Indah Puri, Batam, Indonesia

Location

Indah Puri, Batam, Indonesia

Website

http://www.indahpuri.com

Rating 

7/10

Review

View from Clubhouse down 18th Hole

Indah Puri is a fun, enjoyable 18 hole golf course a short drive from Batam Ferry Terminal. 

For those unfamiliar with Batam it is one of the large Indonesian islands approx 40mins by ferry to the south of Singapore. If travelling via ferry from Singapore it can be reached via Harbourfront Ferry Terminal to the south west of the CBD.

When golfing at Indah Puri I generally book through the club (link on their website) they make it very easy and organise  everything for you including the ferry transfer from Singapore and transfer from the Batam terminal to the course. Once you arrive at the ferry terminal staff from the course will escort you through immigration and onto an awaiting bus.

The facilities like most courses I find in Indonesia are a little run down and have seen better days however I found them to be clean, functional and more than for most golfers needs, although I wouldn't plan on doing much shopping at the pro-shop as the range is pretty poor.

As for the course, it is a simple and open layout in a coastal location on the island. The fairways are pretty well maintained however do have a bit of cow grass growing into them which is not unusual for courses in the region. Greens tend to be on the slower side and a little grainy but are playable surfaces and do tend to help out the casual golfer. 

The clubhouse does offer some nice meals after your round and even has some in-house massage rooms located near the change rooms if you have a bit of time to kill whilst waiting for your transfer back to the ferry terminal

Best Holes

3rd - Downhill par 3 whilst it looks a relatively tame and straight forward hole off the tee, the green has some serious shape, so if you do hit the green and you are not close to the pin a Par is no guarantee!

5th - Another nice short par 3 with arguably the best view on the course which on a clear day you will be able to see the skyline of Singapore in the distance.

5th Tee Shot

17th - A reachable par 4 which entices you to cut the dogleg and hit right over a large water hazard to find the green. This golfer however would recommend laying up after losing a few in a "Tin Cup" moment trying to get one close from the tee box.

Summary

A good option for a day trip from Singapore if you are looking to get off the Island. The transfers from Harbourfront make the whole day a little easier than heading out to Bintan from Tanah Merah.

Cost

Approx $150 SGD for 18 holes and cart. Caddy tip ($20 USD) & Visa ($10 USD)

My Tips

• The Nasi Goreng is worth a try after the round!
• Ask the guys who collect your passport not to put a stamp in as this can save you precious pages in your passport.

Upcoming Reviews.....

In the near future you can expect reviews of the following courses....

• Da Nang Golf Club, Vietnam
• Montgomerie Links, Vietnam

I also have plans to visit the following later this year...

• Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania, Australia
• Lost Farm, Tasmania, Australia
• Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club, NSW, Australia

Really looking forward to playing and reviewing these courses for you! If anyone has any requests for courses they want reviews for please leave me a comment...

The Legends Golf & Country Resort, Malaysia

Location

Johor Region, Malaysia

Website

http://www.keppelclub.com.sg/

My Rating 

5/10

Review

A 27 hole course with each of the 9 holes designed by the legends Jack Nacklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player and only an hours drive from Singapore. Sounds to good to be true doesnt it? Well it is.

Opened in the 90s at no doubt substantial cost based on the massive club house, the longest drive way I have ever seen at a golf resort and the names behind the designs it would seem sadly that not a dollar has been spent since it opened, way back when.

The drive from Singapore is reasonable if not very dull as you cruise through mile after mile of Palm Oil Plantation.

Arriving at the club house there is a very smooth bag drop and check-in operation but its here you start to notice the lack of investment in the club - the building is run down, the change rooms smell of damp and sweat and general environment is quite unpleasant.

Hoping the course is better we teed off playing the Lakes & Palm Nines leaving the Hill Nine for another day. Immediately the poorly attended bunkers and bare fairways became obvious (although the greens were surprisingly good, firm and fast).

The course layout and hole designs are of course well thought out as you would expect from such well qualified designers, but the upkeep of the course just lets the whole thing down.

Im not going to comment on highlights/lowlights or favourite holes as I am just too disapointed. If I was pushed the 9th is probably my pick - risk reward par 4.

Being Singapore the course doesnt have a huge amount of land but makes the most of what it has, as a result expect tight fairways often only separated from other holes by one row of trees. This can come in handy when you hit one off target!

If I was pushed on a positive I would say its a quick round - mainly because there was no-one else at the course, even on a Sunday!

Summary

It would have been an amazing complex when it opened, sadly a lack of investment has resulted in a below average experience. 

Cost

Approx $130 SGD for 18 holes and cart. Caddy is extra (and not required).

Insider Tips

1. Ensure you have a toll card for Malaysia as you will go through allot of toll booths if driving from Singapore.

2. There is a discount from Amex if you book through the concierge.

Keppel Club, Singaore

Location

Singapore Island (Nearest MRT Telok Blangah)

Website

http://www.keppelclub.com.sg/

My Rating 

7/10

Review

Keppel Club is a private golf club and recreation club on the south west of the Singapore CBD.

It is possible for non-members to get access to the course, either by enquiring at the club or via getting the right local American Express Platinum card.

I went with the second option and booked via the Amex Concierge which went very smoothly.

The course is only 10mins from the centre of the city and is quite accessible from most areas on the Island via Taxi.

Being Singapore the course doesnt have a huge amount of land but makes the most of what it has, as a result expect tight fairways often only separated from other holes by one row of trees. This can come in handy when you hit one off target!

We hit off early on a weekday on the back 9 and whilst there were plenty of other golfers on the course, the marshall kept control of the field and we played the full 18 uninterrupted.

The course does receive allot of play and as a result there are allot of sand filled divots, but generally the fairways are in fantastic shape! The greens also were firm and fast with a very very good cover of grass. 

