Borneo Golf & Country

Borneo Golf & Country Club

Course Data

Location	Sabah, Malaysia
Yardage	7159 yards Par 72
Course Rating
Playing Date	12 Apr. 2004
Desingner	Jack Nicklaus
Opened	1996
Caddy	No
Golf Cart	Yes (Compulsory and can be driven on the fairways)

Rating

Overall Rating

3.95

Course Layout	5
Difficulty Level	4
Greens Conditions	3
Fairways Conditions	2
Landscaping & Views	4

A beautiful course, which used to be a cashew nut plantation near the South China Sea. The front 9 has one of orthodox layout as Jack Nicklaus designed it. On the other hand, the back 9 has totally different characteristics. The designer used the natural terrain to dramatic effect. Because the natural lagoon, the South China Sea, and many well-placed palm trees grace the back 9 holes, the back 9 equals the best courses in Hawaii in terms of views and layouts. If you play here for the first time, you had better play the front 9 first and then the back 9 to get the best impression of the course. Although the course design is excellent, it is a pity that the greens and the fairways are in poor condition. But that can often be seen at many resort golf courses all over the world.

A view from clubhouse

A view from 14th green

11th green seen from 17th FW

4th　Par 4　416 yards

4th Par 4 416 yards (2)

4th Par 4 416 yards (1)

A slight dogleg to the right par 4. There are well-positioned bunkers, 245 yards away from the tee, in the center of the fairway. You can make a short cut by driving to the right of the bunkers but if you slice the ball too much from the left to the right, you will hit the water on the right edge of the fairway.

6th　Par 5　556 yards

A slight dogleg to the right with many bunkers. There is water on the right of the hole and the second shot needs to be hit to the left side of the fairway in order not to let the water come into play for the third shot. The second shot also needs to be accurate since there are a lot of well-placed fairway bunkers.

6th hole seen from the green

6th Par 5 556 yards (2)

6th Par 5 556 yards (1)

11th　Par 5　562 yards

11th Par 5 562 yards (2)

11th Par 5 562 yards (1)

A very impressive dogleg to the left. You have the South China Sea behind the left side of the hole and a beautiful lagoon on the right side of the hole. The fairway is relatively tight and the fairway bunkers are well placed.

13th　Par 4　408 yards

13th Par 4 408 yards (2)

13th Par 4 408 yards (1)

A dogleg to the left par 4 that can be played as a straight hole if you drive over the lagoon. Two fairways are split by a natural lagoon and provide you alternative fairway routes to the green. To take a short cut, you need to carry 240 yards across the lagoon, leaving you with a SW or PW to a green which is well guarded by bunkers. If you are not adventurous player, you will go down the fairway on the right which will leave you a medium iron over the water to the small and heavily-bunkered green.

14th Par 3 188 yards

A strategic par 3 with the great “postcard” view. The ocean faces the right side of the hole. There is a deep bunker in front of the green. You can listen to the ocean waves as you hit your shot.

15th　Par 4　422 yards

15th green seen from the side

15th Par 4 422 yards

An excellent par 4 playing along the beach front. The South China Sea also faces the right side of this hole. The beach lies very close to the green, so you can hear the waves as you putt on this hole, too.

17th　Par 5　521 yards

A slight dogleg to the right. There is a lagoon on the right side of the fairway. The green is reachable in 2 for a long hitter and, it is the course’s shortest par 5. However, if you are not brave enough to take on the water, play down the left to avoid an approach over the water.

17th Par 5 521 yards (3)

17th Par 5 521 yards (2)

17th Par 5 521 yards (1)

19th hole

It takes one hour and 15 minuets from Kota Kinabalu.

The distance sticks are not measured from the center of the green but from the front edge of it, so you need to be careful.The other courses Jack Nicklaus designed in Malaysia are The Legend G&CR and Sungai Long G&CC, and The Empire H&CC in the neiboring country, Brunei.