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The Ayodhya Links Golf Course is located above a vast marshland has been
dug up and turned into a undulating terrain. The streams and lakes, which
lie throughout the course, are made by pumping up water from under the
ground. Although the land is large enough to build 36 holes, this course
only has a total of 18 holes. The course consists of quite a lot of memorable
and impressive holes, many of which end up being unique in its own special
way. The course distances itself over a total of 7,600 yards. There are
many strategically placed bunkers and water hazards throughout this extremely
long course making it very challenging for both amateurs and professionals.
The greens’ surfaces are boldly undulated and highly contoured, making
the overall putting experience very difficult. Players won't be able to
see any man-made structures except for the clubhouse.
The playing intervals off the first tee are every 15 minutes, double
of many other regular courses. Players will seldom encounter the front
and back groups during their play, making the players feel as if they
are occupying the entire course themselves. A combination of solitude
and natural beauty will make players feel as if they are playing in a
paradise & utopia world. Ayodhya Links proves to be at the frontier
of eco-friendliness, as the club only uses organic fertilizers, as supposed
to chemically produced ones, when maintaining their course. During the
winter, migratory birds, some traveling from as far as Alaska, may be
seen at this golf course. While regular courses just install a few kilometer-long
drainage, Ayodhya Links has a whopping 70 kilometer-long drainage system
underneath the entire course, allowing golf carts to be able to be driven
onto the fairway, even during heavy rains.
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The second hole is a long par 4 with a dogleg that bends to the left.
The hole consists of a beautiful lake that is placed on the left, and
a canal that runs along the right hand side. If players are starting from
the blue or black tee, they will be required to hit their tee shot over
the lake. There are three big bunkers that are strategically placed off
the tee. The green is surrounded by three additional bunkers and the canal,
which runs along the green’s right and rear sides. The green is angulated,
narrow, and slopes severely from the back left to the front right.
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The third hole is a long par 5 with a dogleg that bends to the left.
The lake on the right is intimidating off the tee especially if you are
left to right players. The fairway, while relatively generous, consists
of water hazards on both sides which players should try to avoid. The
landing area of the second shot becomes narrower due to the tight fairway
that is squeezed by the lakes. Although the fairway swings approximately
90 degrees to the left, 60 yards shy of the green, players only need to
aim approximately 45 degrees to the left on their third shot and hit their
ball over the left lake in order to reach the green. Long hitters have
the option do this on their second shot, if they believe that they will
be able to carry the large body of water onto the green. The green is
vertically long, double-tiered and borders the lake on the front-left
side, and a series of trees on the back side.
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| An almost straight and long par 4. This par 4 consists of
several fairway bunkers on both the left and right side of the hole. There
is also a lake on the left hand side that will come into play off the tee.
The green is double-tiered and the lower green’s surface slopes severely
from the center of the green to the front of the green. |
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This par 4 is a uphill hole with a dogleg that bends to the left. The
landing area off the tee is quite small due to four strategically placed
bunkers, one on the right and three on the left, that are placed along
the fairway and roughs. The green is horizontally long and undulated.
There is a mound that is placed on the center on the green. The green
slopes to the back right, and is protected by two bunkers to its left.
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The 7th hole is a par 3 that will require the ball to conquer three whole
bunkers in order to reach the green. Although the green is not deep, it
is wide as its width spans 43 yards. There is a mound at the center of
the shallow green, making putting from one side to another very difficult.
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A long par five with a dogleg that bends to the left. The landing area
off the tee shot is quite narrow due to the placement of the water hazard
on the left and the fairway bunkers on both sides. Player will need to
decide whether to lay up short, or hit their ball over a creek on the
second shot. If players decide to hit over the creek, both the water hazard
and the bunker will come into play. If players decide to lay up safely,
they will have to endure a long third shot. The green is double tiered
both to the left and right and slopes from back left to front right. A
large bunker protects the left side of the green. If the pin in in the
left back position, players will need to carry the bunker. Even if players
manage to land their ball on the green, it would be difficult to stop
the ball rolling as the back left of the green is not deep at all.
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| A very long par 4 with a dogleg to the left. A large mound
in the center will force players to decide whether to hit towards the left
or right. Aiming towards the left will allow a shorter play, but at a higher
risk as the narrow fairway borders a lake and a long beach bunker. Aiming
towards the right will require a longer play but be less of a risk as there
there is only one bunker that is placed about 270 yards from the tee. Despite
the direction, the longer the tee shot is hit, the narrower both the fairway
and the landing area becomes. The second shot will be very demanding due
to the fact that the green is guarded by a huge bunker both at the front
and right hand sides. There is also a body of water in front of the green
which players should avoid. Players will need to make a decision whether
to carry their ball over the hazards, or to play it safe and hit towards
the right side of the green. The green slopes from the top left to the bottom
right and has a horizontal ridge that runs through the center, making it
very difficult to put. If the ball lands on the opposite side of the ridge
in relation to the hole, putting will become a big challenge. |
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The 12th hole is a picturesque hole that is designed on top of an island
green. The green is surrounded by a body of water and a total of three
bunkers; two on the right and one at the back. The green is deep and around
40-yard wide. There are three distinct putting surfaces; two higher levels
on the left and right, and a concave center. The putting from different
surfaces offers another challenge to players.
