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Four-time Major winner Ernie Els' first golf course design has been included in the US Golf Digest list of the world's top 100 courses.
The Els Club Teluk Datai, designed by four-time Major winner Ernie Els and opened in mid 2014, has catapulted into the world top 100 golf course rankings announced by US Golf Digest.
The par-72, 6750-yard course set in a dramatic jungle setting and spilling down to the Andaman sea on the island of Langkawi, was placed 83rd in the latest world ranking and was named top course in Malaysia.
It is rare for a new course to join the prestigious list so soon after opening. In the citation, Golf Digest said the course is the only one in the list without sand bunkers.
“Els felt the extreme amount of annual rainfall would make bunkers a maintenance nightmare. Instead, he used trees and a natural meandering stream as his primary hazards,” the citation read.
In November, The Els Club Teluk Datai was named Best Golf Course in Asia at the World Golf Awards annual ceremony in Faro, Portugal. It was named Best New Golf Course in the World at the inaugural 2014 World Golf Awards.
The group managing director and chief executive officer of Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels (TAR&H), Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhannuddin, said, “Having Ernie Els’ first-ever golf course design in South-East Asia on Malaysia’s shores reaffirms our intent to ensure the future of Malaysia’s golf tourism is as powerful as it is appealing. We are delighted the course has been recognised by the world’s two best and impartial judging panels.“
“These accolades confirm what visiting golfers to Langkawi have been saying for the past 15 months: this is a world-class layout in one of the most alluring settings you will find anywhere. Not only does the course provide a wonderful experience, it is adjacent to The Datai Langkawi resort hotel, named at the World Golf Awards as Malaysia’s best golf hotel.”
David Townend, senior vice president of The Els Club Malaysia, said recognition by Golf Digest and the World Golf Awards confirmed the quality and appeal of the course and its premier place in golf in Asia.
“Only 11 courses in Asia and three in the Middle East were named in the Golf Digest Top 100, so we feel privileged and honoured to be included among other great courses in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South and Central America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia/Pacific.“
The Els Club Teluk Datai is located on Langkawi’s north-west coast. The island is just off the north-west coast of peninsula Malaysia, a 50 minutes’ direct flight from Kuala Lumpur and 90 minutes from Singapore.
The Els Club collection includes courses in the Middle East and South Africa, with a 45-hole complex soon to be opened by The Els Club Malaysia near Desaru on Malaysia’s south-east coast, a short drive or ferry trip from Singapore.
The Els Club Teluk Datai, the first Els Club in South-East Asia, is owned by a subsidiary of TAR&H and collaborates with Troon Golf for its management and operations.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
