Garden City Golf Club is the best course in Phnom Penh among four courses as of 2017. It is a beautiful parkland course on a flat terrain. The course features large, undulating greens and strategically placed bunkers & water hazards. There are a lot of good holes on the front 9 such as my favorite par 5 564-yard 2nd, the demanding par 4 439-yard 6th, the unique par 5 604-yard 8th and the challenging par 4 444-yard 9th. All of those holes offer players risk/reward options. On the back 9, the dramatic green of 176-yard par 3 15th is surrounded on three sides by a lake is charming. The course conditioning from the use of Seashore Paspalum turf are superb. I felt as if I was walking on carpets. The greens conditioning is very good, too while thoughtful planting of shrubs and trees help to create an engaging golfing experience.

A Course view

A view from Hole 3

9th green

Toughtful planting

>Toughtful planting

A sharp dogleg to the left. The fairway, sloping to the right, off the tee is narrow with water along the right. The second shot is over a creek and needs to negotiate with another water on the left. A bunker placed in front of the green comes into play on the approach shot.

A slight dogleg to the left, demanding hole. Two fairway bunkers fairway bunkers in the center of the fairway provide the split fairway off the tee. The longer players drive, the narrow the landing areas become as there are the bunkers and the lake on either side of both left and right fairways. The sloping green is elevated and two-tiered with a bunker on the front left.

Hole 7　Par 3　196 yards

A large bunker is placed on the left of the geen. The green is deep & narrow and slops from the center to the back. Pay attention to hitting over the green when the pin position ison the back.

A dogleg to the left. The fairway is split on the tee shot. Long hitters who try to hit the green in two shots should aim the narrower left fairway. Otherwise, players need to choose the wider right fairway and the lake comes into play on the left on the second shot. The fairway bends at a right angle to the left around 130 yards in front of the green. A huge bunker is placed right in front of the sloping green.

Hole 9　Par 4　444 yards (2)

Hole 9　Par 4　444 yards (1)

A dogleg to the right, challenging hole. There are a lake on the left and a 200-yard long fairway bunker and a blind lake on the right off the tee. The second shot is slightly uphill over the lake. The green, deep and sloping to the right, is protected by bunkers on the left and the front right.

Hole 11　Par 5　530 yards (2)

Hole 11　Par 5　530 yards (1)

A dogleg to the left. A lake crosses the fairway around 100 yards in front of the green. Players need to make a decision whether lay up safely in front of the lake or go for the green in two shots. Another good risk/reward hole. The green is guarded by bunkers on the left and the right and water on the left. The green slopes from back to front.

Hole 15　Par 3　176 yards

A par 3 over a lake. The wide green is dramatic as it is double-tiered with huge elevation change (pehaps as high as human height). The green is surround by sand and water by three sides.

A slight dogleg to the right. The landing area off thetee is narrow as water on both sides and a fairway bunker on the left. The green is guarded by a bunker on the front left.

It is a 30-minute drive both from Phnom Penh and a 50-minute drive from the International Airport.

Caddies

Hotel Restaurant

Lunch

The course is run by IMG. The adjoining hotel is nice & comfortable with spacious rooms and great golf course views. The food in the restaurant is delicious. As of 2016, according to the site Top 100 Golf Course of the World (top 100 golfcourses.com), the course was considered the 4th best course in Cambodia that has 8 courses in total.

Hotel

Hotel

View from a room