Destination Focus Destination Focus

Destination Focus
Nusa Dua
New Life at
Nusa Dua, home of luxury hotels and a newly opened championship
golf course, now has direct toll access from a new international terminal
for even greater ease of travel. By Patricea Chow-Capodieci
92 Golf Vacations JUN - AUG 2 0 1 4
OPENING
PICTURE:
Bali National Golf
Club - Green#6
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP RIGHT:
Nusa Dua map;
The Remede Spa,
relaxation gazebo
at St Regis Resort
Bali; Fine dining at
St Regis Resort Bali;
Swimming pool at
Grand Hyatt Bali;
Grand Hyatt Bali
aerial view.
T
he Indonesian island of Bali is internationally
regarded as a tourist destination. Its verdant rice
fields, rich local culture, and indulgent spa retreats
are an invitation to relax, get closer to nature, and
forget about the hustle and bustle of life. Among its many
sprawling districts that range from pristine beaches to lush
mountains, Nusa Dua has long been known as a secluded
paradise for travellers wanting a slice of heaven on their own.
Located on the south peninsula some 40 kilometres from
Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali as well as the location
of its international airport, Nusa Dua is sidled along the east
side of the peninsula, and the Kawasan Pariwisata, a purposebuilt tourist enclave known for posh accommodations,
long stretches of white sand beaches, and scenic views.
Five-star resorts including the Grand Hyatt Bali, the
St. Regis Resort Bali, and the Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach
Hotel & Spa are but a few of the international and
boutique names that pepper this stretch, which are also
built to host small meetings of 12 attendees, up to large
events for 1,500 persons.
JUN - AUG 2 0 1 4 Golf Vacations 93
Destination Focus
September 2013. Built over the Gulf of Benoa, a stretch
of the toll road now connects the island’s Ngurah Rai
International Airport directly to Nusa Dua. As there is
no congestion, the journey takes only around 5 minutes,
and offers a scenic view of the gulf. From the airport to
Nusa Dua now, the total journey varies between 15 to 20
minutes each way.
Also taking into consideration the new international
terminal of the airport that opened last November,
faster processing times for Visas on Arrival, improved
baggage handling, and smoother immigration and
customs clearance, the time spent on the visitor arrival
process is now halved from almost an hour that it took
at the old terminal.
Old Location, New Tees
This unique situation ensures that the arrival of the
island’s latest golf offering, the Bali National Golf Club
(BNGC), is certain to pick up visitor interest very quickly.
Located right in the thick of things is one of Nusa Dua’s
most notable attractions for golf enthusiasts. The former
Bali Golf & Country Club that opened in 1991, it has
recently gone through an ownership change, along with
structural renovation that looks to propel what had
already been named one of ‘Asia’s 5 Best Golf Courses’
by Fortune magazine, to even greater heights.
Beginning from early 2012, Nelson, Haworth Golf
Course Associates began planting the seeds, literally
and figuratively, to this exciting new tract. When it
BELOW
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP: The
Expansive Lagoons
at The Laguna
Resort; Arwana Bar at The Laguna
Resort & Spa; The
Laguna Pool Villa;
Bale Bengong at
Laguna Bali Resort
& Spa.
getting
there
Nusa Dua is an approximate
20-minute drive from Bali’s
Ngurah Rai International
Airport. This tourist enclave
comprises luxury hotel
accommodation, the Bali
National Golf Club, Bali’s main
convention centre, another
Bali International Convention
Centre, and private white sand
beaches.
All the luxury hotels in the
area provide private transfers
to and from the airport. For a
more scenic arrival sans road
traffic, Air Bali provides charter
helicopter transfers to your hotel
upon request.
Bali experiences tropical
weather throughout the year.
Although there are frequent
showers in the months of
December to February, they
last only for a couple of hours
and will not pose a huge
inconvenience for visits to the
island. The best times to visit are
in the months of May to August,
when humidity levels are low,
days are clear, and there are cool
breezes in the day and night.
Self-driving is usually not
encouraged due to unpredictable
traffic behaviour of other
motorists. Should you wish to
drive in Bali, a car rental can
easily be arranged through either
the hotel concierge or the tours
and travel desk. Note that the
driving is on the left hand side.
www.baliconvention.com
www.airbali.com
96 Golf Vacations JUN - AUG 2 0 1 4
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terms & conditions visit westinnusaduabali.com
Destination Focus
“When it reopened as the Bali National Golf Club this
January, the new landscaping provides golfers with two
distinct scenic experiences with lush tropical foliage on
the front nine, while the back holes feature coconut groves
and sand bunkers. A scenic backdrop comprising Bali’s
Gunung Agung volcano, and the Indian Ocean frames
this sprawling tract wherever one goes.”
