Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia

Course Review: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia

On 28 Oct 2013, America's Ryan Moore was victorious for the third time on the PGA Tour when he won the CIMB Classic, hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. We take a look at the golf offering at this modern and prestigious club in the Malaysian capital.

Located in the Bukit Kiara area of Kuala Lampur, the club consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Nelson Howarth. Since opening its doors in 1991, Kuala Lumpur Country Club has become a prime golfing establishment in South-East Asia, having hosted the Malaysian Open between 2006 and 2010 and the CIMB Classic this year. As a result, the championship West Course has undergone extensive revamping and is now on par with some of the world's best tournament courses.

Water features prominently on the West Course, with eight ponds making for a scenic but tricky eighteen holes in a parkland setting. The course design puts players at harmony with nature, capturing Asian design principles and combining them with American-style broad fairways to produce a course that will reward precision golfers.

The course stretches almost 7000 yards from the back tees, rewarding long hitters but penalising errant tee shots. Weekend golfers who want a challenge may find that a conservative tee shot followed up with accurate play on the fairways is the best strategy on the West Course. While the course isn't bunkered in the extreme, it's best to avoid the sand by keeping approach shots short and accurate.

While the current West Course layout was only completed in 2008, the course has matured nicely over the past five years. The tropical weather ensures a lush playing environment, with dense fairways and manicured greens that can be a little slippery at times.

Kuala Lumpur Country Club is a private facility, but visitors are freely accommodated on the East Course, and may accompany a club member on the West Course. For more information, please visit the club's website.

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