Malaysia Golf Vacations (Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Langkawi)
Teeing it up near the Equator - Exclusive Travel Review from Glen Erickson  

There are many destinations one can choose for that annual golf vacation. Indeed, the North American landscape is dotted with places to play and cities with the usual amenities like busy airports, hotels and strip malls.

For a change of pace, why not consider some real globetrotting? An excursion to Malaysia is certain to scratch any itch for golf and adventure.

We flew from Vancouver to Taipei, a 14-hour haul, then after a two-hour stop over, we embarked on the four-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. The China Airlines A340 was comfortable, with plenty of movies available and meals served on two occasions. But remember, the 16-hour time difference might have you playing some mathematical games from the neck up as you calculate just exactly when it might be convenient to report in at home from near the Equator by telephone, text message or email.

When we traveled to Malaysia in November on a 10-day junket, our group was treated to city and heritage tours and a myriad of authentic regional cuisine. We played four rounds of golf, one of which was part of the World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship, an annual event that teed off back in 1994. Our trip included the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, along with the islands of Langkawi and Penang, all with locals that appeared to be thrilled by the opportunity to welcome us.

Especially, methinks, the caddies! But more on that later.

Kuala Lumpur
A city that really is still in its infancy, KL was established in 1857, just ten years prior to Canada’s own confederation. Of the 8.1 million people in the Klang Valley region, the city of KL boasts a population of 1.4 million souls. This is a thriving, modern city! There is always something big happening in KL.

Take the Formula 1 Petronas Grand Prix, slated for March of 2012. Recognize the name? Petronas? That’s Malaysia’s own oil company, a name also associated with KL’s twin towers, the architectural and engineering masterpiece that stands alone as one of the most recognizable buildings on the globe.

There is also the KL Tower, which provides panoramic views of this densely populated city. In terms of progress, plenty of cranes adorn the landscape as high-rise construction activity looks to be moving at a feverish pace. Walking from Independence Square and through Chinatown requires some stamina amid the 30-degree plus temperatures and 90 percent humidity. Thankfully, a couple of cold Tiger beers over dinner can cool you down. The Tiger Brewing Company is Malaysia’s own, since 1932.

But enough for now about things not golf!

When we finally did tee it up, we started at the Glenmarie Golf Resort where there is a Holiday Inn on site that provides excellent stay-and-play potential. Established in 1993, the resort offers two 18-hole layouts, the Garden and the Valley, surrounded by the Titiwangsa Mountains and Strait of Malacca.

We played the Garden course, the longer of the two, which measures about 6,450 metres from the tips. Immediately our group was presented with a unique challenge, that being the calculation of distances from metres to yards. It was a first for many of us, so we chose to simply add about 10 percent to the numbers our thoughtful caddies provided. The 150-yard markers translated to about 165 yards, challenging our club selection during day one.

Ah yes, the caddies! At the outset, the young ladies prepare your power cart, or “buggy” as they are called in Malaysia. One caddie per buggy is the norm, so we had two caddies with our foursome. They wear traditional golf attire and take care of everything from providing distances, cleaning clubs after each shot, fixing ball marks and divots, raking bunkers and lining up putts. In our experience at Glenmarie, the young ladies well-versed in golf etiquette, were very cheerful and eminently organized.

A basic gratuity for each caddie is said to be about RM20, which works out to about $8CDN. Frankly, I found this paltry amount offensive, considering how hard the ladies worked and how attentive they were. We chose afterward to hand them each an additional $20USD, which really appeared to make their day. Admittedly, I found this kind of odd as they, in fact, had actually made my day! Reader Note: Malaysian Ringgit: for amount CDN, divide by about 3.10.

The golf course itself made for a good start to our trip as there is plenty of room from the tees. The fairways at the Garden Course are wide, which always helps early on in a golf vacation that does not include a session on the driving range. I found the greens to be quite large. There were areas where regular maintenance was underway, but it did not impact our play at all. And, the entire golf course can be played at night, under the lights, so you can avoid searing temperatures if necessary!

After play, we shuttled back to KL for a massage session at a facility that employs blind masseurs. Over the course of my one-hour session, my eyes were indeed opened wide by the conversation I carried on with Lawrence, a gentleman who lost his sight in an accident when only 24 years of age. Massage therapy in the region has become a bastion of sorts for the blind, a way for many to build a career, generate an income and achieve a significant measure of independence.

Melaka
The next day, we drove to Melaka from KL and played the A’Famosa Resort, a 27-hole facility essentially carved out of a rain forest. We toured the Rocky and Palms nines as the Crocodile nine was closed for a private event. Yes, that particular layout borders a crocodile farm!

On our third hole, a nifty downhill par-3, my playing partner walked on to the green, pointed at the water hazard and shouted, “hey, our first croc!” However, he was quickly corrected by one of our caddies, who informed us the creature we were watching was simply a snake. Okay, just a snake with its huge head above water, about three feet of length clearly visible as well, and another ten feet of water rippling along behind it. We quickly managed four pars and got out of dodge! Welcome to the jungle!

As we carried on, we thoroughly enjoyed the golf course and the company of our two caddies. Again, these young ladies were a tremendous help, especially “Mae”, only 21-years-old, but obviously a veteran caddy. I suggested to my playing partners late in the round that I felt she may have made only one error all day when recommending which club I should use. Her grasp for my distance control was amazing, a huge asset on a golf course I’d never seen before!

Admittedly, she did reprimand me on a number of occasions when I began to rake a couple of bunkers and also when I proceeded to mark my ball on the green a few times. “Please, it is my job,” the wonderful Mae would say with a polite smile.

