The Els Club Teluk Datai

The verdict

The Els Club Teluk Datai occupies one of the most spectacular sites in Asian golf, on Datai Bay at the rainforest covered northwest tip of Langkawi. The original course here was a 1992 Ted Parslow design that the jungle had slowly reclaimed. Ernie Els and his design team took it on for a complete renovation in 2012 and 2013, and the course reopened in 2014 to immediate acclaim, named the best new course in the world that year.

It plays as a par 72 of around 6,750 yards, and its character comes from the land rather than from manufactured hazards. The holes meander through ancient rainforest down to the turquoise Andaman Sea, with the marble peaks of the Mat Cincang range as a backdrop, and five holes run along the seafront. Most strikingly for a modern resort course, Els chose to build it with no fairway bunkers at all, letting the jungle, the contours and the sea define the challenge instead.

The holes worth the trip

Few courses anywhere are routed through scenery like this. Wide corridors are cut through primary rainforest alive with monkeys, hornbills and the occasional flying lemur, the turf running firm down toward the bay. With no fairway bunkers, the trouble is the jungle edge, the streams and the contours Els emphasised in the rebuild, and the strategy is about angles into well guarded greens rather than avoiding sand off the tee.

The five seafront holes, including the much photographed stretch where the course meets Datai Bay, are the ones that travellers remember, with the Andaman Sea on one side and the rainforest rising on the other. Inland, the holes climb and fall with the natural land, demanding accurate iron play and a feel for how the ball will run on the firm, fast surfaces.

It is a resort course built to be enjoyed rather than to break the better player, but the setting raises every shot. Play it early before the heat builds, take a caddie who knows the lines, and give yourself time to take in a place that feels more like a nature reserve with golf in it than a golf course with a view.

Where to stay nearby

The natural base is The Datai Langkawi, the luxury rainforest resort the course belongs to, which sits on the same bay and turns a round here into a complete escape. It is one of the most celebrated resorts in Asia and the obvious choice for a stay and play.

Langkawi has a wide range of beach resorts along its western coast, from Pantai Cenang to the quieter northern bays, so a golf trip here pairs easily with the island's beaches, mangroves and cable car. Many travellers combine Langkawi with Kuala Lumpur or a wider Malaysia and Thailand itinerary.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near The Els Club Teluk Datai.