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A 535 yard par 5 with a slight dogleg to the right. This hole is engulfed
by a long and twisted lake, dividing the the hole into four sections;
the tee area, two fairways, and a green. Most players will generally aim
their ball onto the first fairway on their tee shot. If players hit too
short or too long, they may risk dropping their ball into the lake. Long
hitters must not surpass 260 yards on their tee shot in order to avoid
the lake. However, it is said that a few years ago, when professional
golfer John Daly arrived at this hole, he was told carry of 290 yards
was needed to clear the lake. Without a moment of consideration, he decided
to use his driver, and miraculously managed to cleared his ball over the
lake and land it on the second fairway. From the second fairway, players
will need to overcome another section of the lake in order to land their
ball safely on the green. The green is steep and double-tiered. The front
side of the green slopes heavily to front and players will need to carry
over the first tier, or else the ball would roll back down into the lake.
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The 15th hole is a medium length par 4 with a slight dogleg to the left.
The opening shot onto the fairway is very generous, and while there is a
water hazard on the left and a 200-yard long fairway bunker on the right,
players should be safe as long as they are able to hit their ball within
the width of the wide fairway. However, the second shot can be quite difficult.
There are two deep bunkers that protect the front of the small and heavily
elevated green. Unless players can spin their ball, the ball will roll down
and continue to roll beyond the green. There is a large ridge in the center
of the green, forcing the ball to slope either to the front and back upon
landing. The green is vertically narrow with difficult recovery chip shots
from the closely mown grass if approached either from the left or right
sides of the highly plateau green. |
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A par 5 with a dogleg that bends to the right. Players should pay attention
to the three strategically placed fairway bunker and water hazards on
both sides off the tee. There are two bunkers and a lake on the left hand
side that players should look out for on their second shot. For those
who are average hitters, there is a lake on the right hand side that may
possibly come into play. The third shot will require the ball to be hit
over a creek. The double-tiered green has a big step with a bunker on
the left and the lake on the right. The front of the green has a mound
that players must hit over. If players don’t manage to overcome the mound,
the ball will most likely run down into the creek.
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The finishing hole is a tremendously long par four with a dogleg to the
left. Players should be aware of the lake that runs along the left side.
Despite this, the landing area off the tee is quite generous, so players
can drive their opening shot as hard as as they can. However, if players
hit too much to the right, they may find their ball either in a big beach
bunker or another body of water. Players should be aware that when they
lay up on the second shot, the landing area will be narrow due to the
lake on the right. The green is double-tiered and the back tier slopes
sharply from left to the right.
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Ayodhya Links Golf Club is a 50-minute drive from Central
Bangkok. Players must be accompanied by a member in order to be able to
play. There are only 250 members that are invited by the golf club, making
it one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Asia. A farm nearby the golf
club, owned by the chairman himself, produces fresh and organic vegetables
that are served at the restaurant of the golf club. The members parking
lot of the golf club is 10 meters away from the clubhouse and the entire
area, including the area from the parking lot to the clubhouse, is covered
under a roof. Therefore, players will never get wet on a rainy day upon
arrival. The caddies are called “butlers” and they are well educated and
professionally trained, offering players first-class services. During
the players play, butlers will always park the golf carts in one straight
row near the greens, fix the players divots, and remove the weeds on the
fairways for the players benefit. Overall, in great confidence I can say
that the management of this golf club takes care of its members with great
support and care.
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GOLF Magazine ranked Ahyodhya Links the 76th best course in the world
in 2015, the first course entering a world top 100 in ASEAN countries.
The other selected courses in Asia are Hirono
GC (Japan 42nd), The
Club at Nine Bridges (Korea, 43rd), Shanqin
Bay GC (China, 47th), Kawana
Fuji Course (Japan, 68th) and Tokyo
GC (Japan, 96th).
Also, according to the top100golfcourses.co.uk
site, Ayodhya Links was ranked 1st out of the 270 (as of 2015) courses
in all of Thailand during its 2015 evaluation.
Though Peter Thomson were the original creators of the course’s ground
plan, it was Pitak Intrawityanunt, the current owner chairman, who completed
the detailed design of the course. I am highly impressed that Mr. Intrawityanunt,
back then an amateur course designer, was able to create a course that
ultimately ended up in what is generally universally accepted as one of
the top hundred courses in the world. Over the past couple years, I’ve
had the honor of knowing Chairman Paitak and have managed to understand
and highly respect his knowledge on topics such as the architectural complexity
of course design and his wealth of insight on the importance of green
and fairway maintenance.
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2nd Par 4 457 yards (2)