Serpong Damai course offers best golfing holes<\/p>\n
By Nicklaus D'Cruz<\/p>\n
The Bumi Serpong Damai Course in Indonesia is a phenomenal
\nlayout that caters to almost every aspect of the game. It looks
\nfor length on some occasions; it looks for finesse on others; it
\nlooks for intelligence; it looks for workable irons by forcing
\nyou to play left to right or right to left and even forces you to
\nplay away from your target; all with the clever placement of
\nbunkers, offset greens and fairways that make every hole
\ndifferent, challenging and absolutely breathtaking off the tees.
\nEven from the middle of the fairway, when standing over your
\napproach, you cannot help but just dwell in wonderment at the
\ndifficulty of the hole or the myriad of choices being presented.<\/p>\n
Some holes are near perfect in their designs combining
\nstunning designs with huge, sweeping and intimidating bunkering,
\nclear choices and tantalising danger.<\/p>\n
It is not unduly long from the white tees, where most of the
\nmembers and tourists play, or the blue tees for that matter, but
\nstill sometimes encourages a long drive and at other times
\nencouraging the use of an iron and a calm mind. Offset greens
\nrequire that you meticulously calculate distances, secure the
\nright golf club, work the golf ball while carrying some monstrous
\nsand traps.<\/p>\n
What sets Bumi Serpong apart though from the many other
\ncourses is its collection of some of the finest golfing holes in
\nAsia - one of the best par 4's, the 6th, two phenomenal par 5's,
\nthe 8th and 13th and at least two other par 4's that are worthy
\nchallengers for the winner's trophy.<\/p>\n
The result from this elaborate effort is that a bigger variety
\nof golf shots are required. The huge amounts of sand contained in
\nwaste bunkers and in traps embedded in mounds and positioned
\nbelow the greens add a great deal to how you route your golf ball
\nwhile adding to optical illusions; lengthening distances as well
\nand especially because shots over so many endless traps add to
\nthe pressure of the game. Many of the greens are slanted, placed
\ndiagonal to the fairway or offset to the left or right leave
\nlittle margin for errors landing short or going long, and
\nemphasise the need for the correct length to the fluttering flag.<\/p>\n
With a layout peerless through so many holes, you really get
\nthe chance to enjoy the felicities of motion, its inertia
\nstirring you on with each hole like a song in an unchained
\nmelody. So many challenges are piled one after another edging you
\non to recklessness as you dance to their tunes.<\/p>\n
It is an exciting way to test your mettle, and analyse your
\nabilities and, where you should fail, you will want your replay,
\neagerly awaiting another opportunity to pit your skills against
\nthe fancy, tumultuous and tempting terrain.<\/p>\n
First nine<\/p>\n
A friendly opening on a hole with highs and lows faces you on
\nthe first tee where you stare down a fairway running parallel to
\na long waste bunker in play through the first 300 metres before
\nspilling into a lemon grass flower bed. The 35 metre fairway
\nopens up at the 200 metre landing area to a width of 60 metres to
\nhelp contain your first drive of the day. The situation quickly
\nturns though when you step up to the ball to try to knock it onto
\nthe green. In stark contrast, a narrow 10 metre wide passageway
\nis what you will be sending your ball through to a green offset
\nleft to right, its front pushed aside by a 30 metre long sand
\ntrap. Negotiate that approach well and you would have secured for
\nyourself a happy opening score as the first taste of the greens
\nshould be pressure-less with a rather flat surface that allows
\nyou to adjust your feel.<\/p>\n
The second hole gets immediately more interesting as it
\ndoglegs to the left. The sane shot is for you to avoid the two
\nlarge bunkers tucked in the inside of the turn, next to where a
\n50 metre wide fairway awaits. To reiterate, don't bother cutting
\nthe corner ! The approach is similar to the first although this
\nis a much longer golf hole. One trap is prepared for your arrival
\nahead of the green and another sits along the right, both a lot
\ndeeper than previously. A little depression in the fairway is
\nsituated just in front of the green and adds its own
\nencouragement for you to carry your shot through the wide opening
\nall the way to the pin.<\/p>\n
The third is a scenic hole where your ball must cross a large
\npond which inches its way up to the edge of the green. The entire
\nback of the green is lined with sand to collect those shots
\nstruck with too much fear. That fear of course is amply justified
\nwith the green, laid out from right to left, a narrow and shallow
\ntarget maybe 5 metres wide in front, and doubling up only in the
\nback. The slightly elevated tee means that you have to lose a
\nclub or a club and a half, dependant on your fear of water.<\/p>\n
Absolutely beautiful. The 6th. A short par 4 with a waste
\nbunker that occupies what should be the fairway as the crow flies
\nto the green. It stops toying with you starting 50 metres from
