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.