Parahyangan Golf, Bandung

A Sneak Peek

The beauty of golfing in Indonesia is that you’re never far away from a fabulous golf course. Moreover, the majority of Indonesia’s top golf courses are of world-class, and yet, there are no strict club rules and regulations like there are at many top golf courses in the UK or in the USA. Rest assured that, in Indonesia, there is no stiff-upper-lip attitude that stands in the way of an enjoyable day out on the golf course. In Indonesia, golfing is pure fun!

Furthermore, a significant amount of Indonesia’s top golf courses are conveniently located in, or near an exciting city. And for those who are looking for “awe-inspiring beauty”, it’s good to know that a great deal of Indonesia’s top golf courses is located in some of the most stunning and natural sites not too far away from the hustle and bustle of a grand city, or from a modern-day urban development.

Playing golf aided and accompanied by a charming and knowledgeable female caddie, is yet another amenity that is part and parcel of the fun of playing golf in Indonesia. And if all of this isn’t enough, playing golf on Indonesia’s top golf courses during weekdays is highly affordable and doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to break bank. Needless to say, that all of the above accolades contribute to Indonesia’s meteoric rise as one of Asia’s most attractive golf destinations.

Talking about beauty; recently I traveled to Bandung to get a sneak peek at yet another quality golf course that will surely elevate Indonesia’s - and in this case, Bandung’s reputation as a highly attractive golf destination.

Parahyangan Golf, hole #1

Located in Kota Baru, Parahyangan, Padalarang, very soon a brand new 18 holes golf course will open under the name of Parahyangan Bandung Golf. It was designed by Bob Moore - lead designer of USA-based JMP Golf Design Group, and the man who delivered top golf courses such as Royale Jakarta, Rainbow Hills and Senayan National in Jakarta, Bukit Pandawa in Bali, and Padi Valley in Makassar, to name just a few.

Set amidst a highly dramatic valley-to-mountain landscape located beyond the modern township of Kota Baru Parahyangan, Padalarang, uniquely, the golf course navigates through two distinctly different types of terrain.

From the more than 9000sqm open-spaced clubhouse, the front nine sets out from the valley into an awe-inspiring mountainous landscape that is dominated by steep hills and mountains, and that is home to ravines and deep gorges created over a period of thousands of years by weathering and erosive activity. As it plays high above the valley in which the clubhouse and the back nine are located, many holes on the front nine offer stunning views, and particularly the view from the tee box of the downhill par 5 hole #5 is exemplary.

The steep hills and mountains are home predominantly to local farmers who make a living from agriculture and vegetable farming. Seamlessly their workspaces integrate with golf holes that are situated in this part of the site, and of which several are still under construction.

Parahyangan Golf, hole #6

The back nine sets out into an open plain that borders Lake Saguling, a man-made lake that forms a rich source of income to fishermen and fish-farmers alike. The main activity on the lake’s shores is vegetable farming and growing of rice, the latter being the most widely consumed staple food in Indonesia.

Lake Saguling’s many tributaries and waterways have created a patchwork of typical landforms with shoreline-features that include plateaus, bays, gorges and streams, and tiny valleys even. And it is here, that Bob Moore cleverly created a series of golf holes - #12 to #16 - that connect and/or integrate these amazing landforms and shoreline features, making room for golf holes unlike anything we find elsewhere in Indonesia.

Whether it’s the front- or the back nine, the set-up of the entire golf course is incredibly “vast” and “spacious”. It is nothing short of phenomenal. Literally each and every hole offers a different vista that surely will have you struggle for concentration, and to take it one golf shot at a time. Without doubt, Parahyangan will leave an indelible impression with first-time visitors and seasoned golfers alike.

After what I have seen at Parahyangan Golf, for me it’s pretty obvious; the Parahyangan golf course is testament not only to Moore’s unconditional love for his trade and for Indonesia’s natural beauty, but certainly also for his unwavering respect for all that Mother Nature throws at him as a golf course designer. Rest assured that with the Parahyang golf course, Bob Moore is about to deliver one of his “very best”.

In order to share my first impressions with Golf Asia readers in Indonesia, here is a photographic sneak peek into what the brand-new Parahyangan golf course has in store for all golfers who love beauty, drama and challenge, all wrapped-up in one.

During my two-day visit at Parahyangan, no score card was available yet. So, unfortunately, I am not able to give you details on distances and slope- and course ratings. As soon as I have all of this information, we will surely publish it in one of Golf Asia’s upcoming editions.

Enjoy.

Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club Officially Opens On Bali

BALI, Indonesia - Bali's evolution into a legitimate international golf destination gained some remarkable new standing last weekend with the opening of Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club, the fifth golf venue on the Island of the Gods and the first 18-hole, par-3 championship course in Indonesia.

