0910 Best of Bangkok

city golf Thai treat: the riskreward fourth at Thai CC is one of Bangkok's great parfives; the superblyappointed clubhouse at Thai CC overlooks the home hole (inset) 68

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iven the economic kudos attached to playing golf in China, not to mention the ever-strengthening renminbi, a weekend round on an upscale course in Guangdong can cost the visiting golfer upwards of HK$2,400. Okay, this generally includes transportation, lunch, cart hire and a little something for the caddie, but even so, this seems wrong. This seems especially wrong when you consider the potential rigmarole of actually crossing the border: overzealous immigration officials, cursed health declaration forms and – horror of horrors – that blasted yellow bus. “It’d be cheaper flying down to Bangkok for the day,” I told a similarly disillusioned golfing chum a few months ago, “and probably less hassle.”

I had it all planned. Take the early morning flight, grab a cab to Thai Country Club, which has the advantage of being, a) a great course and b) only twenty minutes from Bangkok’s new(ish) international

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Thai Country Club HHHHH

The HK Golfer Guide to Golf in the City of Angels airport, play eighteen holes, wash down a fiery chicken curry with a swift couple of bottles of Singha and scurry back to catch the last plane home. Judging by my calculations we’d return to our respective apartments just before midnight. It would be an exhausting day but, I reckoned, no more tiring than lugging our clubs over to Dongguan and back. It would have been cheaper too, largely due to the fact that we’d have expunged 20,000 Asia Miles on the flights. Point proven, albeit with an asterisk or two.

Flying to the Thai capital for a one-day golfing trip is, of course, hardly ideal. You’d be far too rushed. There’d be no time to linger on the clubhouse verandah discussing that brilliant par-save at the HKGOLFER.COM

The class of the capital, Thai Country Club is owned and managed by the Peninsula Hotel group – and it really does show.

The service is magnificent, F&B is first rate, the terracotta-coloured clubhouse, which rises magnificently from a lake overlooking the eighteenth hole, is superbly appointed. But the jewel in the crown is the Denis Griffiths-designed course, which was routinely awarded the Asian Tour’s “Venue of the Year” during its tenure as host of the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia. Palm-fringed fairways, large, sophisticated green complexes and the almost constant threat of water – resulting in more than a handful of memorable riskreward holes – characterize this most appealing of courses. Sensibly, Griffiths has given width to his landing areas and kept the number of forced carries to a minimum, making this an undoubtedly challenging, yet very playable course for players of average ability.

Preferential rates and packages are given to guests of the Bangkok Peninsula (see sidebar), although regardless of wherever you choose to stay, TCC is a must.

YARDAGE: 7,157 PAR: 72 DESIGNED BY DENIS GRIFFITHS GREEN FEE: THB3,600-6,000 GETTING THERE: 60 minutes from downtown Bangkok; 20 minutes from airport CONTACT: www.thaicountryclub.com HK Golfer・OCT/NOV 2009

Courtesy of Thai Country Club (course); Charles McLaughlin (clubhouse)

The Best of Bangkok

fourteenth and there would certainly be not time to experience the muscle pummeling and joint twisting that is a Thai massage. But crucially, there would be no time for any more golf - and given the quality of Bangkok's courses, this would be unforgiveable.

Thanks to the Thai golf boom of the 1990s the city is almost saturated with courses – and they all have one thing in common: pancake-flat terrain. If you’re hoping for sweeping vistas and dramatic shifts in elevation then you should catch a domestic flight to Koh Samui and try your luck on the island’s only track, Santiburi Samui, a track so mountainous you’d be better off wearing crampons than softspikes. As a result, the capital’s courses work hard on impressing golfing tourists with their strategic design, their excellent conditioning, well-appointed clubhouses or their faultless service. A select few manage all four, while very nearly all offer tremendous value for money.

Here is a smattering of the best of Bangkok, places where you really get more bang for your baht.

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Navatanee Golf Course

Vintage Golf Club HHHH

Little known Vintage could be Bangkok’s best kept golfing secret. This Arthur Hills gem, located within easy reach of the city’s upmarket hotels, serves up an excellent blend of holes in near-championship condition. Hills has carved out quite the reputation in his native America, and he succeeds here by providing an imaginative routing while not hiding the

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Charles McLaughlin x 2

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trouble from view. On every tee, the golfer can see where the danger lurks and there’s seemingly always a “safe” route for those who wish to err on the side of caution. That said, the course is quite the test, with landing areas flanked by tournament-high rough, which is why you’ll see many Vintage veterans eschewing the driver in favour of something with a little more loft.

Off the course, Vintage continues to impress.

The mock-Tudor clubhouse might be somewhat incongruous but inside it oozes discrete luxury.

The locker rooms are well appointed and there’s a lovely terrace overlooking the eighteenth green (why can’t all clubs have such things?), the perfect venue for those post-round libations.

