Carved through vividly emerald jungle, the manicured fairways of Brunei’s courses are lined by impossibly brightly-coloured wildflowers and rough that merges into snake-infested undergrowth. Water hazards abound, with a number of layouts characterized by networks of muddy lagoons where resident crocodiles guard against any Van De Velde moments.
There’s no such thing as a tropical links, of course, but the South China Sea makes an appearance at many of the courses - its aquamarine stillness going some of the way to soothing the pain of my many misguided shots.
The golf on its own would be reason enough to visit. Factor in the legendary friendliness of the locals, the tremendous Malay cuisine and the sumptuous accommodation available at five-star resorts like the Empire Hotel and you have a destination that could stake a fair claim to be one of the region’s most underrated golfing prizefighter.
I kicked my whistle-stop tour off amidst the palatial surroundings of the Empire Hotel, which provided a regal retreat after some less than majestic golf. This marble-laden wonder was conceived by the Sultan’s disgraced playboy brother Prince Jefri, who was sent into exile by his sibling after misappropriating billions of dollars in his previous role as minister of finance. Regardless of his misjudgments, Jefri’s monument to excess is undoubtedly impressive, as is the Nicklaus-designed course, which is attached to the hotel.
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