Published July 17, 2008 on July 24, 2018

The Els Club Desaru Coast is a Golfers’ Paradise for the True Masters

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Golfers come in all shapes, sizes, and lifestyle backgrounds. Be it world leaders, CEOs or collared shirt employees, golf is a common ground where business, casual meetings and leisure trips take place. While it is simple to understand golfing basics – hit the ball into a hole – avid golf fans will highlight that the game requires skill, patience, training, and, above all, a well-designed golf course architecture to play on. What golfers look for in a well-equipped golf course may vary, but the most common requirements fall into the following features:

 

Premium Facilities to Complement a Premium Experience

With the growing number of golf courses throughout the world, golfers are spoilt for choice when it comes to where they play. They no longer use the closest greenery to home but instead select which golf course has the best amenities. In fact, off-the-course amenities often set the tone for the entire golf experience. Superb facilities mean golfers will come long before they are due to play, and linger long after the last hole.

Golfers today look for places that offer more than just the ordinary facilities. Excellent food and beverage, an impressive clubhouse and an equipped pro shop play a significant role for visiting guests. Other details that set great courses apart from average ones include secured locker rooms and a convenient buggy system.

Golfers can feel when a course is designed with their needs in mind. This extends most particularly to golfers with families; spouses and children are much more common on the course now than ever before. One of the best parts of golf is how accessible it is to audiences young and old. Children can begin golfing as soon as they can stand and swing a club, while teens and young adults can advance into true mastery over the game. For a well-rounded family golf vacation, look for great restaurants, a place to relax and rinse off, and a location that is equipped with facilities that bring family closer together. This is why some of the world’s most famous courses are often located in integrated resorts, which provide much more than just the course itself.

The Els Club Desaru Coast, which opened this past year, ticks off all the boxes and more. Golf aficionados will get the chance to tee-off at the first Els Club in Southeast Asia, the third in the world. The Els Club Desaru Coast comprises two championship golf courses, the 27-hole Ocean Course and the 18-hole Valley Course. Managed by Troon Golf, the Ocean Course was designed by 4-time Major Champion, Ernie Els, while the Valley Course was designed in collaboration with Els’ long-standing friend and major champion, Vijay Singh. Golfers can be guaranteed a world-class golf experience with an incredible view.

 

State-Of-The-Art Course Technology

Golfers have a few key considerations when looking for the finest course on which to play. Something as simple as tee locations and green sizes makes the difference between a pleasant day out and a few hot hours standing in the sun. To make an average experience spectacular, golfers also need to consider turf types, water hazards, depth of bunkers, and routing – all features that can separate decent courses from truly exceptional ones. If, for example, a course designer forgets about drainage issues, players may find themselves standing in a swamp unable to hit the ball after foul weather. Perhaps most importantly, the golf course designer must be able to integrate his artistic creativity, scientific knowledge and golf acumen into the landscape, which is why professional golfers are often the perfect people to turn to when planning a new course.

Designing a state-of-the-art golf course is as important to the experience as the game itself. The site’s existing resources – from beautiful views to accessibility – will impact one’s playing experience. The greatest courses have a solid handle on water management, drainage, turf grasses and soil conditions, not to mention deep design capabilities to make the course visually stunning. Conversely, courses should be upfront about course conditions related to maintenance. While certain maintenance is unavoidable to ensure greens stay pristine, newly seeded or aerated greens will affect playing ability and customers should be informed accordingly. Golfers can tell when a course is committed to their experience – whether it is taking care of the greens and clubhouse or maintaining the highest customer service standards.

At The Els Club Desaru Coast, the Bermuda Tifeagle greens and Bermuda 419 fairways not only hold up to nature but also ensure improved speed and consistency. They feature soft, fine cushioning for better tolerance to traffic and weather stress. The courses bring a new standard of golf to Southeast Asia.

 

Even Professionals Need Training and Development

The saying “practice makes perfect” is absolutely true when it comes to golf. Even the greatest professionals, those who have been playing for years, can always improve their game. In fact, difficulty is often cited as one of the primary factors in golf’s lack of growth, so making the game easier and more accessible for more people is key.

Becoming a good golfer does not require practising all day, every day. Instead, the leading golfers deliberately and carefully plan their perfect shot, then practice it only a few times to build the muscle memory for that shot. This sort of planning allows these pro golfers to improve their game with just a few swings – significantly reducing the amount of time necessary to spend on the greens. Even for people with busy schedules, all they need is a little bit of time to advance their golf skills if they practice efficiently. The best golf courses should also have instructors on-hand to spot weaknesses and help correct them.

For instance, The Els Performance Golf Academy is Ernie’s way of sharing his success story across the globe, by giving juniors and adults an opportunity to learn the game the way it should be played. Teaching professionals take an individualised approach using the most up-to-date technology, diagnostic and teaching strategies, so you can be confident that your game will be at its best. The swing analysis studio, for example, will help you see exactly how to fix your technique and perform better. It also features a 330-yard practice tee, as well as undercover hitting areas and a Short Game arena with two greens. All of this takes place in a pleasant, attractive setting.

 

Johor Landscape Suited to The Regions Next Golfing Paradise

Particularly in Johor, which sits just a few hours from both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, golfers can enjoy courses with varying degrees of difficulty and exclusivity. True lovers of the sport can even tee off at multiple different settings throughout a single day, from an oceanside paradise to scenic hills and valleys – all side by side in beautiful Johor.

While golf is available around the globe, it is rapidly growing in popularity in Asia. With 176 golf projects in various stages of design, development and construction, Asia now claims 32 per cent of all new undertakings currently identified worldwide. As an interest shared worldwide, golf is a major tourist attraction. Many countries are betting on golfers travelling far and wide to play on the best courses – from beautiful, well-maintained greens to top facilities for practice and relaxation. Such is the case in Johor, Malaysia, which is seeing a vast new development rise in Desaru Coast with The Els Club.

Located at the south-eastern region of Malaysia, The Els Club spans over 3,900 acres along an unspoiled 17km beachfront facing the South China Sea. Advantageously, The Els Club is that it is connected to Desaru Coast, Malaysia’s first integrated premium lifestyle destination. It is easy to access for both domestic and international travellers. Come end June 2018, Desaru Coast will offer a vacation dreamland for families with children, couples, golfers and those in the corporate segments.

Desaru Coast is home to four globally renowned hotels and resorts, two world-class golf courses, a themed water park, a retail village as well as a conference centre in an accessible beachside location. Desaru Coast’s wide range of offerings has been built in mind with a goal of providing something for everyone.