Service is top-notch. Highly recommended.

YARDAGE: 6,579 PAR: 72 ARCHITECT: Arthur Hills (1996) GREEN FEE: THB2,500-3,350 inclusive of cart and caddie GETTING THERE: 60 minutes from downtown Bangkok CONTACT: www.vintagethaigolf.com

Lam Luk Ka Country Club HHHH

Lam Luk Ka boasts two courses – something of a rarity for a Bangkok club – and its rather out-of-the-way location means getting a tee time is never usually a problem. Occupying a wetland area northeast of the city, the championship course here, the East, features water in abundance and plays much longer than its yardage due to its spongy, somewhat thatchy fairways. This is something of a surprise because the superintendent has kept the rest of the course in terrific shape – both the greens and the bunkers are immaculate. Although it’s often rated as one of the city’s better tracks – and there are a number of excellent holes – it’s fair to say the East lacks the variety of a truly great course.

Nonetheless, if you can afford the travel time it’s

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worth a look. The club only opens both courses on weekends (they alternate during the week), so if you want to play experience all thirty-six holes in one visit you’ll have to make it a Saturday or Sunday. The West Course was not reviewed.

YARDAGE: 7,012 (East Course) / 6,605 (West Course) PAR: 72 ARCHITECT: Roger Packard (1994) GREEN FEE: THB1,500-2,500 exclusive of cart and caddie GETTING THERE: 90 minutes from downtown Bangkok CONTACT: www.lamlukkagolf.net

Subhapruek Golf Club HHHH

Popular with tour groups (which can make rounds torturously slow on occasion), this 18-holer, a product of US-based Dye Designs, has the potential to be one of the city’s best, thanks largely to its arresting design and thoughtful placement of hazards. The par threes are a particularly good set of holes, as is the eleventh, a short, water-laced par-five featuring an almost Sawgrass-like railroad tie-supported green. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the bunkers, a key design feature here, were in a state of neglect and the caddies barely knew their divot mix from their pitchmark repair tools (they used neither). The small greens, however, were running at a brisk ten on the stimp, while the clubhouse is nicely appointed, despite some rather grandiose artwork in the lobby. Improve the bunkers and limit the number of “package golfers” and they’ll be on to a real winner.

YARDAGE: 6,837 PAR: 72 ARCHITECT: Dye Designs (1993) GREEN FEE: THB2,500-3,350 inclusive of cart and caddie GETTING THERE: 60 minutes from downtown Bangkok CONTACT: www.subhapruekgolf.com

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HHH Made famous for hosting the 1975 World Cup of Golf (which was won by the American pairing of Johnny Miller and Lou Graham), Navatanee lies firmly entrenched in the “old-school” of golf course architect ure, feat uring attractive Rosewood treelined fairways, small tricky greens, the intelligent use of water and refreshingly modest bunkering. Although it’s consistently ranked as one of Thailand’s top layouts, it’s fair to say that course has become a little scruffy around the edges of late and would benefit significantly from a maintenance overhaul. The club operated a strictly members only policy until fairly recently, although visitors are still not permitted to play on weekends. Visitors are also forced into renting carts, which is a shame because the course would be a joy to walk during the cooler winter months. Navatanee’s proximity to the city centre is a boon.

YARDAGE: 6,902 PAR: 72 ARCHITECT: Robert Trent Jones, Jr (1973) GREEN FEE: THB2,500-3,000 inclusive of cart and caddie GETTING THERE: 30 minutes from downtown Bangkok CONTACT: www.navatanee.com

Charles McLaughlin

Golf in the Kingdom: The Vintage Club (left) is one of the city's best-kept secrets; water comes into play on nearly every hole at Lam Luk Ka's East Course (right); a friendly caddie at LLK (overleaf)

HK Golfer’s Hotel of Choice Bangkok is home to some of the most highly-rated hotels on the planet, but it’s hard to imagine anywhere finer than the Peninsula. Occupying an excellent location on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, close to the Sathorn Bridge, each of the Peninsula’s 370 luxuriously-appointed guestrooms and suites offer commanding views of the city and are the perfect haven for the discerning traveller. Having the hotel’s plethora of first-class leisure amenities, including the award-winning Peninsula Spa, at their disposal, golfers are especially well catered for and are given preferential rates at the Peninsula’s sister property, the Thai Country Club.

