package.