|
THE delights became apparent as soon as we arrived at Hua Hin (it's pronounced Warheen), a gently bustling beach resort town 120 miles west of Bangkok airport. Once ensconced I didn't want to leave: given half a chance I'd return tomorrow and every year for my annual holidays, as I gather some British visitors are wont to do. It has every ingredient for a memorable holiday: golfers will be goggle-eyed.
The town is a quaint amalgam of the ancient and modern that typifies Thailand. Crowded street markets selling every imaginable commodity stand in the shadow of splendid hotels, all luxury and polished marble, overlooking the beach.
It's tempting to draw the comparison between wealth and poverty but in truth the latter is not evident -- begging is anathema, it seems: everyone appears to find gainful employment of one form or another -- and wealth is purely relative in terms of local standards.
There are a dozen or so superior hotels of which the dominant is the Sofitel, the most venerable and one redolent of a by-gone age. Those who can recall Raffles in its hey day will get my drift. Stylish, serene and so elegant, it was built in 1923 as a stop-over on the Bangkok-Singapore railway. Some stop-over!
It is in low profile, set in expansive gardens running down to the beach and filled with giant topiary in the shape of animals (elephants are big here...). The original hotel is extant -- what was the lobby is now a museum of artefacts of the era, doubling as a sitting room opening on to the gardens where one may take breakfast -- and extensions completed in 1986 are in seamless sympathy, all polished wood and brass where impeccable service is the norm.
There's a choice of seven restaurants of disparate style, some al fresco, one of which is the original railway station. Open air bars abound, among them one that is swim-in and reached via one of several pools. Two of these have Jacuzzis and another offers under-water music (presumably for underwater dancing...!)
There are 214 colonial-style rooms with every luxury and balconies overlooking the beach and the gardens which after dark are a cascade of fairy lights. There's a night club for those with energy left at the end of the day and all is contained within a gated estate where security guards are on constant patrol.
You'll have gathered from all of this that staying at the Sofitel poses few challenges to the dedicated hedonist and if he's of the golfing persuasion the delights border on the Utopian.
There are five clubs in the vicinity, some quite close, others no more than 20 minutes distant. They offer a disparate mix, from the gentle and picturesque Royal Hua Hin Club that is among the oldest in Thailand, to the more muscular versions devised by modern architects such as Jack Nicklaus, whose Springfield course is the flagship of the region.
Twenty minutes from the Sofitel, halfway to the city of Cha Am, lies the Imperial Lake View golf club, part of a resort set in 1,200 acres in a valley at the foot of a mountain range. You can imagine the views.
There are 27 holes designed by Australia's Roger Packard and the initial 18 have a links-land look about them; they're ruggedly beautiful and you'll need to step up a couple of gears if you played Royal Hua Hin first. It's a big driving course with plenty of water and if you're feeling your oats you could tackle it from the back markers and know you've had a work out.
That, though, is recommended only for the hot shots. Ordinary folk should try the more forward tees, of which there's a choice: they're quite fruity enough for most. Packard is obviously fond of bunkers and large greens, which are a hazard in themselves, but it's a fun course and is in tip-top order. It's easy walking or there are carts.
Also about 20 minutes from the Sofitel you'll find the Majestic Creek Country Club and after playing here my notes ended with the summation: "This is a jewel of the East, one of the finest resort courses I have seen. Exciting, beguiling, it will be one of the highlights of your trip. Once won't be enough!" You'll gather we had a cracking day.
Set in 2,000 acres, of which 200 form a nature reserve, Majestic Creek was designed by a local man, Dr. Sukkitti Klanvisal, and it is symphonic in its tempo and movement. And if length of shot is part of your armoury playing from the back tees will bring considerable challenge, too.
Page [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] - [next page]
|
