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MACAU GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB -
A Little Country, A Little Bit Rock and Roll

Perched on a small hill in Coloane Island amidst cliffs and flora and fauna with the choppy waters of the South China Sea forming the backdrop, lies Macau’s only golfing sanctuary – Macau Golf and Country Club.

With the 208 room Westin Resort’s architecture sloping towards the sea at a 20-degree angle sharing the same property and owners, it truly is a breath-taking sight. Just over 12 years old this target style golf course has all the trappings of a resort course with an attitude. The sculptured fairways lined with cart tracks, picturesque vistas and gentle bunkering that protect the strategically shaped greens characterize this user-friendly yet challenging layout.

Playing a little over 6,800 yards from the back tee and 5,700 yards off the resort tees, it requires more brains than brawns from golfers in targeting shots that not many resort courses require - the tenth tee is actually built on the roof of the hotel!

(For a hole by hole summary of the course and its challenges, click here.)

Designed by Hiroshi Ikeda, the course begins slowly with two relatively tame par 4s sandwiching the reachable par 5 498 yard second hole. Then comes a par 3, one of five in total, making the course a par 71, ranging between 140 and 238 yards, with some unpredictable humps and hollows which will require accuracy and good swings off the tees.

Sharp doglegs and a pair of brutal par 5s – the 12th and 13th - determine the tone of play for the rest of the day. Precision striking is a must when the wind blows, lest the golfers get blown away with high scores. The challenge of the signature 17th so aptly reverberates when you are on the tee that is cut into the side of a cliff with a 140 foot drop to the green.

This club offers visiting golfers a cozy ambience and clubby atmosphere, despite its private status.

This article is reproduced with the kind permission of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour 

MACAU GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Hole 1 Par 4 394 Yds.
This pleasant opening hole requires a straight drive to avoid well-placed fairway bunkers. The second shot to a well-bunkered large green plays further than it looks, so ensure you have enough club.

Hole 2 Par 5 498 Yds.
A left to right dog-leg par 5 requiring a long straight drive to get to the dog-leg and avoid the bunkers. Big hitters may reach the green in two. A well placed second shot is needed to open up the green for a short iron third.

Hole 3 Par 4 332 Yds.
This very tight, rising par 4 needs an accurate tee shot to place the ball between the out of bounds and three bunkers. The elevated green makes club selection for the second shot very tricky.

Hole 4 Par 3 152 Yds.
This is a straightforward par 3 made awkward by swirling winds around the green. A definite birdie chance for any good iron player.

Hole 5 Par 4 474 Yds.
An elevated tee gives the player a view of all the trouble to be negotiated. This hole requires a good long drive to allow the opportunity to try for the green tucked in a hazard protected hollow. Hole 5 is the toughest par 4 on the course, a real card wrecker.

Hole 6 Par 3 140 Yds.
Out of bounds on the left and water behind on the right makes this relatively simple hole harder to play than it should be.

Hole 7 Par 4 317 Yds.
Out of bounds, ravines, a narrow fairway, and elevation changes make this short par 4 quite daunting. The sensible play is a long iron to the centre of fairway, which sets up a mid to short iron blind second shot to a well-bunkered elevated green.

Hole 8 Par 4 370 Yds.
A definite birdie chance if you can avoid the fairway bunkers from the picturesque elevated tee. A small, very undulating green places a premium on pinpoint accuracy for the short iron second shot.

Hole 9 Par 4 405 Yds.
A straight away down hill par 4. If you can thread your tee shot through the fairway bunkers you find yourself with a mid to short iron down hill shot to a heavily bunkered sloping green.

Hole 10 Par 4 396 Yds.
An intimidating tee shot that requires a fade to put the ball on the right side of the fairway. This sets up a mid-iron to a raised upturned saucer shaped green. Make par or better on this hole and you deserve a pat on the back.

Hole 11 Par 3 230 Yds.
This is a tough par 3. Pinpoint accuracy with a long iron or fairway wood is your only chance of hitting this punishing green.

Hole 12 Par 5 574 Yds.
This classic par 5 rises from tee to green and is a genuine three shotter. A booming drive is needed to carry the water, followed by an accurate fairway wood which will set up a mid iron third to a violently sloping two-tier green.

Hole 13 Par 5 536 Yds.
Trouble all the way down the right side makes accuracy rather than length the requirement for this hole. A good short iron third shot to the elevated green will set up a birdie chance if you can negotiate the swirling winds around the green.

Hole 14 Par 3 201 Yds.
Trouble down the right, bunkers on the left and a small sloping green make this the toughest par 3 on the course.

Hole 15 Par 4 339 Yds.
A long iron or fairway wood off the tee will set up a short iron over water to the sunken green. This pretty hole is a definite birdie chance.

Hole 16 Par 4 410 Yds.
Anything but a perfect drive will leave a second shot off an upward sloping lie to a long two-tier green with hazards behind and to the right. This seemingly simple hole can be a real card wrecker.

Hole 17 Par 3 225 Yds.
This spectacular par 3 has an elevated tee 140 feet above a big green surrounded by cliffs and shrub land to the right and the South China Sea to the left. Anything other than the perfect tee shot will result in disaster.

Hole 18 Par 5 564 Yds.
Big hitters may risk going for this green in two, but sea, lakes, deep greenside bunkers and out of bounds usually forces a lay up second shot. This leaves a mid to short iron third over water to a sloping elevated green with out of bounds just over the back.