The course was brilliant, lots of changes in elevation and lots of strategy required off the tee - certainly not the course to play if you want to hit Driver 14 times! Many of the tee shots are blind so it is vital to understand where the trouble is and what yardages to the corner of the doglegs - I came unstuck hitting more club than I needed on a number of holes! 

The course isn't too long and I found it to be a great enjoyable course to play, not losing too many balls and not being punished to much for a mishit.

Best Holes

1st - a short par 4 with some great bunkering. An elevated green will require some serious precision to get it close to the hole for a shot at birdie. A hole that really shows how good a short par 4 can be!

1st Hole - Approach Shot

2nd - A longer Par 4 with a sharp dogleg left. OB runs down the right hand side making sure you take the right line off the tee if you are to avoid it. The second shot is down hill to a generous but well protected green, both bunkers and a pond guarding your approach. A cracking hole and number 1 index at Keppel.

2nd Hole - Approach

9th Green & Clubhouse

Jack Nicklaus Sea View Course, Bintan Lagoon, Indonesia

Location

 Bintan Island, Indonesia (45min Ferry ride from Singapore)

Website

http://www.asiaconcierge.net/bintanlagoon-golf.htm

This seemed to be the best site for booking information as the actual resort website seems focussed on room bookings and not the golf course.

My Rating 

7/10

Review

Bintan Lagoon is a resort and golf club on the Island of Bintan part of the many Islands that make up Indonesia. The Island is a comfortable  45min Ferry ride from Singapore. The resort contains two 18 holes courses the first designed by Jack Nicklaus and the second by Ian Baker Finch.

I booked a couple of weeks in advance via the contact details on the website above, booking process was fairly straight forward and the cost reasonable, working out to be approx $200 for the day all transfers included.

Arriving via Ferry from Singapore and passing customs quickly thanks to express visa processing provided by the resort,  it is a fairly short 10min easy bus ride (included) to the resort. Your clubs are checked in at the Ferry terminal so no need to worry about them they will appear later at the resort, making the trip very comfortable in the heat.

On arrival at the resort everything was very smooth, check-in at the pro shop, pick up your cart, caddy and clubs and then hit the range for a warm up. The clubhouse and surrounds are a little date as the complex would be coming up on 20years now.

We hit off quite early at around 9am local time on a Sunday and the course was relatively busy but nothing compared to Australian standards and even with a short weather delay we got around in a 2Ball in just over 4 hours without much hassle.

 Teeing off on the  "Jack" sea view course off the Blue Tees we made our way around the front 9 which despite the "sea view" name didn't actually present us with much of a sea view until the very last tee shot for the nine. That being said the holes were fantastic cutting through Indonesian jungle with lots of elevation changes and very well, maintained fairways and greens.

The back 9 started to deliver on the promises of "sea view" with the 12th & 13th "Signature Holes" which take you right out onto Pasir Panjang beach, spectacular? Kind of....

Best Holes

1st - a shortish Par 4 and one f the only holes you don't need driver to set up an attacking approach. 3 wood off the tee avoiding the water right and forest left, should leave a short iron up the hill into an elevated green. Good starting hole.

5th - a short par 5 which is very strategic. Tee shot is down hill but open and a long driver between the bunkers on the right and water on the left leaves you with a big decision. Go for the green up hill over a set of very daunting bunkers or lay up short of those bunkers and leave yourself with a mid-iron to the elevated green! Great hole Jack! For those who are interested I went for it with a Hybrid and didn't quite carry the bunkers leaving a tricky 50m bunker shot.

11th - a nice down hill tee shot on this par 5 should put you just left of a water hazard and just short of a creek cutting across the fairway at around 320yds off the tee, if your in this position it sets up beautifully to give you a chance of getting your 2nd shot onto a receptive green. It's a big hit though and you must avoid trouble right - hit a good shot and par if not birdie should be yours!

12th - The signature hole at Bintan Lagoon. A mid iron towards the green with a beach on the left and right of the green makes for a spectacular shot, although they now seem to be building a Marina on the rig which makes the hole somewhat less spectacular than the photos on the brochure.

13th - not really a favourite I actually despise this hole, for some ridiculous reason the green is split in two by a creek. I dont care how good you are this is insane the target is tiny and to a certain extent getting it on the right part of the green is a bit of luck - in particular when the breeze is up - which is was (I bailed out right into the bunker and tried to make the sand save - unsuccessfully).

Front 9 tee shot (forgot the whole number) sensible line is short of bunkers on the left with a 3 wood.

Spectacular 9th Tee shot with the Ocean in the background

Partner Teeing off on 13

Summary

Overall from a design perspective the Blue tees at Bintan Lagoon Sea View generally involved Driver off most of the tees so if you like that kind of golf you will really enjoy if here, for someone whom prefers more strategic courses off the tee the repetitive use of the driver got a bit old by the end of the round. The course was beautifully maintained making for a great day out on course. Prices on course for water, drinks etc were excessive so watch out for this hidden hit to your back pocket. In addition facilities whilst still quite good like most courses in Indonesia are dating and certainly not anywhere near the best in Asia.

Bintain Lagoon is a really good option when you cant get on a course in Singapore on a weekend, but it will cost you!

Insider Tips

1. Booking via the resort can make things allot easier, they will include Ferry Transfer, Express customs clearance and golf for one price.

2. Stock up on drinks at the Ferry terminal in Bintan. Drinks prices  on the course are extremely inflated and for a few dollars you can hire and esky and ice that can be thrown on the side of the golf cart.

3. Book a taxi in advance if traveling back to Singapore on a Sunday afternoon as the taxi lines at Taneh Merah ferry terminal are insane!