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But for those of a less muscular disposition there is a choice of tees that bring a more cerebral challenge, a lovely counterpoint. Some of the green configurations will leave you wide-eyed and there's no little illusion in the form of fore-shortening cross bunkers and subtle swales and mounds to create dead ground or hide part of the target area, making a shot appear more difficult than it is.
It has a charmingly old-fashioned aura about it. One feels that Harry Colt and Alister Mackenzie would have approved of the good doctor's endeavours. It is as beautiful as it is enchanting: hand-laid cart paths, tee areas surrounded by gardens, specimen trees of every type, all in a lovely setting with a backdrop of mountains and natural areas of rough and swamp land. 'Tis a sight to soothe the soul.
Equally eye-boggling, although for quite different reasons, is the Springfield Country Club and its course, designed by Jack Nicklaus. It too is only minutes from Hua Hin, in fact it's part of a self-contained beach resort that would be ideal for those with lively youngsters.
As you'd imagine with such a pedigree, the course is out of the top drawer. It's a regular stop on the Asian PGA Tour and the venue for the annual Tour School but it was designed primarily as a resort course. The average Joe Hacker won't be intimidated if he tempers his ambition and selects a suitable tee. There are five sets, from the knee-knocking tiger tees down to the learners' blocks that give entree to a truncated course.
So even for beginners it's great fun, as a new Nicklaus course can be since age mellowed his design philosophy. The fairways are wide, although there's a correct side on every hole; the greens are equally magnanimous and bunkers and water proliferate. Nothing is hidden, all the demands are visible, the options numerous.
Add superb conditioning, a gorgeous setting and an opulent clubhouse and you'll see why many rate Springfield one of the finest clubs in this golf-mad nation.
If the prospect appeals, this is merely an over-view of the region: there are other resorts of comparable quality. You will be spoiled for choice. Palm Hills, for instance, was the first of the new golf complexes to be opened, in 1991, and the 650 acre resort wants for nothing, all of it tasteful. And those seeking something a little different for the family would enjoy the Central Village, adjacent to the Sofitel in Hua Hin.
It really is a self-contained village, set in a picturesque beach-side garden with clusters of Thai-style bungalows on stilts, each with two apartments that are ideal for families with every facility close to hand and the city only a stroll away. The youngsters would love it. So will you, no matter where you stay in Hua Hin, Thailand's oldest resort town.
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