The Legends Golf & Country Resort is proud to announce the opening of the Arnold Palmer Palm Course at the Resort in Sedenak, Kulai, Johor on Sunday,19 April 2009. The soft opening ceremony was officiated by YB Dato’ Haji Abdul Latiff Bin Yusof, State Secretary of Johor and witnessed by more than 200 distinguished guests and members of the press. The ceremony was followed by a round of golf on the new course.
The spectacular 9-hole, 3,326-metre course complements the existing 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Course, and is of the highest international standard.
According to John Hamilton, Palmer Course Design Company regional Vice President, “The Legends Golf & Country Resort is really a resort designed so that the whole will be more than the sum of the parts. Our portion of the site is extremely attractive. We have a great responsibility in that it is the Palmer Course that will be the most visible from the clubhouse.
“Given our design style is very eco-friendly, we took a strong “less is more” approach to our site. The rolling hills, mature palm oil palms and numerous streams have guided us to a design solution that will provide the players with a golf course that looks as though it has been completed for many years and already “matured”.
“We are concentrated on three esthetic components within the overall design scheme. The first is the fairways, tees and green complexes. The second is the transition between fairways, roughs and existing on site vegetation. The third is the buggy trail alignment adjacent to the holes and the transitions from hole to hole.
“The fairways, tees and greens are classic Palmer style. The golf course is long with generous landing areas from the tees. Multi tees will permit players of all ages and ability to enjoy the strategy of the holes. Shaping on the holes is big, soft and strategic. Every hole will permit the thinking golfer to choose the amount of risk he wishes to take with each shot, and reward the successful risk taken with ideal locations from which to attack the greens.
“The greens are well guarded with sand bunkers, grass hollows and trees. Low handicap golfers will appreciate that they can shape their shot to further enhance their strategic advantage. The greens are big, with undulation that will test the players ability to judge movement, pace and optical illusions. Each green is unique and all waterside or island greens are very close to take elevations in the best Palmer tradition.
“In an effort to retain as many of the existing trees on the site as possible, grading was minimized. This was done through thoughtful route planning where natural elevation changes were identified and used to give the holes a specific character. Golfers love elevation change, particularly hitting from elevated tees and landing areas and this was given maximum emphasis on the Palmer course. We do “signature” golf courses, not just signature holes. All of the holes will be memorable.
“The final component to be addressed was how the Golfers move through the course. This is a buggy course and the path winds through the palms in a natural green setting, letting the Golfers enjoy the tropical landscaping and cool shade of the trees between shots.”
A hole-by-hole strategy and description for holes 1 to 9
Hole 1 par 4 384m
The tees are well elevated above the landing zone; the back tee is just below the food terrace of the clubhouse. From the tee there are two hazards to avoid, the first being a large lake that separates it from the 9th and the other is a small creek that runs across the landing zone. Knowing the distance to the creek will be vital as will be knowing your ability to make the shot. The shot to the green is slightly uphill.
Hole 2 par 5 527m
Again the tees are elevated from the landing zone. There is a creek that crosses the fairway about 250m from the back tee. The creek is fed by a small pond to the right of the fairway at about the same distance. There will be a couple of bunkers before the pond to stop errant shots from finding a watery end.With that negotiated the second shot must be hit to an exact location to set up the best angle for the approach shot. There is a cluster of bunkers on the corner of the dogleg that protects the green from any golfers that get too greedy. The forest that frames the second shot will indeed be a visual highlight.
Hole 3 par 4 369m
Once again a creek crosses the fairway, this time it is only about 180m from the back tee and should not come into play very often. The difficulty is the second shot as club selection will be difficult. The fairway slopes upward and slightly left to right making the shot to a slightly blind green tricky.
Hole 4 par 5 534m
Downhill all the way, just stand up on the tee and let it rip but be mindful of the Out of Bounds fence that runs the entire left of the hole.
Hole 5 par 3 168m
The first of the par 3’s on the back nine is a-mid iron however it will play into a prevailing breeze in the later months of the year. Three bunkers guard the front of the green and two more bunkers will trap shots that have been over hit. From up on the green you get a beautiful view of some of the Nicklaus course back nine.
Hole 6 par 4 396m
Possibly one of the most dramatic holes in the region, made possible by a lake that the hole follows. The tee shot requires a long carry across the lake to a generous landing area. The second shot must also be made over water as the as the lake cuts across the front of the green. The green is guarded by a 2m rock wall that drops straight into the lake. There is plenty of room to the left to ‘bail out’ if required.
Hole 7 par 4 377m
This straight-away hole hides nothing from the golfer. The landing zone is generous, however it is then ‘pinched’ by four bunkers that narrow the fairway. Further towards the green the approached is guarded left and right by mature palms.
Hole 8 par 3 189m
This will be a hole to test all golfers of all levels not only for its length. Bunkers protect the very large green left and right.
Hole 9 par 4 389m
The tees are elevated above the landing zone; which has the same creek to cross as hole 10. The tee shot will be aimed at the guestrooms; the second shot will be to an elevated green that sits just below the clubhouse restaurant.