Designed by Bob Moore of California-based JMP Golf Design Group and managed by AccorHotels, Bukit Pandawa G&CC is also the first phase of an unprecedented hospitality project taking shape on Bali's southern coastline, where the club's ownership group, luxury resort developer PT Bali Ragawisata (BRW), is planning to add hotels and residences managed by world-renowned brands Mandarin Oriental, Waldorf Astoria and Swissôtel and a soon-to-be-announced company that has long been synonymous with the finest things in life.

"We're setting the stage for everything that's to come," said Stephen Banks, general manager of Bukit Pandawa G&CC. "We're equal parts groundbreaking, eye-popping and extraordinary."

To drive home the level of excellence golfers can expect at Bukit Pandawa G&CC, the course partnered with iconic automaker BMW — which is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year — to hold a novel, grand opening tournament on Oct. 8 for 160 invited players, each of whom had 18 chances to win a range of BMW-brand vehicles.

"I'm not sure there's ever been a tournament where at each hole you could win a car — let alone a premium car — with an ace," said Djie Tjian An, president/director of BRW. "Even though we didn't see a hole-in-one, everyone sure had fun trying."

The tournament was followed by a surprise unveiling of the futuristic BMW i8 — a cutting-edge hybrid supercar — that was celebrated with a champagne toast sponsored by French multinational luxury good conglomerate LVMH.

"Throughout its 100-year history, the BMW Group has constantly reinvented itself," said Karen Lim, president/director of BMW Group Indonesia. "The i8, the most progressive sports car in the world, is testament of that. And Bukit Pandawa, with its immaculate playing surface, is the perfect platform on which to roll out such a revolutionary driving machine."

Located on a spectacular limestone clifftop overlooking the world-famous surf breaks of Bukit Peninsula, AccorHotels' flagship course in Asia offers 18 exquisite par-3 holes ranging from 117 to 244 yards in length.

From the back tees, it plays 3,027 yards, a few hundred yards longer than lauded Turtle Hill Golf Club at Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, which ranks among GOLF Magazine USA's top 10 par-3 courses in the world.

Some holes at Bukit Pandawa G&CC are back-dropped by the Indian Ocean. Others are accented by waterfalls or terraced rice paddies. All are subject to the wind.

"It can be a real test," said Banks, a former playing professional from Manchester, England "When the breeze is up — and it almost always is — there's a good chance you'll use every club in the bag. Even driver."

One standout hole is the 148-yard 13th, which is framed by three bunkers and features curved stone walls in the foreground and a traditional Balinese kul-kul tower in the background.

Given how short the par-54 layout is compared to standard 18-hole setups, Djie Tjian An anticipates it will be especially popular with short-stay visitors and families.

"So often, a golfer might pass on the opportunity to play on vacation or during a business trip because it can burn a large portion of the day," he said. "But here, that's not an issue. A round takes no more than a couple hours to complete."

In designing Bukit Pandawa G&CC, Moore, whose firm is responsible for championship-caliber designs all over the world including the acclaimed Royale Jakarta Golf Club in Indonesia's capital, embraced the contours and characteristics of a site that was rife with ridge lines, architectural ruins and sea views. Indeed, the ocean is visible from 15 holes.

To round out the total golf experience at Bukit Pandawa G&CC and provide visitors a feeling of rapture when they arrive, a 3,000-square-meter clubhouse inspired by the ancient temples and towers of central Bali has been constructed.

Conceived by accomplished architects Antony Liu and Ferry Ridwan from StudioTonTon in Jakarta, the imaginative, twin-block structure was designed to blend into its natural surroundings through the liberal implementation of local materials (such as stone and wood), native grasses and, above all, water, which flows seamlessly through many of the building's spaces.

"We're extremely proud of this project," said Liu, who is one of Indonesia's foremost modern tropical architects. "It perfectly harnesses what's so great about the location — the views — and it has so much character."

That includes the singular facility's signature component, the rooftop restaurant, which overlooks the ocean and course and features al fresco dining and lounge areas that ooze exotic elegance.

Indonesia's Top Ten Golf Courses Announced

In the upcoming edition of Golf Digest's Planet Golf, the best courses from 205 individual countries are selected to come up with a list of the best courses in the world by country.

From the around 140 courses in Indonesia the courses that 'made the cut' are:

1. Nirwana Bali GC, Tabanan, Bali ★
2. Taman Dayu GC & Resort, Surabaya, East Java
3. Rancamaya G&CC, Jakarta, West Java
4. Royale Jakarta GC, (West/South), Jakarta, West Java
5. Damai Indah Golf (Pantai Indah Kapuk), Jakarta, West Java
6. Ria Bintan GC (Ocean Course), Lagoi, Bintan
7. Damai Indah Golf (Bumi Serpong Damai), Tangerang, West Java
8. Jagorawi G&CC (New Course), Bogor, West Java
9. Gunung Geulis CC, Bogor, West Java
10. Jagorawi G&CC (Old Course), Bogor, West Java

★ Nirwana Bali GC is the only Indonesian course ranked in Golf Digest's World 100 Greatest Courses in 52nd place.

