Ria Bintan GC

Ria Bintan Golf Club (Ocean Blue & Ocean Green Course)

Course Data

Location	Bintan, Indonesia
Yardage	7076 yards Par72
Course Rating	72.2
Playing Date	5 July 2004
Designer	Gary Player
Opened	1998
Caddy	Yes
Golf Cart	Yes (can be driven on the FW)

Rating

Overall Rating	4.95
Course Layout	5
Difficulty Level	5
Greens Conditions	4
Fairways Conditions	4
Landscaping & Views	7

These are wonderfully designed ocean courses, making full use of the natural seaside terrain. They offer not only excellent views but also good challenges. The very scenic and challenging 7th 8th & 9th holes where the ocean comes into play are especially impressive. There are 27 holes in total including the 9 holes called the Forest.

The course seen from the sea

A view from the clubhouse

Picturesqe landscape

1st　Par 5　579 yards

1st Par 5 579 yards

A slight dogleg to the right. The left side of the lake comes into play for the tee shot and the right side of the lake is in play for the second shot. The third shot is difficult as well.
(There is no picture off the tee)

4th　Par 4　382 yards

A good par 4 that looks like a big lake surrounding the green and the fairway. The view from the elevated tee is super.

4th green seen from behind

4th Par4 382yards (2)

4th Par4 382yards (1)

5th　Par 4　418 yards　

5th Par 4 418 yards (2)

5th Par4 418yards (1)

A straight par 4 that is separated by trees. The shapes around the green are pretty.

7th　Par 5　500 yards　

7th Par5 500yards (1)

A gentle downhill, dogleg to the right. A long hitter can reach the green in 2, but the key to success is how to manage the pond in front of the green. There is also a hazard behind the green, guarded at the back by borders which have the South China Sea as a backdrop.

7th hole seen from the green

7th Par5 500yards (3)

7th Par5 500yards (2)

8th　Par 4　396 yards　

8th Par4 396yards（２）

8th Par4 396yards（１）

A sharp dogleg to the left, an excellent par 4. You do not need to drive more than 250 yards. The second shot is sharply downhill with the green 14 meters (50 ft.) lower. The green is 50 yards deep with he ocean in the immediate background. This hole was awarded 2nd place by Asian Golf Monthly’s 2002 Best Par 4 in Asia (excluding Japan).

9th　Par 3　171 yards　

A signature hole over a sea inlet. The double-tiered green is deep and it features a bunker to the left. The left of the bunker rocks cascade down to the sea. Because it is very beautiful, the view will take away your breath. This hole is awarded 4th place by Asian Golf Monthly 2002 Best Par 3 in Asia (excluding Japan).

9th green seen from the sea

9th seen from an angle

9th Par3 171yards

10th　Par 4　378 yards　

10th Par4 378yards (2)

10th Par4 378yards (1)

A dogleg to the left with the seashore on the left of the hole. The big and deep fairway bunkers are well positioned.

13th　Par 5　582 yards　

A long par 5, slightly uphill. The fairway becomes narrower as it gets closer to the green, so it is difficult.

13th Par5 582yards (3)

13th Par5 582yards (2)

13th Par5 582yards (1)

16th　Par 5　566 yards　

16th Par5 566yards (2)

16th Par 5 56 yards (1)

A straight long hole. It features the undulation fairway.

17th　Par 3　173 yards　

17th Par3 173yards

A neat par 3. The bunkers guard the wide green well.

18th　Par 4　487 yards　

18th seen from the green

18th Par4 487yards

A long par 4 which it is not reachable in 2 unless you are a truly long hitter. The hazards on the left side of the fairway & green come into play for the second and third shots as the fairway becomes tighter. It offers a magnificent view of the clubhouse from the tee.

Forest Course

The 9-hole Forest Course is relatively short compared to the first 18 holes but it plays away from the sea and is as equally interesting a golf challenge as its seaside sister. The course is built in a good location in the forest.

3rd Par5 538yards (1)

3rd Par5 538yards (2)

3rd Par5 538yards (3)

4th Par3 183yards

6th Par5 566yards (1)

6th Par5 566yards (2)

19th hole

It takes 45 minutes from Singapore to Bintan by ferry. The club has a Club Med and it takes 5 minutes by car from the Club Med where I stayed. The rooms in the Club Med are just an average but I was happy to have delicious buffet lunches and dinners with free wines & beer everyday. Also it was pleasant to see the staff shows held every night.

A ferry to go to Bintan

An iguana stalking the fairway

I was able to see the course from the ocean side by using kayak after a 20-minute ride from the Club Med beach. The course and Bintan Lagoon Resort – Jack Nicklaus Course (25-minute kayak paddling) adjoin each other. While paying, I ran across an iguana stalking the fairway. I t was my first time to see one except for in a zoo.

Club Med

The US Golf Magazine used to nominate this course as one of the 100 top courses in the world. (I am not sure that the course was actually one of the top 100 courses). Now, of 2003’s 100 top courses in the world, three courses chosen from Asia are all in Japan. The 35th is Hirono GC, the 75th is Naruo GC, and the 80th is Kawana GC – Fuji Course.

Gary Player has designed 200 courses around the world, about 30 of them in Asia. There are Kai Sai Chau Public GC - North Course in Hong Kong, Manna CC in Japan, and Sand River (深圳砂河) GC, Zhaoqing (肇慶) R&GC in China, Puerto Azul B&CC, Orchard G&CC - Player Course in the Philippines and Sriracha GC in Thailand.