Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Tourism – Product<br />
Foremost, Bandar Seri Begawan,<br />
Brunei’s capital is easily within reach<br />
from most Asian capital cities, superb<br />
infrastructure everywhere in the<br />
Sultanate and world-class hotels in<br />
this Abode of Peace as the nation<br />
is common known. The world’s<br />
golfing community shuns <strong>place</strong>s<br />
where huge crowds are always<br />
present, preferring quiet, beautiful<br />
surroundings for their passionate<br />
pastimes and Brunei certainly fits<br />
the bill. With three international<br />
championship courses and two other<br />
international standard ones, this<br />
is the venue for golf like you have<br />
never swung before. In fact, the<br />
Royal Brunei Golf and Country Club<br />
is so exclusive that even “tee-time is<br />
never guaranteed!”<br />
The Royal Brunei Golf and Country<br />
Club was previously reserved for<br />
dignitaries and friends of Brunei’s<br />
Ruler, His Majesty Sultan Haji<br />
Hassanal Bolkiah and only opened<br />
quite recently <strong>to</strong> others. As expected,<br />
the bookings <strong>to</strong> tee-off in this<br />
par-72, 6,175-metre course is well<br />
advanced and famous names like<br />
former US President Bill Clin<strong>to</strong>n,<br />
Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros,<br />
Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and<br />
Tony Jacklin have featured here. The<br />
course set up by Ron Fream is based<br />
on Augusta National of US Masters<br />
fame with meticulously maintained<br />
greens of US PGA standards.<br />
The Jack Nicklaus designed Empire<br />
Hotel and Country Club course<br />
is arguably the most well known<br />
golf course in Brunei, having been<br />
the chosen venue for the nation’s<br />
first international championship<br />
<strong>to</strong>urnament in 2005. The par-<br />
71, 6,427-metre course is simply<br />
magnificent in its layout, nestled<br />
along the scenic shore of South China<br />
Sea with five-star resort facilities <strong>to</strong><br />
compliment the stay for golfers, friends<br />
and their families. There is nothing<br />
that you shall want which cannot be<br />
found in this resort, the epi<strong>to</strong>me of<br />
living in <strong>to</strong>urism paradise. Wait, there’s<br />
more! At night, the 18-hole course<br />
comes alive with the opening of the<br />
floodlights, allowing for evenings teeoff<br />
<strong>to</strong> those preferring less sun-tan like<br />
the lady golfers. This venue is certainly<br />
Brunei’s best gift <strong>to</strong> the international<br />
golfing community.<br />
RBA (Royal Brunei Airlines) Golf<br />
Club, five minutes drive from the<br />
international airport, was the first<br />
public golf course in the nation.<br />
The generally flat layout spread<br />
over 6,380-metre with man-made<br />
lakes strewn in plays well for most<br />
golfers, even for the pros. As with all<br />
golf courses in Brunei, bookings are<br />
recommended here as more people<br />
have begun <strong>to</strong> discover the wonders<br />
of playing golf in the country.<br />
Pantai Mentiri Golf Club is another<br />
18-hole, par 72 course located just<br />
15minutes drive from the capital.<br />
Opened <strong>to</strong> the public, this 6105-meter<br />
course has water features as the main<br />
challenges and it also has panoramic<br />
view of Brunei Bay. It was the venue<br />
for the 1999 SEA Games and other<br />
<strong>to</strong>urnaments and complements<br />
golfers with a fine restaurant serving<br />
wonderful Asian dishes.<br />
In the Seria district, the Panaga Golf<br />
Club welcomes members only and<br />
so visi<strong>to</strong>rs will need <strong>to</strong> have friends<br />
with membership cards <strong>to</strong> play here.<br />
The location along the South China<br />
Sea is itself a compelling reason <strong>to</strong><br />
play here while there are many other<br />
facilities in this Brunei Shell run club.<br />
The 18-hole course was completed in<br />
1964 though records show that it was<br />
hosting golfers here as early as 1928.<br />
For further information, please contact BRUNEI TOURISM, Ministry of Industry and<br />
Primary Resources, Jalan Menteri Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3910, Brunei Darussalam.<br />
Tel: (673) 238 2822, 238 2832 Fax: (673) 238 2824 Email: info@brunei<strong>to</strong>urism.travel<br />
www.brunei<strong>to</strong>urism.travel<br />
Apr-Jun2012<strong>BorneoTalk</strong> | 33