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The Nirwana Bali Golf Club is a scenic seaside course that utilizes its
coastal and natural terrains. The course also features wonderful views
that overlook the Indian Ocean. The course also includes interesting designs,
especially the rice terraces positioned on roughs and creeks that cross
fairways. Some of the holes are known to provide spectacular natural hazards
such as rugged cliffs, holes that run along the Indian Ocean, terraced
rice paddies, and coastal landscapes. The course becomes increasingly
difficult when there are prevailing strong sea winds. Notable holes on
this course are the par 5 on hole 6, the par 3 on hole 7, the par 4 on
hole 13, and the par 3 on hole 14. These holes are not only beautiful,
but also tricky as the ocean comes into play.
Website played on June 2003
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| The first hole consists of a dogleg that bends
to the left around a terraced rice paddy. If players accidentally land their
ball in the paddy, a one-stroke penalty to drop their ball nearby should
be used since it will be quite difficult to hit from the paddy. There is
a reachable fairway bunker on the left at about 230 yards off the tee. The
second shot will be hit over a slightly downhill slope. The green itself
is guarded by a deep bunker on the left and another bunker at its rear.
The small and slightly undulated green makes the putting experience interesting.
Overall, I was quite impressed with the utilization of a rice terrace in
a golf course as it was the first time I saw this done. |
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The second hole is a par 3 that requires the ball to be hit over a terraced
rice paddy. There is a deep bunker that guards the green on its front left
and a creek that runs along its right side. |
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The third hole consists of a dogleg that bends to the left. A carry of 195
yards is needed in order to clear a fairway bunker located near the bend.
There is a creek that runs along the left side of the green and an OB zone
at the back. Green is elevated, steeply sloped, and double-tiered. The green
also has three bunkers guarding it, making it a hole which tests the accuracy
on the approach shot. |
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| This is a short par five with a sharp dogleg that bends to
the left. There is a bunker at about 200 yards off the tee. Players can
enjoy a great view of the blue Indian Ocean at the second shot as they hit
their ball over a gentle downhill slope. It is possible to land the ball
on the green in two shots. However, players should be aware that the green
is well protected by bunker on its front left and another deep bunker to
the right. Since the ocean lies very close to the green, players can enjoy
the beautiful sounds of the waves and enjoy the comfortable sea breeze while
putting. |
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The seventh hole is a signature hole with a great view of the ocean. As
players aim for the green, they will see the famous temple of "Tanah
Lot" floating in the ocean. Players will be challenged, as they will
have to avoid the water on the left, the bunker in front, and the bushes
on the right. There is another big bunker on the fairway that awaits any
short shots. The green is wide and slopes towards the left. While the hole
may be devilish enough to swallow any bad shots into the ocean or the bush,
players will still be astounded by the overall experience since the view
looks as if it came out of a postcard. This hole was selected as one of
the best 500 holes in the world by the US Golf Magazine in 2000． |
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The 12th hole is a beautiful hole that consists of a sharp dogleg that bends
to the right. There is a fairway bunker on the left that is reachable at
250 yards off the tee and another bunker on the right that requires a 250-yard
carry to clear. The downhill approach shot will force players to use either
a short iron or a wedge in order to land their ball onto the shallow green.
An accurate shot is needed to land the ball as not only is the green bordered
by water on its front and the left, but also an OB line at the back. |
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The 13th hole is a slightly uphill and a dogleg to the right, short par
4. It is an easy hole but is framed perfectly with great views of the Indian
Ocean. |
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The 14th hole is a beautiful over-the-ocean par three. The green is guarded
on the right by the ocean and on the front and left by bunkers. It is important
to judge the prevailing sea winds on this hole in order to land the ball
on the green. |
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The second to last hole consists of a sharp dogleg that bends to the right.
There are two fairway bunkers on the left that are reachable at around 230-240
yards and a fairway bunker on the left that is reachable at 270 yards off
the tee. There is a creek that runs in front of the wide green and two bunkers
at its rear protect it. |
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It is a 45-minute drive from the Bali International
Airport and an hour drive from Nusa Dua in order to get to the Nirwana Bali
Golf Club. The Course is in Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort.
After I completed my round, I went to go see the floating temple in the
ocean Tanah Lot. This famous temple can be seen from the 7th hole. You can
walk down during a low tide in order to get a better view. It is breathtakingly
beautiful to watch the temple during sunsets.
According to the site top100golfcourses.co.uk, Nirwana Bali Golf Club
was ranked 1st out of the 170 courses in all of Indonesia during its 2016
evaluation. Other Greg Norman designed courses in in Indonesia are Laguna
Bintan GC, River Side GC, Tering Bay G&CC.
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Hole 1 Par 4 383 yards (3)