\nthe front edge of the green; although it does stretch all the way
\nto the green as you wander progressively left. The fairway
\nitself, offset to the right, runs for about 180 metres before it
\nmeets with 2 bunkers on either side. This hole encourages you to
\ntreat it with abandon. With a good tailwind and a strong drive
\nthat flies 210 metres, you may just cross the wasteland and find
\nyourself within a wedge to the green. That can be a truly
\nsatisfying experience. There is no point weighing risk and
\nrewards here simply because of the exciting and tempting
\npossibilities laid out here. You are basically a pawn in its
\ngrasp. If you have to mess up, this is as good a golf hole as can
\nbe. The more level headed golfer can play along the fairway but
\nneeds also to decide on whether to lay up or negotiate the land
\nbetween the sand. This great golf hole is easily one of the best
\npar fours in Asia.<\/p>\n
A great par 3 follows where you execute your tee shot from an
\nelevated tee box just 15 metres above the green. The green is
\njust ahead of a ravine and river and what adds to your fear is
\nthat you will need to drop two clubs to allow for the descent as
\nwell as try to land it below the cup. The undulating green slopes
\nfrom back to front, away from out of bounds that demarcate the
\nrear. A 2 metre deep sand trap awaits anxiously along the entire
\nleft while a grass basin, slightly less threatening, awaits on
\nthe right.<\/p>\n
The 8th is another grand looking hole where, this time, it
\nshould attain top ranking as one of the best par 5's in the
\nregion. A huge series of bunkers combine to act as a waste trap
\noccupying the left just outside a clump of palm trees, forcing
\nthe fairway to veer out sharply to the right, the latter
\nsandwiched between the sand and water that starts at the teebox
\nand ends 80 metres away. A hill occupies the entire right and
\nthis setting makes for the start of this beautiful golf hole and
\nat least a couple of different targets from the tee. The fairway
\nswings to the left around the sand traps before it crashes
\nheadlong into another bunker on the right which starts about 100
\nmetres from the green and along which the fairway inches its way
\ntill it meets the green laid out diagonally across the fairway.
\nYou also have, as a target, a 40 metre long portion of fairway
\nthat sticks out into the wasteland for you to manoeuvre your golf
\nball onto before the final shot home. It should be no surprise
\nthat the waste trap sneaks up to surround the front portion of
\nthe green completely, through to the back, to basically leave no
\nopening. The balance of the fairway moves up right past the green
\non the left which would probably be where you would want to think
\nabout aiming. This is a scary green to hit, looking almost like
\nan island. If you are aiming your golf ball at the pin, you need
\nnot really length but absolute accuracy.<\/p>\n
The 9th completes this first half quaternity of the finest
\ngolfing holes in the region. An absolutely dramatic waste bunker
\nstarts from the red tees just after a lemon grass patch and
\ncontinues alongside the fairway without running out of steam. 20
\nmetres short of the green, it meets a pond that positions itself
\nalong the right edge of the green complex. A great deal of
\ntrouble resides in the front entrance as well; a steep fall into
\na bunker in the right front edge and centre and a 2 metre slope
\nthat will roll your ball into the water with no effort to hold it
\nback. A good fade through the offset entrance will have the
\nchance of finding the flag and will put to best use the left to
\nright setting. It is also hard to notice, but the sand trap in
\nfront of the green extends 10 metres out to the middle of the
\nfairway, its reach extended by a steep slope about 2 metres long,
\nand if your fade is not played from far left enough, it may just
\nreach out and grab you.<\/p>\n
Second nine<\/p>\n
The 11th hole is another creation of beauty across a lake
\nsetting. An arm juts into the water above which the green resides
\nand where an almost ring-like bunker starts out from the front
\ncentre entrance, hugging the left edges of the green complex, as
\nit makes its way to the back. It however acts more as a safety
\nbuffer to prevent your ball from getting wet. A hill takes care
\nof the remaining portion on the right and may knock your ball
\npinwise, if it doesn't get caught in its rough. It is also
\nprobably where you will want to aim to contain your errors.<\/p>\n
You get another chance to drive over a waste bunker that
\nstarts on the right 140 metres from the 12th tee. The trap then
\nfans out to the right and takes itself out of play without really
\nletting you relax. Four bunkers then start the inward journey to
\nthe green. Where the first of those bunkers leave off, the second
\nstarts smack in the middle of the fairway just preceding the
\nthird, similarly positioned and forcing the fairway to split
\naround both sides. You thus have to carry all three separate sand
\ntraps one after the other to get to the elevated green complex.
