Having opened in 1999, Cengkareng, which is a walking course, has a very established feel with a variety of mature trees lining the fairways and a very professional operation in the club house. It is certainly a course that merits repeat visits, if only to master the treacherous putting surfaces and reacquaint oneself with the excellent bar and restaurant afterwards.
Also on the west side of the city and within a close taxi hop to the airport, Padang Golf Modern is a very fair, if somewhat flat, layout. It features a number of long par fours and doglegs that challenge you to bite off the corner. From the blue tees many of the fairways are (somewhat predictably) encroached by bunkers at the 240-260 yard range. If you are not prepared to use your driver and take on the sand you can find yourself with some lengthy approaches.
The grainy greens and a cavernous, characterless clubhouse left us slightly underwhelmed, but the friendly and knowledgeable caddies did their best to make amends. If you want to fit one final round in with your flight schedule but cannot get a tee time at Cengkareng, Padang Modern is a good plan B.
One of the newest clubs in the capital – and one of the finest to have opened anywhere in Southeast Asia in recent times – is Royale Jakarta, a sprawling 27-hole complex within easy reach of the city centre.
The work of architect Bob Moore of the prolific JMP Design firm, the course, which has already held the Indonesian Open twice, is decked out in wall-to-wall paspalum grass, which allows lush yet springy playing surfaces and features artistic, sometimes penal bunkering. Water also plays a significant part of this strategic yet highly enjoyable track, but be warned: choose where you play from with caution. Even from the regular blues, Royale Jakarta is long and certain holes can be a slog. Drop down to the whites and your post-round nasi goreng in the luxurious clubhouse will taste an awful lot better. –Additional reporting by Alex Jenkins
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