For pure shot quality, A’Famosa was a great experience. In comparison to Glenmarie, the fairways were slightly narrower and the greens had more undulation. The golf course is located in a very quiet locale, providing kind of a rural feel. And I still find it interesting to reflect back on the different types of trees and tropical plants that lined the fairways. The palm trees in the region are vital to industry in Malaysia, as the palm oil extracted from the trees is a product said to be the country’s #2 export.

Melaka is located on the southwest coast of Malaysia where the Portugese arrived in 1511. The region has changed hands a few times, with the Dutch and Chinese exerting influence over the years. But it is the British who are credited by many for establishing education in the region, resulting in English being spoken quite readily across the country. The arrival of different cultures over the years explains why Malaysia is viewed as a melting pot of sorts. Historic structures, temples and mosques are aplenty in Melaka, a city that received heritage designation from UNESCO in 2008.

When we arrived at the Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club a couple of days later, the facility was decorated with banners identifying the facility as the host of the 2011 World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship. It’s an international event for certain, but involves players primarily from Asia, India and Australia. We were included among a host of international media and local dignitaries who played in conjunction with the final round of the 54-hole competition.

Tiara Melaka is a 27-hole facility, consisting of the Lake, Meadow and Woodland courses. We played the Lake/Meadow combination, which quite frankly, is a beast! It’s just an outstanding layout, one I referred to as “smash-mouth” when my colleagues asked for an impression. But make no mistake, it is very much a fair golf course, one where tee selection relative to playing ability is absolutely crucial. There is a particular stretch on the Lakes course, the three finishing holes, where solid contact, length, and accuracy are imperative. The 9th is a nasty par-5, long and narrow, considered the toughest hole in all of Malaysia.

On the Meadows, holes six through eight require your full attention, not only due their demanding nature, but also due to the “band of tiny local thieves” that lurk about. We are speaking of the monkeys that make the area their home! Golfers are warned in advance to keep valuables secured, as the monkeys have become accustomed to scouring buggies for food and any other items that peak their curiosity. The primates are fun to watch and photograph, given we never see them on North American golf courses. They come in all shapes and sizes, and I found myself wondering out loud as to how many cameras and cell phones have been laid to rest in the surrounding forests after having been pilfered from unsuspecting golfers. Fortunately, our group escaped with all of our belongings!

We encountered about a 35-minute rain delay, what I would describe as heavy rain. Yet, it’s amazing to me how tolerable the interruption was, considering the temperature was above 30-degrees Celsius and the layout obviously had an outstanding drainage system. The folks at Tiara Melaka are justifiably proud of the course’s slope ratings, making it the most difficult in all of Malaysia. Of the four courses we visited on our trip, Tiara Melaka would certainly be considered the “must play” among the bunch.

Langkawi
When we set foot on Langkawi soil after a short flight from KL International Airport to Langkawi on a Malaysia Airlines 737, it was immediately apparent we were in a tropical paradise. As a group, we were so enamoured with the Berjaya Resort, we decided to forego a round of golf, just to explore the surroundings. En route to a sunset dinner cruise, we did make a quick stop to look over the brand new 99 East Golf Club, operated by Troon Golf. Nine holes are currently open for play, with all 18 holes expected to be ready later in 2012.

We did put our tees in the ground at the Gunung Raya Golf Resort while on Langkawi. Of note were the effects of torrential overnight rain that had washed away much of the sand from the facing of the bunkers. However, the playing surfaces were in outstanding condition, testimony again to efficient drainage.

Gunung Raya was a very good golf course, a design with more length that most of us require. The most unique aspect of the golf experience had to be the color of the putting surfaces, as they were actually a lighter shade of green in comparison to the fairway turf. I found the look very challenging, and calculating accurate yardages to the flagstick was absolutely imperative. The par-5, 10th hole is a winding, boomerang shaped, dogleg right with water lining the left side of the fairway. If adventurous, you can cut your tee shot over the mountain on the right side and give yourself a chance to get home in two shots.

With entertainment value in mind, we encountered monkeys on the back nine at Gunung Raya, then later a family of very peaceful and content wild dogs. The golf course is set in the foothills beneath the highest peak on the island. The Gunung Raya area on Langkawi is thick with forest, a popular destination for the experienced backpackers of the world. We encountered exotic birds throughout the day, with many eagle sightings. It stands to reason that, loosely translated by one of my playing partners, “lang” means “eagle” and “kawi” means “island”.

Golf in Malaysia is very popular. Professional tours, both the men and ladies, frequent the country every year. Had we planned differently, our group could have made our way to the southern tip of the country to enjoy a day or two in Johor Baruh at the Iskander Johor Open, a European Tour event that featured the likes of Padraig Harrington, Anthony Kim, Daniel Chopra, Louis Oosthuizen and Camillo Villegas.

Our Accommodations
The Royal Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
The Equatorial Hotel, Melaka
Berjaya Resort, Langkawi 

What to see…
Kuala Lumpur: KL Tower, Petronas Twin Towers, Chinatown market, Independence Square, Muddy River Junction, Urut Traditional Blind Massage, Magjid (Muslim Mosque), Sri Maha Mariam (Indian Temple).
Melaka: Melaka River Cruise, Stadthyus (Dutch) Museum, Kampung Keling Mosque, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Baba and Nyonya Heritage (Chinese) Museum, St. Paul’s Church, Jonkers Street.
Langkawi: Langkawi Cable Car and Suspension Bridge, Red Sky Lounge.
Penang: Banana Leaf (Indian) Restaurant, Penang Turf Club (Horse Racing and Golf)