For rates and golfing packages visit www.peninsula.com/bangkok

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Lotus Valley Golf Resort HHH

Formerly known as World Trade Golf Club and originally designed by Gary Player, the course re-opened last year after receiving a major overhaul from Jon Morrow (designer of Phuket’s infamous Red Mountain) following a change in

ownership. Morrow’s changes focused mainly on lengthening the course and beefing up the greens – and he certainly didn’t hold back. Not only is Lotus Valley one of the most water-laced courses in Thailand, it is also home to some of the most severe putting surfaces: find the wrong tier on some of his split-level greens and you’ll do very well to get down in two. Regardless, this course is fun. While Player’s preference to keep most of the trouble down the left rather limits the variety of tee shots required, there are spectacular moments, especially at the tenth, a fabulous short risk-reward par-four, and the par-five eighteenth, one of the city’s best closing holes. Replete with an enormous modern clubhouse and a superb array of postround amenities (including a lodge for those who feel the three hour roundtrip from the centre of town is too much to be tackled in one day), Louts Valley is one of the most impressive facilities in the area.

YARDAGE: 6,955 Par: 72 ARCHITECT: Gary Player (1992) Jon Morrow (2008) GREEN FEE: THB1,500-2,500 exclusive of cart and caddie GETTING THERE: 90 minutes from downtown Bangkok; 50 minutes from airport CONTACT: www.lotusvalley.co.th

1-5F, 52 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, HK Tel: 2526 6918 83A Hollywood Road, Central, HK Tel: 2517 0939 LG/F, The Ovolo, 2 Arbuthnot Road, Central, HK Tel: 2869 0939 140A-1, 1/F Block C, DB Plaza, Discovery Bay, HK Tel: 2987 9198 G211, 1/F, The Repulse Bay Arcade, 109 Repulse Bay Road, HK T. 2592 9668 72

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enquiries@senseoftouch.com.hk www.senseoftouch.com.hk HKGOLFER.COM

Champagne Deutz James Bradshaw reports on the continuing rise of one of France’s oldest Champagne houses

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hampagne has always been a drink associated with the lifest yles of t he rich and famous, and still, almost two centuries since the Champagne region grew the first roots of the commercial machine it has become today, that same association with pomp, circumstance, celebrity and status is as strong as it has ever been.

France's famous sparkling wine still exudes the image of a sexy but refined wine. With Champagne, it's better to be seen drinking it, and the name on the bottle is as important as the label on the inside of one's jacket.

Within the Champagne region of France, located in the north of the country about a hundred miles east of Paris, there are currently more than 100 Champagne houses making sparkling wines and over 15,000 vignerons (vine growing producers) growing grapes for the production of this highly sought after drink.

This appellation, or region, is set to expand as the French government has approved a further forty grape-growing areas, accounting for an extra 2500 acres of land.

There will not, however be any immediate impact in the shops and restaurants as vine planting will not have completed until 2015 – and don't expect to see any wine from these vines until at least 2020.

Sales of the world's most luxurious beverage have escalated in recent years with India, Russia and China overtaking traditional markets as the world's leaders in Champagne consumption.

Fashion is creeping into the lives and the cultures of all booming economies and those benefiting from this economic and financial snowball are guzzling it by the gallon.

Grapes that are used to produce Champagne are Chardonnay, a white grape, and Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, both black grapes. It’s the blend of these grapes that Champagne houses hold in such high regard – and in most cases the final blend is kept a highly confidential matter.

It's these unique blends that give each Champagne its own distinct characteristic, none more so that one of France’s oldest Champagne houses, Champagne Deutz.

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While Champagne sales are dominated by the big spenders in the marketing world, there is an increasing demand for elegant, almost boutique-style Champagnes, such as Deutz, and this fine Champagne is making its mark on a global scale.

Champagne Deutz is steeped in history.

Founded in 1838 by William Deutz, the company has made Champagne production an art form. Today, the past and the present coexist in the house of Champagne Deutz, as do the rules of tradition and modern methods of management.

Champagne Deutz's continuous pursuit for exceptional quality, whilst maintaining many of the wine-making techniques and philosophies instilled since the early times, has created one of the most sought after brands on the Champagne market.

Champagne Deutz Brut Classic was first released in 1994 and this fine multi-vintage Champagne, blended from selected harvests, has been the latest step in the brand’s evolution.

Champagne Deutz Brut Classic is renowned for its smooth silky style and texture on the palate. With light and easy effervescence it is a pleasurable Champagne to quaff, but retains the complexity and sophistication of a very fine wine.

Over time, the brand has been rewarded with numerous gongs. It is has won silver, bronze and regional medals at Decanter’s annual World Wine Awards, while at London’s prestigious International Wine Challenge, Champagne Deutz won gold and silver awards for both its Brut and Rose styles of Champagne. The winery’s most recent Deutz Classic Brut release was awarded a silver medal in the Decanter 2009 World Wine Awards last month.

Those at the House of Champagne Deutz refuse to let their Champagne become a product of the past. The evolution of wine-making practices and their commitment to quality has taken their quest for fine Champagne, through the merging of tradition and technology, to an entirely new level. Champagne Deutz has truly become one of the world’s most highly respected Champagnes.

For additional information and orders contact: Montrose Fine Wines Email: james@montrose.com.hk Tel: (852) 2555-8877 www.montrose.com.hk

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