Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon®, the leader in club management, development, and marketing, is delighted to announce the opening of the second Sir Nick Faldo designed Championship Course at Vattanac Golf Resort in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The newly opened ‘West Course’ will also be managed by Troon International, the international operating division of Troon, who were brought in by Mr. Vattanac six months ago.
The opening of the “West Course” aligns with the “East Course” being recognized as ‘Cambodia’s Best Golf Course’ at the recent World Golf Awards. The World Golf Awards celebrates and rewards excellence in golf and is part of the World Travel Awards. The “East Course”, with imposing character and striking identity, has received high praise from golfers the world over. Set within captivating natural surroundings, the “East” is a strategic golf course that utilizes dramatic water features, creative bunkering and various forms of native fauna to challenge golfers of all levels.
Sir Nick Faldo has designed both Championship Courses at Vattanac Golf Resort and the new “West Course” compliments the existing “East Course”. The two courses provide a spectacular setting around famous cultural expressions that include scale models of Khmer historical architectural sites, such as: Angkor Wat, Preah Vihear and Bayon. Positioned on the 7th hole of the new course, one statue pays heritage to King Jayavarman VII, from the Angkor period, who represents one of the most energetic reigns in Cambodian history.
Vattanac Golf Resort, Phnom Penh, Kandal Province, Cambodia. Mandatory credit: Richard Castka/Sportpixgolf.com
The “West Course” will certainly contend with the “East Course” as not only one of the best in Cambodia, but also one of the best in Asia. The West Course has distinctive differences from the East Course, of which are defined by narrower and more undulating fairways, a variety of unique water features and testing Paspalum greens. Cultural sculptures and stunning landscaping attribute to the striking scenery of Cambodia’s newest golf course. The “West” is a rewarding test of skill for players of all levels, featuring 5 sets of tees, starting at 4,935 yards, right through to 7,249 yards.
Sir Nick Faldo heralded the opening “It’s a great moment to see the West Course now open and ready to play. The West Course complements the East Course magnificently with its fluid shaping giving the design its own identity.
“Much like the East, the West Course project focused heavily on celebrating the amazing culture in Cambodia and Vattanac Golf Resort’s surrounding environment to create the course’s truly unique character. By integrating cultural inspiration into the landscape, like the Terrace of Elephants replica statue or the Dragon Lake for example, the course has a real sense of place and its local features help to create an unforgettable experience.
“The West Course offers a slightly more intimate look and feel to the resort’s East, but just like the East it offers different strategic challenges with fairway positioning and shot choice crucial for players looking to find reward and an inviting line to the green. It certainly asks questions of golfers’ game-management, long, short, left or right from the tee can find difficulty and create a complicated hole. However, with five tee sets the course is accessible to all with something for every golfer, from the very best to the very beginner, so, importantly, enjoyment out on the course will not be hard to come by.”
Cambodia’s luxury golf resort now moves into the next phase of the integrated resort development that will soon include Night Golf and a world acclaimed Golf Academy.
Karl Whitehead, General Manager at Vattanac Golf Resort, commented: “We are extremely excited at what we are creating here, following Mr. Vattanac’s vision, and look forward to delivering a new standard of golf resort in South East Asia that will be compared to the world’s best. The Golf Academy is a key component of this project as Mr. Vattanac is extremely passionate about Growing the Game of golf in Cambodia”.
Future developments of Vattanac Golf Resort will see a state-of-the-art Clubhouse offering dining, retail and spa, complimented by a luxury hotel and residential community. “Our excitement continues to build as our vision is coming to life and we thank Troon for their expert management since we brought them on board. The West Course has received wonderful reviews from our local golfers since opening for play on the 17th October. We are extremely proud to have two Sir Nick Faldo designed Championship Courses and we look forward to continuing to develop our Golf Resort in the coming months to be ready to welcome tourists to our new golf destination”, said Sam Ang Vattanac, owner of Vattanac Golf Resort.
Mark Chapleski, President of Troon International, remarked: “Cambodia certainly has a new golf destination and we are proud to be part of this world class project. Mr. Vattanac’s passion for quality is infectious and we share his ambition to make Vattanac Golf Resort a landmark for golf, not only in the region, but worldwide. Stay tuned for phase two, that will take Vattanac Golf Resort to the next level”.