TOP PICTURE:
Bali National Golf
Club - Hole #17
(island green).
reopened as the Bali National Golf Club this January,
the new landscaping provides golfers with two distinct
scenic experiences with lush tropical foliage on the
front nine, while the back holes feature coconut groves
and sand bunkers. A scenic backdrop comprising Bali’s
Gunung Agung volcano, and the Indian Ocean frames this
sprawling tract wherever one goes.
At 7,166 yards (almost 300 yards longer than before),
it is a lock for a true championship test with new greens
on all 18-holes, a new driving range, and a new clubhouse
with an elegant meeting room and lounge facilities. At
98 Golf Vacations JUN - AUG 2 0 1 4
first, the course looks difficult, but is actually manageable
once one gets around the many beautifully carved
bunkers and water features.
Starting from the hole one, mature trees are set
between fairways and rough and share the stage with
a backdrop of spectacular ocean views, which then
transform to that of the magnificent Gunung Agung by
the time one arrives at the 4th green. While mostly flat,
the course does elevate from there and at the 7th tee, the
high ocean view makes driving this long par 5 (620 yards
from the championship tees) an experience to regale.
Destination Focus
life at
jimbaran
For those who prefer something more
active and yet not too far away from the
golf, staying at Jimbaran Bay, some 10
minutes away from Nusa Dua may be the
answer. The Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran
offers contemporary living that inspires
a relaxed, understated style. With 118
rooms, suites, penthouses and villas, the
resort also features the newly developed
Le Méridien Hub experience, which sees
the hotel lobby designed into a social
gathering place. A main focal point of
the resort is its large (1,300 sqm) and
uniquely shaped lagoon pool that winds
its way throughout the entire premise
so there are loads of opportunities for
fun in the sun. Come night, the lively
Smoqee Lounge & Sky Bar turns out
chic cocktails and a resident DJ spinning
tracks to watch the sun set, and then
deep into the night till 11pm. Of course,
there is also that famous stretch of
seafood restaurants along the beach a
short walk away that is arguably Bali’s
best, so for an alternative to staying
in Nusa Dua, the Le Méridien Bali
Jimbaran isn’t that far off, literally and
figuratively.
www.lemeridienbalijimbaran.com
Jalan Bukit Permai, Jimbaran, IDB 80361,
Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 8466 888
In Singapore, call: 1800 232 5288
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Sunset view of the hotel's exterior; Hotel lobby;
Bale Banjar Ballroom at The Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran.
TOP PICTURES:
Bali National Golf Club.
At Hole 8, a gargantuan drive is needed to traverse a
jungle ravine before arriving at the left sloping fairway of
this challenging par 4. Finally, the halfway finish beckons
with a generous fairway but with a babbling brook on the
right side all the way to an elevated green, club and shot
selection plays a premium here.
Thereafter, driving the buggy towards the back nine
unveils a totally different landscape of rolling coconut
groves with strategically located lakes to test the nerve
and skill of golfers, starting on holes 11 and 12. A
plethora of well-placed bunkers are to be navigated
on the par 5, 13th before arriving at the nestled down
green. Following two gentle par 4’s, the finishing holes
consists of both length and accuracy tests.
Hole 16, a par 5 carved from amongst high dunes, with
the wind billowing against is set to make all 534 yards of it
longer than it is. A dogleg left layout also means that better
players need to accurately draw their second shot for a
good chance to approach with a short wedge.
Among the many interesting holes that the Bali National
churns out, the biggest test of nerve comes at the signature
par 3, 17th hole, which, with its island green, requires a
precise tee shot to safely navigate. And finally, the 18th,
a 400-yard dogleg left hole that is draped by a lake all
the way down the left side of the fairway, brings one to
a greensite directly in front of an elevated clubhouse
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Destination Focus
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TOP PICTURES
- CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Lobby, Lagoon Pool
& Beach Dinner
at Courtyard
Marriott.
BELOW PICTURES
FROM TOP
TO BOTTOM:
Swimming pool &
luxury room with
plunge pool at
Sofitel Bali Nusa
Dua Beach Resort.
terrace, where many others who have completed their
round will be watching those that come after them.
Apart from a world-class golf course, Bali National
also boasts of a golf academy operated by Ancora
Golf Institute, one of three golf academies owned by
Ancora Sports and managed by the Professional Golfers
Association of Australia, where visitors can engage the
services of its professionals for game saving tips or simply
to enjoy a round of golf with.
Headed by Australian PGA instructor Robert Wayne
Turvey who had been with the site since 2009, he had
successfully led the DKI Jakarta provincial golf team as
head coach to a seven gold medal haul at Pekan Olahraga
Nasional or PON National Games 2012, held in Riau.
With earned accolades and experience, Turvey has set
about a junior golf program as well as training program
for adults in this unique driving range featuring multiple
greensites and pin positions that vary from week to week.
“Players can really test and practice their ability to
fire at tricky pins or to monitor their ability to land on
the green,” says Turvey, adding, “This driving range is
definitely set up as one of the best iron play practice
facilities in the country.”
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