\nTwo final traps await on the right, 2 metres below the surface of
\nthe green, although from the right side of the fairway, that
\nsection of the green constitutes the entire entrance. ... and
\njust more sand that you have to scale to get home. The safe route
\nthus, is to find the high left and fade your approach to end this
\nremarkable hole.<\/p>\n
The 13th tries, and successfully, to steal top honours as the
\nbest par 5 in the region. What a hole ! Two bunkers are laid out
\nlengthwise one after the other, the first starting 70 metres on
\nthe left and running on for close to 30 metres before a 15 metre
\ngap presents the next trap. This should be ample reminder for you
\nto stay in the centre of the fairway. Your next shot meets 3
\nbunkers laid out side by side across the entire fairway,
\noccupying a depth of 25 metres and which meet a lemon grass
\ncovered hill on the left that successfully hides the green after
\na sharp turn. You will probably have to spend the next 5 or 10
\nminutes at least deciding on the best move. Basically, 80 metres
\nahead of this sand crossing is another set of long bunkers,
\nsplitting the fairway and requiring that you land short. You have
\nto make sure your caddie gives you the right distance from where
\nyour drive ended, and that you come to a decision to play within
\nyour ability. Trying to produce incredulously long shots may be
\nwhat the design entices you to do, but is certainly not the most
\npractical progression if you have to struggle to attain those
\namazing lengths. That last sand crossing meets up with a final
\ntrap on the left edge of the green, leaving a lot of sand trying
\nto annoy you for the last 180 metres. This is a hole that does
\nnot like greed and, unless you knock your golf ball 250 metres
\nregularly, play this as a par 5. It may be set up to receive a
\ndrive of 230 metres and a homeward shot of 230 metres but chances
\nare slim for the regular player who tries to be that fancy. The
\nvery narrow green is also laid out from right to left, clinging
\nto the 60 metre long trap while the last 40 metre segment of
\nfairway tilts to the left to encourage the struggling draw into
\nthe sand.<\/p>\n
The 17th is another marvellous par 4 with a fairway that runs
\nparallel to a waste bunker in your line all the way to the
\nfringed region of the green, severing the fairway that your
\napproach will cross in the process. The fairway is pushed far
\nright and runs straight down though away from the green; which
\nalso means that the further right of centre you are on the
\nfairway, the further you will be from the hole. Bear that in mind
\nbecause the tiny, slim green is a rather elusive target hiding
\nbehind all that sand and laid out diagonally from right to left.
\nAnother sand trap is hidden in the back at the bottom of a tall
\nhill while the entire left falls just under 2 metres into the
\ncontinuing waste trap. If that blue flag waves furiously at you,
\nignore it and leave your golf ball below it. This short hole has
\nthe dubious honour of paring up with the other short par 4 to
\ncontain the longest waste bunkers. A tiny opening is left for
\nthose coming in from the right. The slim green gets a lot more
\nnarrow with the howling wind and its 5 metre wide surface can be
\ntruly difficult to find.<\/p>\n
With so many great holes, you might be inclined towards
\nforgiveness if the 18th is a letdown. But it isn't and that
\nshould come as no surprise. It may be a short par 5 by
\nprofessional standards but it is a cat and mouse game of risk and
\nrewards. If you play to an average length, then you will nearly
\nbe arm-twisted into playing this hole along its twists and turns
\nas the fairway curls its way around a large pond on route to the
\nlast cup. It also features a waste bunker that starts at 150
\nmetres on the left and stays in play right up to where it juts
\ninto the centre of the fairway, 300 metres from the tee box. If
\nyou are going for broke, you must land your ball on the edge of
\nthe fairway next to the waste trap. You should have left, after a
\nlong and heart wrenching drive, a distance of under 220 metres to
\nget to the green, located at the end of a 90 degree left turn.
\nThe green beckons you across the pond and begs you to try to find
\nits dangerous surface. If no sand and no water has gotten you so
\nfar on your round then this is the hole that just might do it for
\nyou, though chances are you have been rather blessed. The heavily
\nundulating fairway surface slides very slightly downhill to a
\nnearly round target through its last 100 metres. Two sand traps
\nplague the left and another two, the right, while a bit of wind
\nspices up the approaching scene. For those that are crossing the
\npond to try and lay up within 40 metres of the green, a large
\ntrap sits on the left edge, again in the line of your final
\napproach. It is a 20 metre long trap and may just take hold your
\nball if you only just made it across the water. This is a
\nphenomenal hole mainly because of all the options at hand for you
\nto select, making it a different ball game each time you play it;
\ndependant mostly on how your golf ball leaves the tee box.<\/p>\n
Nicklaus speaks<\/p>\n
Jack Nicklaus says: \"At Bumi Serpong, I began with several
\nobjectives. First, I wanted to create a golf course that offered
\nan enjoyable and mental challenge - to force the player to use
\nhis mind and make decisions on each hole. There is no single
\n\"correct approach\" on most holes. Instead, there are many
\npossible solutions - so that the course remains fresh and
\nexciting each time you step up to the first tee.<\/p>\n
Secondly, and most importantly, I wanted my first course in
\nIndonesia to be memorable. You'll find my favourite features of
\nsome of the world's top courses that I had the privilege to play.
\nAnd, you'll discover some very unique challenges that I have
\ncreated to make Bumi Serpong Damai stand out to even the golfer
\nwho has played around the globe.\"<\/p>\n
The writer is editor of The Asian Golf Review.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/serpong-damai-course-offers-best-golfing-holes-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }