World Classic Course Reveal in Golf Digest

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The par-4 r6th is one ofthe fewholes that requires an approach overwater.

LagunaNational's\\'drld Classiccourse is bold,brash,,and everybitas bodacious as itlooks from afar.BYJU K. TAN

xnv,I'vr selo rT . THs WonI,o Classtc Counsu.nrLagunaNational Golf and CountryClub is onefuncourse to play.

Of course, this doesn't come without its share of qualiflcations.It is fun ifyou don't intend to shoot the best round ofyour life, orfeel like a golfcourse owes you anyhing, or you expect bouncesto go your way a1l the time. Another words, if you go out lookingfor a game that requires you to think on every shot, have litt1eexpectations on how many strokes you take, and want to take inone ofthe most dramatic topographical sceneryyou,ll ever see onreclaimed land, then you ought to be awed by a round here.

Go1f, after all, threatens our sense of humour no matter wherewe pIay. Itjust takes an extra dose ofit when you tee it up at theWorld Classic.

When Laguna National wanted to rebuild its Classic Coursesome years back, it hired its original designerAndy Dye to take onthe task. The mandate was to create a course that would reflectsome of the iconic holes on some of the most famous courses in theworld. While it would take some stretch of imagination to comparethe holes at World Classic with the holes it drew inspiration from,there is litt1e to doubt that the course has no problem matching anyhole anyvhere in terms of challenge and demand.

The bestwayto go about playing and enjoyinga round atWorld Classic is to not have any expectation ofwhat you,ll shoot.Teaching professional Dino Kwek, based in Laguna National,professedthat, "I love playingthe course because I don,t have anypressure to playweli here."

Sti1l, there are a fewthings you probably need to do well ifyouare to keep allyour senses in one basket after playing the course.You'1l need to hit your driver straight, be able to get out ofdeepbunkers, and possess the abiliry to hit high lob shots with a decentamount of spin. You've probably surmisedbynowthat there are a

vast number ofbunkers on the course - many ofthem very deep -fairways that don't look too inviting, and raised greens surroundedby fa1l-away slopes on most sides. A11 true, but there are exceptions.

OCTOBER 2011 / GOLF DIGEST SINGAPORE / 63

WORLDCLASSIC

Hershey-shaped mounds and bunker fl ashings

are characteristic ofthe World Classic course.

Like many diffrcult courses, the World Classic is one that takes

a few tries to get a hang ofit. On some holes, the fairways are

wider than you think or that it iooks. Knowing not to go long or hitshort when approaching several ofthe greens can keep you fromnotching up a high score. You sti11 have to stay on your toes each

time you address the ba1l, but once on the putting surface, more

often than not, you can exhale realising that the breaks are not as

drastic as the undulations you had to endure getting there'

There is water on the course, but not as much as you'd imagine

given that there are hardly any trees around to avoid. Awkward 1ies,

greens set up on mounds, and sand hazards (granted, many ofthemwaste bunkers) shore up most of the course's formidable defenses.

Right on the outset, the first ho1e, a par-4, wakes you up with a

tee shot that is as intimidating as it is remarkable. You'l1 never see

as many Hershey-shaped mounds on a single golfcourse, let alone

a single ho1e. In an aesthetic way, the ho1e, and manylike it on the

course, canbe viewed as awork ofart. Certainiy, looking at the

photographs I took through my round there, many ofthe pictures

look computer rendered even iftheywere as real as the double,

and triple bogeys on the scorecard ofmy maiden round.

The short, par-4 eighth is a per{ect short hole

where risk and reward needs to be considered.

The par-3 seventeenth reminds us a little ofTPC Sawgrass'

famous hole and everybit as threatening.

There are a couple ofholes that I really 1iked. The par-4 sixth

that plays around a pond requires you to place a shot strategically

behind a sand bunker with avery high bank so as to offer aview

ofthe green on the approach. And the eighth, a z93m par-4 (b1ue

tees) is the ultimate in risk reward given that all sorts of sandy

treachery 1ay in front and to the sides ofthe sma11 green. The l7'h, a

long par-3 is one ofthe prettiest holes on the course, and in many

ways, it's most conventional. InsplredbyTPC Sawgrass'famed and

notorious 17tr, but very much longer, golfers will need to muster

their best shots to keep their ba11s dry.

To be honest, and after having spoken to a few people who have

played the World Classic, golfers have veryopposingviews ofthe

course. But most importantly, they all have something to say about

it. Indifference, as we al1know, is the last thing anyone wants for a

golfcourse.Laguna National intends to position the World Classic at the

very top end in Singapore, and a unique system has been put in

place to help golfers have the best experience possible. "We intend

to positionWorld Classic as a premium golf experience on avery

unique and challenging 1ayout," said Patrick Bowers, Managing

On manyofthe holes, like the fifth here, hittingoverthe green is an unfortunate predicament.

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64 / GOLF DIGEST SINGAPORE ,/ OCTOBER 2OII

The 15th atWorld Classic

Director of Laguna National Golf and CountryClub. "We feelthis combination will result it in it becoming a "must p1ay" forthe region. It occupies a strategic place in our total overall clubexperience and supports our objective to be the private courseof choice for discerning golfers in Singapore."

The club is the first and only club to employ female "go1fguides", and it has also tended to the litt1e things that make a

round there special. "Our goal is to move the experience fromthat ofrandom or predictable to superior," adds Bowers. "Allplayers are personally greeted at the bag drop. Ifa Member haselected to accompanyguests to p1ay, theywill have our speciallytrained Go1flng Guides assigned to them. Tee times are t5 minutesapart to enhance the exclusive appeal and allow the piavers toenjoytheir game. We have added the Laser Link golf measuringdevices for all the caddies, or the Member can elect to take onewith them during their round for deadly accurate yardages fromevery fair"way. Future additions u,i11 include cold and hot towelservices, stocked water coolers on course and avery professionaland expensive yardage guidebook. We have several more ideasplannedbutwe can't give them all awayhere! The key is to

It maylooklikeyou're nevergoingto get there ontheWorld Classic first hole,butwhenyou eventuallymake itthere, the puttingsurface is quite friendly.

The par 4 sixth lets you see all the hazards from the tee*';xx?":iiil;l"ffi

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keep the game real while meeting the expectation of today'sinternational golfer regardingwhat a special golf experienceshould consist of."

This special experience doesn't come cheap. Member's guest feeis S$39o, arguablythe highest in Singapore. But this comes withextras like the buggyfee, Golflng Guide (caddie) fee, the initiallystocked cooler box, and use ofthe Laser Link range flnders. On topofthat, no tip is required for the Golflng Guides after your round.In the future, golfers playing on the course would also receive ayardage book as part oftheir fees. "It is our philosophy that onceyour fee is paid, you should not have to dip into your pocket again,"Borvers professes.

In retrospect, "C1assic" may not be the most accurate choiceofnames for the course. Unique, unconventional, and darlng areadjectives that come to mind. Without reseruations, this is onedifficult course and will test your ski11s, patience, and imagination.But it will also awe you with its incredulity and ethereal surrealism.

World Classic, with all its teeth and nal1s, held me in a vice grip,chewed me up and spat me out. It broke me down and humbledme...and I can't wait to go back to play it again. c

The par 3 seventh's greenhas a nastyfalse frontthatyou need to consider onyourtee shot.

OCTOBER 2011 / GOLF DIGESTSINGAPORE / 65