To know which courses from other countries are among the world's best, follow the link here.

World Class Golf Comes To Makassar

The city of Makassar is located on the southern end of the island of Sulawesi. It is the 10^th largest city in the Indonesian archipelago and home to 1.3 million people. For many decades the only golf in Makassar has been provided by a bare bones military course. That is until a partnership of four local businessmen was formed to bring “world class golf” to the city. Their company, Galesong Group, selected an ideal parcel of land for the creation of Padivalley - a mixed use, master planned golf community located less than 30 minutes drive from the heart of Makassar. In addition to the championship golf course, Padivalley includes housing estates, sports club, resort hotel and day villas.

Padivalley - Hole #14

Padivalley Golf Club is a 7,150 yard, 18-hole layout that flows across mountain shoulders and broad valleys. According to the golf course architect, Bob Moore of JMP Golf Design Group, “The golf course design is an esthetically beautiful layout featuring seven man-made lakes, rocky stream channels, cape & bay bunkers and massive stone walls set against the backdrop of mountain ranges. It is also a golf course that presents tremendous challenge from the championship tees. In its first year of existence it has already been selected to host an ASEAN PGA Tour Event, the 2012 Gowa Padivalley Classic.”

Padivalley - View from the Clubhouse

The Padivalley clubhouse is dramatically perched on a promontory rising 40 meters above the surrounding valley and from which ten of the 18 holes can be seen. The starting holes plunge down from this mountain ridge providing long-range views of more than 30 kilometers. The golf course is environmentally sensitive to the land form and incorporates a unique mix of five par 3s and five par 5s into the par 72 layout. Tees, fairways and roughs are turfed with Salam paspallum, greens are turfed with Sea Isle Supreme paspallum and thousands of ornamental grasses and trees provide framing to the golf course.

Padivalley - Hole #8

Bali Handara Revisited

For me, Bali Handara has always been a special place and certainly not only because of the golf course. Recently I traveled to Bali to revisit Bali Handara and meet up with my longtime buddy Supriadi Mawardi, the new and current General Manager.

My first ever visit to Bali Handara dates back to 1987, when the course was just voted into the top-50 courses of the world by USA based Golf Magazine. Until today, I proudly treasure the beautifully handwritten certificate that is a testament to my maiden round at this awesome location.

Many years have passed and ever since I permanently moved back to Indonesia in 1990, I have played the course at least a three dozen times. Over the years I have seen the course mature into one of the most exciting layouts (and sites) in the world of golf, as much as I have also seen it deteriorate form times to times.
The well known proverb that "new brooms always sweep cleaner" truly is applicable here and the new management has put in place a program that looks at upgrading the course as well as the hotel facility. Only a few months into the new job, Supriadi has put his mark on the course and the hotel. It truly shows what simple and basic maintenance can do to a course.

Depending on how much money will be made available by the owners, it needs to be seen what the future brings for Bali Handara, a course that once has put Indonesia on the world map of golf. Under the new management, overall maintenance is pretty good while fairways and greens look better than they have ever done over the past five years. However, lots of upgrading is still heeded and especially in bunkering. Most of these traps are shallow and at the end of their life span and given the explosive development of today's golf equipment and balls, repositioning of bunkers need to be looked at. It is hoped that Supriadi will get all the support from the owners and in doing so to bring back Bali Handara to the forefront of world golf.

Located in a more than 300 years extinct volcanic crater - and as it (almost every hour of the day) is exposed to constant changing of day light, for golf course photographers like me Bali Handara is a genuine treat. The more than 350 meter high forest-clad crater wall that overlooks the site is dramatic and impressive and serves as a natural backdrop photographers and film directors can only dream of.

Over a period of two full days I shot at least 200 pictures that show the course in clear sunlight as well as in light that was colored orange-yellow by a setting sun. On the final day it was overcast causing it the course and clubhouse to be back dropped by dramatically dark rain-filled clouds and flairs of gloomy mist. Yet, even this type of weather allowed me to make some of the best pictures in a long time.

Bali Handara is back on the radar and with the new general manager in place golfers are likely to be pleasantly surprised with enhanced maintenance at the course and hotel when showing up in Bedugul for a "must" round of golf at one of the most historic courses in today's world of golf. Make sure you play Bali Handara next time you are in Bali and stay over for the night. It truly is worth the trip!